40 is the new 30 . . . (blah, blah, blah)

What is that crap all about? Sheesh.

I do have to say as someone who wrote an essay in high school titled: Is There Life After 25?, getting old hasn't been as bad as I imagined. I mean, I look at my friends - here we are in the stage of life where I thought we would be ANCIENT - and well, we're a pretty good looking group of peeps!

We're still vibrant. And attractive. And interesting. And not ancient at all. In fact, in some ways we're SO much more interesting than we were 10 years ago. (Although I always hated those people who thought they knew so more than me just because they had a few more years of experience . . . I swear, I'm not one of THEM).

Also note that I said "in SOME ways we're more interesting" . . . not in all ways. I don't have half as many stories as I used to after a weekend - but that also means I only half embarrassed myself! Remember when you could party like a rock star and get up and do it again? Now I need a fist full of vitamins and a week to recover.

My immediate crowd: we're turning 40 now. (Not me YET but I AM on the other side of the hump.) I remember our 30th birthday parties like they were yesterday. They really feel like yesterday to me. And we gave each other diapers and canes and "over the hill" cards THEN. HA! (Seriously, what did we know?)

And society has spoken:

Consumers in many countries across the globe agreed that aging is different from it was a few decades ago. A whopping 60% agreed that being in your 40s was the new 30s. The new middle age is in your 60s according to 56% of those polled, while 54% said ‘your 30s was the new 20s’. In most countries except for China and Hong Kong, women outnumbered men in agreeing with the statements according [to the 2006]AC Nielsen Online Consumer Confidence and Opinion Survey. The survey carried out by AC Nielsen Customised Research Global also found that one out of every five persons questioned would consider cosmetic surgery to turn back the hands of time.

I don't know what all of that means. But Happy Birthday, Ann-Marie - you're wonderful, as always!