Numbers are powerful. Pi, for example, is the numeric cipher for every thought mankind has ever had. 1776 is often called the birth of America. Post 40 is often called your second life. The coincidence of numbers isn’t lost on me. Other numbers have a symbolic meaning. Turning 40 is the official signifier of ‘damn that guy is old’. Of course, if you ask my students that number is a lot closer to 26. I thought I’d feel a lot older than I do feel. In truth I feel no different, and the symbol has begin to slide off me like rain off a slicker. I care about being forty in a more reflective sense. I haven’t experienced many people who are fully physically capable post 80, so I can submit that I’m about halfway done with this mortal coil. That leaves me forty or so years of life to love, and live, and explore inside and out. Today I explored something completely new.
I had a chance to experience Himalayan singing bowls today. Not the tiny (fake) amazon.com offerings but the real deal bowls worked by a trained performer. The sounds were deep and resonant and reverberated through me with such a force that I felt my body shiver. This was among the most relaxing and focusing activities I have had a chance to experience and on a day where I needed to find my center.
Forty feels great. It feels like work is yet to be done on all aspects of me. It feels like I’m ready.