Skip navigation.

Allan´s Weblog

My message in a bottle

50

, ,

The other night, a few days ago, I sat thinking as I sometimes do.

I was thinking that I would soon turn fifty, which is in fact half a bloody century. I was born in the decade when rock'n'roll was born. I was a child during the cold war and the booming economies of the sixties. I remember the hippie days, peace love and understanding. I was young when Europe was scarred by terrorism and war, yet my youth was mostly about education, girls and finding a way in society. In my late twenties I spend most of my effort on getting a grip on my life and getting my act together. I got married at 29 and became mostly economical independent at 40.

Yesterday was my fiftieth birthday, I was blessed with an absolutely crowded house filled to the rim just as all the glasses in everybody's hands. Much cheering, eating, raising of glasses and celebrating all over the place. A wonderful, wonderful day thanks to my wife and my family and friends. I can only say that I am one lucky, fifty year old man.

The before mentioned night when I sat contemplating over the passed years, I came to the conclusion that "50" is nothing but a number. Two digits. So what?
But now, as I sit here after my big day, looking at myself tired to the bones, with my slippers on and the newspaper handy, I feel I have to admit that these two digits just might be a bit more concrete than just a number.

Ladies and gentlemen, this tired man with the slippers is now officially fifty, in every sense of the word.

That's fine.

WW2 Ended These Days Twenty Years AgoButterflies in my belly as if I was only five

Comments

Darko 16. November 2009, 12:25

Happy Birthday Allan! In Serbia we use to say that after 40th birthday a person is the owner of the major part of its life :D

Angeliki 16. November 2009, 13:28

Happy Bday Allan, Manny Happy Returns!Age is just a number, celebrating life is a daily Bday after all! :heart:

Mit 16. November 2009, 14:23

Happy Birthday Allan :smile:

der Wandersmann 16. November 2009, 14:39

Happy Birthday, youngster!

Martin K 16. November 2009, 16:43

Good luck, old chap! See you sometime later. How was the wine?

PainterWoman 16. November 2009, 16:43

"I feel I have to admit that these two digits just might be a bit more concrete than just a number."

I felt this way at turning 60 a year and a half ago. When I turned 50, I was too busy trying to make a go at being independent so didn't think much about age....except for when I had to walk up three flights of stairs after a 12 hour shift serving at banquets.

Sounds like you had a wonderful day on your birthday Allan. That's the best kind of day to have.

Edward Piercy 16. November 2009, 18:13

Well Allan I've been thinking about it. "50" is two numbers, right? But one of the numbers is "0". And zero is nothing. So that only leaves "5", right?

So maybe you could get out your little cars and trucks (or look at your Toyota in the driveway) and watch some cartoons (or MTV) and have a nice grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch.

Happy birthday. Keep those slippers on.

:hat: :wizard:

PainterWoman 16. November 2009, 18:16

Originally posted by edwardpiercy:

Keep those slippers on


That reminds me, I've got to buy some slippers for when I'm in ND for Thanksgiving.

Nicolas Borgsmidt 16. November 2009, 20:17

A snotty boy has no age :D p:

Happy birthday kid :hat:

Better late than never :whistle:



Stardancer 16. November 2009, 22:28

Happy Birthday, Allan!

:hat::hat::hat:

:up:

:heart:

Richard 17. November 2009, 03:07

Happy Birthday, Allan. I am so glad you were able to enjoy it with such fine company filling your house. :smile: As you say, 50 is just a number, but it's always good to have a party!

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :hat: :hat: :hat: :cheers: :cheers:

Allan 17. November 2009, 09:01

Hey, thanks all.

And will you believe, those slippers have totally gone lost! I can't find them. And I live in a small house.

Now I wonder if there's a meaning in this :D

Nicolas Borgsmidt 17. November 2009, 11:14

Get a dog. It always find the slippers :D

Martin K 17. November 2009, 13:01

Cats too. Only you can't depend on the pet to give back what it has found. In this way, pets are much like people.

Nicolas Borgsmidt 17. November 2009, 13:10

I know Martin.
:idea: Actually you can make slippers out of cats. You need two :up:

Nicolas Borgsmidt 17. November 2009, 13:14

Martin K 17. November 2009, 13:37

Alarm clock rings early as f#¤%, you sit up, put your feet in those enormous looking things and walk to the kitchen to put the keddle on. I couldn't do that. I'd fall on my face at first step taken. 100 % sure.

Nicolas Borgsmidt 17. November 2009, 14:01

but...you´d stumble over the dog anyways :eyes:

Darko 17. November 2009, 14:04

Or over a cat :lol:

Allan 17. November 2009, 15:55

No reason for alarm. I was carrying a box with empty beer cans to the trashbin, and there they were under the cans. My trusty slippers. I almost lost them right there. Now I don't need a dog - neither two cats

PainterWoman 17. November 2009, 16:08

:lol: I almost threw out two 50 dollar bills that way. I had them in my hand, then on the way to my wallet, I picked up some pieces of paper. Wadded the paper up and threw it in the trash, then forgot why I'd gone into my bedroom where my purse was.

Edward Piercy 17. November 2009, 16:46

Well it looks like the Case of the Missing Slippers has been solved. Time to have a bourbon and pinch the secretary.

p:

Martin K 17. November 2009, 17:34

Perhaps the cat slippers as represented above and other of the same sort are made overdimensional to avoid people from misplacing or losing them. That concept could be used in other areas. Take keys, for example. I lose my keys all the time. Most of the times I find them again, but it is serious business to lose them for good, You'd have to change the lock and get new keys - money directly down the drain. I say, make bigger keys. I bet, if they made all keys in the size of, say, a frying pan and with about the same weight, they would not get lost so often.

Allan 17. November 2009, 18:31

Would that go for teaspoons and socks, too? I lose those all the time. Maybe I should have a bigger mouth and large feet, too?

Darko 17. November 2009, 21:02

:lol:

Naomi 17. November 2009, 21:04

So glad you had a great birthday. :wizard:

@Edward I was just thinking about grilled cheese & soup for dinner tonight. Yes, I am still a child. :lol:

Nicolas Borgsmidt 17. November 2009, 21:26

Hey! That means I have to frequent BIG girls now. I seem to loose girls all the time :idea:

Mick-E 17. November 2009, 22:49

Originally posted by ricewood:

"50" is nothing but a number


I'd say it was an accomplishment. Happy Birthday! :smile:

Originally posted by ricewood:

And will you believe, those slippers have totally gone lost!


The memory is the first thing to go. :wink:

scott cumming 18. November 2009, 02:55

nice that you had such a memorable party.
vis a vis age and numbers... i only try one thing and that's not to talk about how old i am. i bite my tongue when i am tempted to complain about the pain. i think it's an honor to grow old. i don't think everyone gets to do it. and there's still plenty to live for and enjoy.

studio41 18. November 2009, 07:56

exceptional post, Allan, I appreciated the sharing of every word, thank you :smile:

WillYum 18. November 2009, 08:02

Bravo.

Bravo.

Yum

rickwiedeman 18. November 2009, 08:50

*And* you live in an age where 50 might truly be "middle aged." Good stuff!

Allan 18. November 2009, 09:25

:D Thanks, all. I am not tired anymore. Off to work I am. Leaving my slippers at home.

Lois 18. November 2009, 14:25

Happy Birthday!!

Allan 18. November 2009, 14:29

Thanks, Lois

Norfrid 19. November 2009, 09:11

With three dogs in the house we're contstantly looking for slippers, socks and gloves.
A little delayed; happy birthday! :hat:
I'm glad you had a nice party.

Allan 19. November 2009, 10:39

Thank you, Norfrid. I don't suppose those dogs of yours ever go to Aarhus?

Kimberly 19. November 2009, 14:42

sorry I am late. Happy Birthday Allan :hat:

and yes, it is just a number, and if you turn it around and think about it, instead of being 50, you're only 5...lol

so live it like yow would have when you were 5

Norfrid 19. November 2009, 15:10

I won't let my dogs go to Aarhus. They might easily blow away these days. :wink:

greenwitch3 19. November 2009, 22:36


HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ALLAAAAAAAAAAAAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU..... :D

Allan 19. November 2009, 22:54

Like I am five? My wife sometimes mentions something like that. Look out for my next entry!

Oh, you know we had a fierce storm yesterday, Norfrid?

Thanks, Witchie :smile:

greenwitch3 20. November 2009, 05:25


You are welcome my dear friend.

Norfrid 20. November 2009, 09:14

There was a storm approaching Norway, so I guess Denmark got some of that weather too. I'm lucky to live behind the mountains, so when storms blow on the western coast, the weather is often good here.

53north 21. November 2009, 06:49

Congratulations on your 50th.
I'm not far behind..

Wonder what the combined total for all the commentors here would be?
=o}

Allan 21. November 2009, 09:47

Well, this isn't exactly a teenagers' forum

rickwiedeman 21. November 2009, 16:22

Originally posted by ricewood:

Well, this isn't exactly a teenagers' forum


Hey! I am only three times the age of a young teen. I'm still cool! (Do they still say "cool?" Hang on, I'll go ask my kids... yes. OK. I'm still that.)

Allan 21. November 2009, 16:55

They also claim it's okay to say "cool" around here. But I think they are being polite. I hear them say "street" to each other.

rickwiedeman 21. November 2009, 16:59

Now that's interesting.

Here, "street" means a certain level of (un) sophistication, such as "Gwen Stephani dresses glam, but is really very street," that is, she may get on the cover of Cosmo, but she still talks like a ghetto-kid.

Makes sense that the word would morph into broader use.

Martin K 21. November 2009, 18:05

Cool wil never be outdated, since coolness is the highest level of spiritual existence, as some of you already know.

:cool:

scott cumming 21. November 2009, 18:24

martin's right. i like the way the french say cool. :cool:

How to use Quote function:

  1. Select some text
  2. Click on the Quote link

Write a comment

Comment
(BBcode and HTML is turned off for anonymous user comments.)

If you can't read the words, press the small reload icon.


Smilies