turning 50

My best friend from grade school turned 50 yesterday. 

I had to give it some thought because my own date with that milestone will be here soon enough. I recalled how it was much easier for me when I turned 40 than when I turned 30. Why? Because when I turned 30, I still had dreams and aspirations and was therefore disappointed that none of them had yet come to fruition. So how could turning 40 have been any easier when I still had not achieved any of those goals? Easy! Because by then I had gotten rid of my dreams and aspirations! 

Which reminds me of a story I once read in Reader's Digest many, many years ago. It was a true story sent in by a reader: 

A worker in a store was tasked with matching a paint chip color brought in by a customer. After numerous failed attempts to mix a new paint color that would pass muster with this very particular customer, the worker waited until the customer wasn't looking... and then painted the chip!