What's the Rush?

As my dear friend Fleur pointed out, "it's only you that's in a rush to be 60!" She has a point. Why hurtle towards this milestone when you can saunter in the general direction, smelling the sweet pollen on the air, savoring the residual elasticity in your knees that will surely evaporate at the turn of the decade.

The "9's" are such cliffhangers, that's why. No one wants to be a "9", least of all 9 year olds. There is something awkward about it; it's not a fully formed number. The "9's" are always peering over the precipice. What if you were 99? Wouldn't that be the most awful cliffhanger? If you failed to get to the century, UK residents wouldn't get that letter from the king. If you don't care about royalty, it's hardly a comfort. You would have that milestone hanging like Damocles' sword for the entire year! My advice? Avoid the "9's" entirely. Which is why I am in 60's green and pleasant land.

Since I have skipped over the terrible "9's", I am in no hurry to race through the next decade. There seems an awful lot to look forward to in this new decade.

Friends are more important than ever. Our joint wisdom is joyful and painful but invigorating. We made it this far, we survived, we can smile, we can cry, we can remember and we can cherish. If we are smart, we will eschew negativity and bitterness and fill our pipes with sweet memories and raise our glasses to more to come!

I love my friends, all of them. Not sickly sentiment; I haven't had a glass of wine yet, but I'm pouring one now, and I'm raising it to you all.