I present this blog post feeling equal parts of dread and gratitude. And since I can’t ignore it even if I tried I’ll just mention that this Sunday, July 22, is a significant day for me. It will mark my 50th orbit around the sun .. and boy am I exhausted! 😆 Yeah it’s my birthday and it’s the big 5-0. Half a century folks. Yay!! I made it!! Of course, even us super cool Gen Xers had to get old eventually. Remember us? The forgotten ‘middle child’ wedged between the Baby Boomers and the Millenials, both of whom outnumber us by huge margins. I’ve been obsessively listening to 80s music lately and it’s no mystery why. So many memories.
In lieu of tedious profound thoughts and deep life reflections inspired by my ‘milestone’ birthday, I’m just going to wish you all a wonderful weekend and continued summer fun of vacations, travels, recreation, explorations, and whatever else you’re all enjoying. Meet me right back here in a few days. Grace and peace, dear friends. I’ll see you on the other side of fifty …
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, On the Road to the Temple of Ceres:
My cousin has an interesting take on milestone birthdays. When people go on and on about how awful it is to now be 50 60 70 whatever, she says well, it beats the alternative ( of not reaching those birthdays).
It’s just another day.
However, I refused to accept 60. The number was just surreal for me. I became 50-10 instead. Which worked perfectly for me. But I feel and act like I’m 18. Well, except for going to college and drinking…which I don’t miss.
malefiguredrawingmodel,
Your cousin has the right take. Someone said that exact thing to me last week; would you rather mope about your milestone birthday or never reach that age at all? Kind of a no-brainer.
I’d like to say that I don’t feel my age, but honestly it varies from day to day. Sometimes I do feel like I’m 30 or 35, other times reality kicks in!
Thanks for your comments!
Claudia
Happy birthday, Claudia! Take it from me, 50 isn’t bad at all.
Thanks very much Dave! I’ll take your word for it 🙂
Claudia
Happy birthday, God’s own daughter. Thanks for the friendship and don’t let them tell you that your generation doesn’t matter just because you’re cynical and don’t bother complaining. All the best birthdays are spent with people who love us. 💕👍🏼
Ken,
Thank you so much for the warm thoughts and wishes. I absolutely did spend my birthday with people who love me and appreciate me. And I like your description of my generation! We are a cynical bunch but are more low key about it. We’re almost like elder statesmen now! 😆
Claudia
Happy Birthday Claudia! Congratulations on turning 50–enjoy the next 50 with gusto! 🙂
Roberta, thank you, friend! If I can’t go full gusto from now going forward I’ll shoot for 75%!
Claudia
Happy Birthday! Take heart, on Mars you are only 28! See you Sunday!
Bruce, that’s it! I’m moving to Mars! 😆
So great seeing you on Sunday. Thanks for making the day so memorable.
Claudia
Happy birthday 🎉
ksbeth, thank you!!
Claudia
Enjoy your milestone birthday. It may be filled with wonders you never expected.
Gregory, thank you! I appreciate that. If I’ve learned anything over my years it’s that life is full of things ‘unexpected’. (Both good and bad)
Claudia
It doesn’t seem so long ago when you were turning 42 and looking forward to learning the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Have fun on your birthday!
Andrew,
We girls of the 80s went absolutely nuts over this song! It was our anthem. And I especially love that it was a fellow girl from Queens who delivered the message. Cyndi is from Ozone Park 🙂
Thanks for memories and the birthday wishes!
Claudia
Hey Claudia, now that it’s official, a very happy birthday-and welcome to the club! 😀. The Lord bless you…
Steve, thank you so much. I’m already starting to feel proud of my club membership!
Great to hear from you 🙂
Claudia
Happy 50th! And since it’s past midnight, here’s to Music Monday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZBESRpetP0
Bill,
I LOVE that! At first I thought it would make me feel terribly old but I’m kind of honored that so many great songs were ‘born’ in 1968! Wow, one good song after another. It may not have been a good year in many other respects but for music it really kicked ass!
Thanks for sharing and for the birthday wishes, dear friend 🙂
Claudia
Happy belated B-Day to the most perfect MVSE . . .
Todd, thank you. Not perfect though, just humbly imperfect.
You’re a great friend 🙂
Claudia
Claudia – happy (belated) 50th birthday! I hope this greeting finds well and in good spirits. I have to admit that I am still coming to grips with being in the mid 50s myself (56 this year). This is all going by way too fast! Please keep modeling – the work you share continues to amaze. All the best – Brian
Brian!
What a beautiful birthday present this is – seeing your words and warm wishes here on Museworthy. I wish you could have seen the big smile on my face when I first read your comment on my phone, walking up West Broadway 🙂
Yes, it is all going by way too fast! The young ones will never understand, just like we didn’t when we were young! But that’s just the way it is. Still, I have no doubt that you are still the handsome, fit, fun, and brilliant guy I knew 30 years ago.
Thank you so, so much for posting a comment on this post. It means a great deal to me. Hope life is treating you well …
Claudia
Belated happy birthday! Hope you did something fun.
Thanks so much John! Nice to hear from you! Hope you’re having a good summer 🙂
Claudia
happy birthday luv 50 years a great milestone
I am 69 this year.
here is a song that was released in 1968
I was 19 at that time
Cheers
From 1968’s Odyssey and Oracle this is the Zombies with “time of the Season”
Derek,
Thank you! I always liked Time of the Season, great song! So next year it will be you who celebrates the milestone. The years go by way too fast!
Good to hear from you 🙂
Claudia
Since Colin Blunstone was the lead vocalist for The Zombies, perhaps another appropriate song to mark Claudia’s milestone is “Old and Wise”, which he sang in 1982 for the Alan Parsons Project. I hope we all are getting wiser as we’re getting older.
Dear Claudia
Sorry this is a bit late, but joining in with all the other wishes for your 50th and I hope that you enjoyed it. I do hope that there was some let-up of the hurtful family issues for your birthday. I was reading Museworthy when you turned 40 and can recall your blog posts around your birthday, a tribute to your evocative and personal writing. Thanks for continuing to write Museworthy and for bringing the New York art world to us through your intimate perspective – meeting you and Fred Hatt and doing a life drawing session at Spring Studio was absolutely one of the highlights of my now too long-ago visit to New York! Wishing you happiness and fulfilment in your coming decade, Love Jennifer
Jennifer,
I’m crying from your lovely, thoughtful comments! And never too late for birthday wishes 🙂 Yes, meeting you during your visit to NY and our lunch with Fred is a cherished memory. I enjoyed it so much!
Unfortunately, there was no let-up of my family situation for my birthday, I wish I could report otherwise. My mother didn’t offer to celebrate the occasion in any way. Her daughter’s 50th birthday isn’t important enough to commemorate apparently. And she never even called me on my birthday – no text, no nothing – which was extremely hurtful. I still managed to have a fun day with my niece Olivia, my sister-in-law Gayle, and my dear friends who love me and value me. Last October, in the midst of all this family strife, I still took my mother out to dinner for her birthday because it seemed the right thing to do, in spite of all the problems. Sadly, my mother doesn’t feel I deserve the same. 😥
Thank you Jennifer for your very kind words about my writing and the blog. I appreciate that so very much. And thanks also for the birthday wishes. My 40s turned out better than I expected so I hope my 50s come through as well! We’ll see …
Claudia
I was so very sorry to hear that the occasion of such a landmark birthday didn’t prompt your mother to attempt to mend bridges. You’ve always spoken so highly of her in Museworthy that it’s difficult to comprehend that this turn of events should come about, particularly over something that’s clearly not of your doing. I’m pleased that you had a good birthday despite this cloud, and I hope that some day the situation will improve. Hope your fiftieth summer in New York has been a good one and not too hot (it’s been unusually hot here!) Jennifer xx