Life
begins
at
40
I have just performed a quick bit of internet
research to find out who first coined the
phrase “Life Begins at 40”. According
to Wikipedia (therefore it’s true) it was
an American psychologist called Walter
Pitkin. He published a book called “Life
Begins at 40” in 1932. Well that caught on.
Although it’s original meaning may have
been different, these days it refers to the
beginning of the rest of ones life. A little
shot in the arm to cope with a milestone
birthday perhaps.
Well, I have recently been diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects
about 100,000 people in the UK or 1 in
every 600. It tends to materialize between
20-40 years old, in predominately women
and it is not known what causes it. There
is no cure and can be very life-limiting
in its extreme stages. Saying that, it can
be life-limiting at any stage. It can cause
a loss of sensation, balance problems
and dizziness to name but three. I may
decline further; in fact I know I will.
That phrase is very pertinent to me
now as I turned 40 last September. In
my early life I was handy at sports and
was a quickie on the track. In my recent
years I have run marathons (perhaps
it would have been better to say that
I completed marathons), cycled lots,
played squash in a friendly mates-only
club for a while (like a good boy band we
never officially disbanded) and continue
to run around after my now almost 8
year old daughter. Now her attentions
are starting to focus on things like 1D
and Jessie J. I think she will soon be lost
to popular culture for a while and I will
just be an embarrassing dad. I’m looking
forward to being an embarrassing dad.
She probably does not realise that I will
like that. I imagine her mortified little
face as I try (and succeed of course) to
be funny in front of her friends. My work
will then be done.
What I find strange is that, for a reason
that is unknown to medical science, my
immune system thinks that it is under
attack from a foreign body and decides
that it needs to fight it. But, by doing that,
it can actually cause damage that has
other serious complications. What an
unbelievably stupid thing to do. “If it’s not
broken then why fix it.” My brain has been
tricked. I imagine my Multiple Sclerosis as
an unfunny comedian that does not know
when to change his routine. I have a few
names but will not mention them here.
But, I have not been very well for over a
year now. What starte B