Middle-aged f'ing studs?

Nope. At age 35, we're all sent out to the glue factory.

 

This thread isn't about me?

Seriously, I just turned 50 and I feel like I'm in position (in terms of ability, experience and perspective) for the most productive 10 years of my career. We'll see.

 

Your Fired!/Laid Off!/Bought Out!

 

Oh shit. Better get cracking. I've got 33 days left.

 

Should you change your handle to BMAH then?

 

Durrett is 35? Looks much younger.

 

So you're getting out of newspapers, then?

 

I just want a clarification on what age the demographic begins, so I can remember which group I don't belong to ...

 

Brought a tear to me eye, you did

 

0 - 17 Young.

18 - 24 Young. Strong. Not as smart as you think you are.

25 - 29 Still young. Still strong. Not as stupid as you remember yourself.

30 - 35 Smart. Strong feeling of being young.

35 - 40 Smarter. Neither as young nor strong as you think you are.

40 - 45 Smarter. Sense of not being young now very strong.

45 - 50 Smarter. Your children are young and strong.

50 - 55 Smarter. Your strength is in your work. The work, always new, is therefore always young.

55 - 65 Smart, and holding. Strength almost entirely a matter of character. The Young you remember best wrote for the Daily News. You wonder why no one writes like that any more.

65 - ? Smart's not everything, young man. You wonder why the young always think they're so smart. Get off my lawn.

 

Sirs, Madames,

At 50 I look back at stories that I did at 40 and find huge holes in them, missteps that I wouldn't make now. I can't bring myself to read stuff that I wrote when I was 30. I think your values and craft evolve and as soon as you're too satisfied that you've got it all figured out, then you're middle-aged or just plain old.

When I was a younger guy I remember one old-timer (age 60 or so) telling me that he considered it a bad week if he didn't write four great columns--having read him for years I couldn't think of four good columns he ever wrote. His home-run columns were no better than infield singles. At that point I decided I never want to be that guy. I can't change my birth certificate but the desire to do better and try new things gives me a shot at feeling young.

YD&OHS, etc