The Big 40!

Five days ago I reached the big 40. At which, so they say, life begins. In truth, I've never been that fussed about age. Yes, admittedly, as a small child, I always wanted to be older, and there are moments where I would to return to nursary school where there was nothing more stressful than the sand pit to negotiate. But in general, age has always been just a number that plays no direct role in how I lead my life.

However, turning 40 has made me stop and think for a while. Not about getting old nor about my life being half way through (in fact isn't 50 the new 40?), but that somewhere along the line I seem to have lost the believe that nothing is impossible that I possessed at 19. With age comes increased responsibilities and an increased awareness that none of us are invincible, But surely, if anything, being 40 means that I am more confident and have more life experience, knowledge and skills to be able to deal with the new and unexpected more competently that I could at 19?

At 19, along with two friends, I caught a coach from London to the South of France, with £50 in my pocket and a plan to work our way to India. Weeks later, relieved of my money and my friends of their passports, and an epic 24 hour hitch hiking adventure through France, I caught another coach, alone this time, to start a new job in the Lake District. Just after my 20th birthday, I flew to Israel to meet friends (the same ones involved in the French catastrophe) where I danced in nightclubs with armed soldiers and swam with dolphins, picked peach blossom and joined the hundreds of sun burnt tourists floating in the Dead Sea. 

At 39, I tend to put things off until tomorrow.

So, at 40, I've decided to stop procrastinating and grab every opportunity that comes my way. Who knows where it may lead?

So far, over the past five days, I've witnessed the natural spectacle of a starling murmeration where hundreds of thousands of starlings flock together to roost over the Somerset Levels. The sheer number of birds flying over your head is almost too many to get your head around. 

Pulled apart an owl pellet. There's skulls and jaw bones and all sorts in there! 

Helped to coppice a hawthorn wood to provide new growth for dormice and this evening, off to try Samba band practice.

So much for growing old gracefully. I aim to grow old inquisitively.