Personal Essay
Fifty and Thriving
Embracing Life’s Unexpected Adventures
Today, as I cross the threshold into my fifth decade, I find myself not lamenting the passage of time but marveling at the adventure that lies ahead. Fifty feels less like a finish line and more like the starting pistol of a thrilling new race. My recent brush with mortality (thanks, appendix! I know I’m being dramatic 😊) has only sharpened my appetite for life’s experiences. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? This pup is ready to leap into uncharted territories, armed with hard-earned wisdom and a newfound zest for the unexpected. So here’s to 50 — may it be filled with more surprises than a Cuban time warp, more passion than a Haitian folktale, and more warmth than a Caribbean beach. Let the next chapter begin!
The rhythmic clatter of dominoes on a Havana sidewalk. The gleaming chrome of a ’57 Chevy Bel Air convertible, its tropical turquoise paint, a sharp contrast to the weathered buildings around it. These are the sights and sounds that marked my recent adventure — not the sterile walls of a hospital room. Watching the driver of that classic car chatting on his cell phone while cruising past decaying mid-century architecture, I felt caught in a surreal time warp — a place simultaneously frozen in the 1950s yet hurtling towards an uncertain future. My…
