How It Feels to Be Fifty

A humorous personal essay in which the author reflects on turning fifty, dismissing the notion of inevitable decline and describing continued vitality and renewed purpose. He recalls youthful anxieties such as courtship fears, worries about baldness, and a long-standing stomach ache, and shows how time has made those concerns manageable and even familiar. He suggests that play and work blend more pleasantly with age, that health and appetite can improve with sensible adjustments like eyeglasses, and that family and practical preparations are in order. He closes with a pragmatic, unafraid attitude toward life insurance and mortality, advocating confident middle-age living.