I was reminded this morning, whilst reading The Daily Cartoonist (the online news page for cartoonists), of the significance of birthdays of a significant number.
Joe Wos, the director of Toonseum (Pittsburg’s Museum of Cartoon Art), was named in the Top 40 Under 40 in Pittsburg Magazine. At 39 years of age (and “under the expiration date”), Joe is making a positive impact in his area with his his pre-40 year old talent. (good goin’ there Joe).
Now onto the griping. So, does this mean that a spry 41 year old with great talent and lots of super charisma is dried up? Is the magic number 40? Is there no hope for creative genius after this NUMBER? And WHO decides that this is a number where you are no longer… hip? or marketable… ?
Okay, okay… I must say that I have been giving “significant numbers” a lot of thought recently. And I am troubled by them. The last time this happened I was turning 25 and wondering in my quarter-century-ness, what it was that I had really accomplished? I was still mucking about in Jr. College, not exactly where I thought I’d be…. and certainly struggling with my own identity as a human being. But 25, as many of us can say, is an age in our youth where we are still growing, and still making rather impressive mistakes on our newly forged adult path. Criminy! I still hadn’t found my way past rum and coke.
But seriously, as I ponder this unpleasant subject and weigh the choices I’ve made in my life… like why it was I wasted my time with rum and coke? and what it was I actually learned on the 10 year college? and how I came to love dark chocolate over milk chocolate? I’ve discovered one thing for certain. That age isn’t how much you’ve accomplished… but WHAT you’ve accomplished. (The French have taught me this concept… Quality versus quantity)… So then the question becomes… What do you value? What is important to you? And have you achieved what is important to you? And more importantly, the question is> how can you, in your dried up, nearly expired self, achieve WHAT is important? Certainly focusing on a number won’t help.
So… with all this talk of numbers and all…. I would MUCH rather focus on the sweeter side of age-turning… the celebratory side…
….faithful Squid reader, Mark, has sent me a link to a happy place… where donuts are “light” and covered with brightly colored sprinkles… (Randie wouldn’t care about the “light” part… but sprinkles make the world a better place, non?). So thank you, Mark, and Not So Humble Pie, for the antidote to the evil of significant numbers.
