Feeling…Beyond
As I sit down to write this post, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that brought me here. Ten years ago I started my website titled “Turning 60 and Beyond,” it felt like a daring proclamation of embracing life’s adventures beyond the conventional age limit of turning 60. Little did I know that this decision would lead me to a profound and somewhat depressing realization now that my 70th birthday looms just days away.
Why is the cutoff 60?
The notion of age cutoffs, particularly the significance of turning 70, has been on my mind lately and consumed my thoughts like a brain worm song will burrow its tune into your mind. That song that keeps rewinding in my head could almost be titled … and beyond.
It’s almost as if society has agreed that 60 is the threshold, and I was part of that when in my 50’s I developed turning 60 and beyond. There seems to be a great divide between 60 and the remainder of life or the … beyond. Wow, was I ignorant.
And here I am, about to step into the realm of becoming a septuagenarian, contemplating the very word that once symbolized boundless possibilities but now seems to beckon an uncertain journey into the “beyond.” What is beyond?
What is beyond?
As I ponder …beyond, I find myself embracing “beyond” with a newfound sense of optimism and excitement. What did Christopher Columbus think when everyone else thought beyond was falling off the face of the flat earth? Columbus bucked that belief and determined that the world was round and his ship would not and did not fall into oblivion.
Beyond the yellow brick road
Why should age define us or confine us to boundaries set and let us become invisible? Instead, let’s redefine what it means to be “beyond.” I choose to not let …beyond be an allegory about life being useless after 60, but more of a symbolization of the path to enlightenment. Let’s celebrate the wisdom, experiences, and vitality that come with each passing year.
Stepping into the beyond doesn’t mean waving goodbye to adventure; it’s an invitation to embark on new ones. It’s an opportunity to revel in the richness of life, to savor each moment with a deeper appreciation for the journey we’ve traveled and the paths that lie ahead, even beyond 60.
So, to all my fellow adventurers that are …beyond, let’s rewrite the narrative. Let’s embrace our age as a badge of honor, a testament to the resilience and vitality that resides within us. Let’s show the world that life doesn’t stop when we are beyond; it evolves, it flourishes, it thrives in ways we never imagined.
As I prepare to blow out the candles on my 70th birthday cake, I do so with a heart full of gratitude for the years behind me and a spirit brimming with anticipation for the years ahead. Here’s to the “beyond,” where age is but a number and the possibilities are limitless. Let’s make every moment count, for a life living in the …beyond is truly a blessing.
