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Path: utzoo!linus!gatech!ut-sally!pooh
From: pooh@ut-sally.UUCP (Pooh @ the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: Pushing 40: On Getting Older (LONG)
Message-ID: <2756@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Aug-85 10:06:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.2756
Posted: Tue Aug 27 10:06:55 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Aug-85 20:32:10 EDT
References: <375@rti-sel.UUCP>
Reply-To: pooh@ut-sally.UUCP (Pooh @ the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen)
Distribution: net
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 50

Thanks for a beautiful posting, Bill!

Perhaps I shouldn't be throwing my two cents in,
being a net.whippersnapper, but it seems to me
that you don't need to give up hope yet of
accomplishing new things or finishing old ones.
You speak of never finishing that novel; why not?
And why not run for Congress?  You hear every day
of people culminating their career efforts in
a burst of creativity in their 50's, 60's and
70's (okay, so maybe it's just Reagan in his 70's :-).
LIFE IS NOT OVER YET for you!!

My own parents are examples to me.  My father
suddenly decided, in his 40's, to pursue his hobby
and become an astronomer.  He made an abrupt
career change and bravely burned his bridges behind
him.  After starting out with a B.A. in English, he 
got his Ph.D in a year's time in 1972 in astronomy.
My mother went back to school also in her 40's,
got a degree in journalism, and now owns a publications
firm (this week she's consummating a merger with a
typesetting firm).

I hope that I am able to make fresh starts with
such enthusiasm when I'm their age.  I'm very proud
of them.

As to friendships--I have heard this point of view
described many times, and I probably won't experience
it until years hence.  But you described it so
vividly that I think I can understand it.
I guess the variance and interest in friendships for
you must now come from the individual and his
uniqueness, and not from the type of relationship, since
you've seen so much and done it all.  People as unique
beings are still worth getting to know, I believe.

At the risk of using a cliche, thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Pooh

pooh@purdue-ecn.ARPA   pur-ee!pooh
[pooh@ecn.purdue.edu]

You've been told now, you're a fool--
You fail if you say, this is really not enough--
But when it's not enough,
You know. . .