On Forty
I remember, as clearly as if it were yesterday (not 30 years ago), when my dad turned 40. We had a surprise party for him and decorated the house with black balloons and "Over the Hill" paraphernalia. We teased him relentlessly on being old. And here I am, at my second day of being 40. Is 40 old? Its funny what I thought back then and how differently I think now. 40 isn't old. I don't even think the 70 that my dad is turning this year is old. Fortunately, celebrating my birthday this year did not take the same morbid turn of my dad's 40th birthday. Perhaps that is because I almost didn't get the chance to be this old. Or possibly, it is that (and happily so) the trend in celebrating 40 as "Over the Hill" is something that disappeared with the '80s. And maybe, we all just need to get a little older to realize how 40 isn't old at all. In any case, my birthday has been full of celebration. In fact, it seems that instead