My 1st Bday… Again! (Because apparently, I’m a Toddler)

So, here we are. Another lap around the sun. One more year stacked onto the fifty, making it fifty-one. Yes, you heard that right. I’m practically ancient, yet still possess the youthful exuberance of a person who just discovered coffee. Does that make me wiser? Oh, absolutely. My brain is now a veritable encyclopedia of useless facts and existential dread. It feels less like aging and more like I just unlocked a new, slightly more achy level, probably with some utterly fascinating bonus features like inexplicable joint pops. This year feels like a proper “new beginning” for the last part of my life, assuming I still make it to 75. You know, just throwing that out there to the universe, manifesting good health, and trying not to trip over my own feet. Because that would be tragic.

Over the past 51 glorious, chaotic, and occasionally questionable years, I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs. My personal life has been a rollercoaster (the kind where you constantly question your life choices mid-loop), and my professional life? Let’s just say it’s been a character-building exercise that apparently involved a lot of soul-crushing bureaucracy and people who majored in “being difficult.” I’ve had moments of pure joy that made me feel like I was floating on a cloud made of kittens and rainbows, and moments so sad I questioned if gravity had a personal vendetta against me. It’s all part of the charming narrative, right? A real page-turner, I assure you.

This year, my birthday landed on a Tuesday. A working day. Gasp! The sheer inconvenience! But I, in my infinite, dazzling wisdom, outsmarted the corporate overlords by taking both Monday and Tuesday off. Monday was dedicated to “home stuff things” – which sounds incredibly vague but basically means I engaged in the thrilling sport of moving dust from one surface to another and pretending it was productive. Tuesday, though? Oh, Tuesday, May 27th, was all about me. And by “all about me,” I mean I successfully avoided all significant human interaction not involving my immediate family. Peak self-care, folks. You should try it. It’s truly revolutionary.

Just as a side note, I’m writing this for me to read when I’m 61. So, hey, future me! Hope you’re still fabulous and haven’t forgotten where you put your keys. Also, please tell me you finally got that thing fixed. You know the one. The one that’s been perpetually almost-fixed for years. I’m sure you got right on that.

May 27th – My Day: A Masterpiece of Mundanity (and Presents!)

The morning kicked off as usual, with me rolling out of bed around 6:15 a.m. and embarking on the thrilling adventure of taking the trash cans to the curb. Yes, Tuesday is trash day. Because nothing says “Happy Birthday” quite like the sweet symphony of a garbage truck at dawn. What a glamorous start to my personal new year, I tell ya. Truly the stuff of legends.

Then, until about 7:30, I consumed the daily dose of national anxiety via the news. We’d just had presidential elections, and let me tell you, politics is currently all over the place. We’re the proud (and slightly bewildered, but mostly just exhausted) nation that somehow ended up with a provisional president due to “external interference” in the election process. Because, naturally, we couldn’t possibly manage our own affairs. And a provisional parliament because the prime minister decided to play political games and then, with impeccable timing, resigned. Now, the real fun begins: trying to mitigate an approximate 9% budget deficit and avoid major macro-economic issues and economic defaults. You know, just light, casual birthday morning viewing. Nothing to see here! Everything’s fine!

After that delightful dose of reality, I took a long, long shower, mostly because I was stalling until my significant other and daughter finally decided to grace the world with their presence. Around 8:15, everybody finally creaked to life, and I got my birthday presents. And guess what? They weren’t socks! I repeat, not a single pair of socks. It’s the small victories, people. The ones that truly indicate you’ve won at life.

We finally piled into the car and drove to Cluj for a fun day. There, we had a nice lunch at a restaurant my significant other (bless her culinary wisdom, she does have some good ideas) had chosen, followed by a small, leisurely walk downtown. After a quick visit to the mall (because apparently, you can’t have a fun day without at least Browse things you don’t need and judging people’s fashion choices), we came home around 6:30 p.m. It was perfect. No grand gestures, no skydiving, just good food, good company, and expertly avoiding my actual responsibilities.

This year, my birthday was entirely about what I want, not about what I need. Because after 51 years of vaguely adulting and being a responsible member of society, I figured it was finally my turn. Revolutionary, I know.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do for your birthday, but felt you needed to skip? Share your dream birthday indulgence!

The Decades: A Semi-Serious (Mostly Humorous) Retrospective

I remember when I turned 20, my guiding principle was: “Let’s focus, get school done, get a job, and make some money.” Ah, the naive optimism of youth. So adorable. At that time, I even managed to save enough to send my parents on a two-week, fully paid vacation. I was, and still am, incredibly proud and happy I could do that for them. It was my first taste of financial independence and the pure joy of spoiling someone else. Highly recommend. Try it sometime, if you have any money left after paying taxes.

When I turned 30, I thought to myself, “Let’s enjoy and make better what I’ve achieved.” In this period, I made several significant life steps: got married, got a house (which, let’s be honest, is just a giant money pit disguised as shelter and a constant source of DIY projects you’ll never finish), and got car(s). I was more or less behaving like an adult, experiencing the glorious highs and the soul-crushing lows of life. It was basically a montage of me learning to pay bills and occasionally wondering if I’d chosen the right path. Spoiler: no one ever truly knows.

Turning 40 made me declare: “No more bullshit, no more compromises in life.” If I had something to say, I said it straight out. Usually with a very direct, no-nonsense tone that probably startled a few people who were used to my more compliant, younger self. This decade brought some very happy and some very sad moments, but it was also a period of immense self-development. I finally mustered the patience (a rare commodity for me, right up there with free time) to start and finish my PhD in Economics. Yes, I brained hard. Don’t be too impressed; it mostly involved reading very long, very dry papers.

During this time, I also discovered that I actually like teaching at the college/university level, even though the pay was… well, let’s just say it was character-building. As in, it built my character and my debt. I wanted to see if I could meet the requirements of higher education as a teacher. After about 6-7 years, I had to face the harsh reality of no commitment and no real desire from the university to offer me a permanent position. I guess in this regard, I couldn’t be the “kiss-ass” personality they apparently expected. My apologies, I must have missed that memo. So, I didn’t play along with their “politics” and gave it up. It simply wasn’t worth the effort. My 40s truly showed me what I can do and what I am capable of doing, especially when I refuse to bend the knee to bureaucratic nonsense. Who knew integrity could be so inconvenient?

But the real, undisputed highlight of my 40s? Discovering that I love being a dad to my daughter. My daughter is turning 9 now, and even though she makes me absolutely bonkers sometimes (like when she decides her room is a biohazard zone that only she can survive, or she questions my taste in literally everything), I still love her very, very much. She’s proof that I can handle chaos and still manage to produce a semi-coherent sentence. Most days.

Looking back, what’s one “decade-defining” moment or lesson that completely changed your perspective?

And Now? The Grand Plan for 51 (and Beyond)

I guess now, having turned “one” (plus 50, but who’s counting?), I’m thinking I have to take more care of me. To be more oriented towards my own well-being. I want to enjoy, savor whatever is going on and whatever I’m involved in. Call it a mid-life re-evaluation, call it finally learning from my mistakes, or call it just being tired of everyone else’s nonsense. Pick your poison.

Don’t get me wrong, I am by far not an egoist. Never was, never will be. I’m just now considering that I should also put myself on the first place and enjoy and afford whatever makes me feel good. It’s not about being selfish; it’s about finally realizing that if I don’t fill my own cup, I’ll just be running on fumes. And nobody wants to be around a fifty-something running on fumes. Trust me. It’s not a good look.

What’s one small “want” you’re going to prioritize for yourself this week, even if it feels a little bit selfish?

Final Wisdom for Future Me (and Anyone Else Still Reading)

Sixty-one-year-old me, if you’re reading this, I truly hope you’re still having a blast, still doing cool stuff, and hopefully, you’ve finally figured out how to use that newfangled smart home device. And if you’ve forgotten how to enjoy life—re-read this. Then go do something fun. Something just for you. Buy that ridiculously expensive gadget. Take a spontaneous trip. Eat cake for breakfast. Life’s too short to be constantly adulting without a healthy dose of “what I want.”

Also, here’s a crucial bit of advice, old man: do not avoid a new start. Whether it’s a new hobby, a new routine, or even a completely new direction in life, embrace it. Because, let’s be real, you might actually like this version of you better. The one who’s perhaps a little wiser (a negligible amount, probably), a little more weathered, but definitely more content and significantly less stressed about trivial things. Don’t cling to the past just because it’s familiar. The future, with all its unknowns, might just hold your best self yet. Or at least a slightly less annoying one. You’re welcome.

Now it’s your turn to join the conversation! What new beginning are you contemplating, or what piece of “no more bullshit” wisdom have you embraced recently? Share your thoughts in the comments below – let’s make this wisdom contagious (unlike that budget deficit).