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50 Things I’ve Learned During The Last 50 Years

It’s my birthday, and I have some thoughts to share

14 min readAug 13, 2024

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If, as French novelist Victor Hugo wrote, forty is the “old age of youth,’ then fifty is “old age. "Not ‘very old age,’ just regular, garden-variety ‘old age.’ It is also the age I am turning today. I am not someone who dreads his birthday. I will celebrate mine like always: eating a vanilla funfetti sheet cake with family. But this particular birthday does feel momentous — more so than any I’ve had since, maybe, my 21st? I am 50 years old. I am old. Creaky. There are so many things I do not understand about life. But I also sincerely believe I have learned a few things during the last five decades that I would like to share with the internet, as is my habit. Please feel free to wish me happy birthday in the comments — even if you’re a bot.

1. No matter how old you are, it’s always a good idea to moisturize.

2. I used to think I only had two emotions: anger and pasta. As it turns out, I have all the emotions in large quantities, but I am not very good at expressing them. This takes practice, courage — and therapy — but cultivating the ability to tell your loved ones where you’re at with your feelings is worth the work.

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My memoir 'Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway' is now available. jdv.lol