My Decade of Turning 50

Every so often I get hit with the cold slap of my age in unexpected moments — another Scary Thing About Turning 50. Today at work, as we discussed the teacher-turned-astronaut who will be on next month’s shuttle flight, someone asked where we all were when we heard about the Challenger explosion that killed teacher Christa McAuliffe in 1986. “Oh, I was in 7th grade,” a couple of people said. Another: “Oh, I think…8th grade.” Me? Working at a newspaper, rapidly approaching (gasp at the time…30 years old.). This all reminded me of something on the No. 1 site that comes up when you search “turning 50 jokes,” corsinet.com. It has funny page on “Then and Now.” For example:

THEN: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor.
NOW: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor

THEN: Seeds and stems.
NOW: Roughage.

THEN: Popping pills, smoking joints.
NOW: Popping joints.