23 Comments
User's avatar
david sorensen's avatar

HBD and welcome to the club! Just avoid doing something that sounds like a fun challenge like "60 deadlifts at 60 in 60"

Scott Hess's avatar

Of course my first thought was, "Oh, I need one of those!"

david sorensen's avatar

Haha! I know right? So I guess if you do, chose wisely friend!

Maybe "60 cookies in 60 minutes" 😆

Pete Fierle's avatar

Happy 6-0, Scott! Here's to many more years of flummoxment.

Scott Hess's avatar

Thanks, Pete! Onward we go.

Greg Buchholz's avatar

If I may share some positives, you show continual learning, analog things like reading and writing, even if on a laptop or iPad, love of the discovery of new music, and debate and discourse. Feels like 29 to me.

Mitchell Berkman's avatar

I hope all your birthday wishes came true. Here the piece I wrote on my 62nd birthday last December.

https://mitchellberkman.substack.com/p/lap-62?r=mxxmi&utm_medium=ios

Carlie Jane's avatar

Happy birthday, Scott! My dad sent me your Oldster Questionnaire responses a few months ago, and I loved reading them. They resonated with me for many reasons. I'm about to turn 22, and I feel pretty much exactly how you described it. It's exciting and comforting to know that my childlike curiosity and pure joy for "little" things, like going to my local coffee shop, never have to go away. It's also nice to know I never have to watch or play golf! 😆 Your writing always leaves me feeling inspired and ready to own the day. I hope this year feels exactly like that for you.

Scott Hess's avatar

Are you an old soul, or am I a young soul? Either way, good for us! Thanks for this kind note, Carlie!

Dan Mueller's avatar

Great read (actually listen) - Happy 60, will join you in a few months!

Scott Hess's avatar

Thx, Dan! So far, so good.

Mary Elizabeth Williams's avatar

Happy birthday, my friend, I'm so glad I've known you for more than (!) half of that ride around the mortal coil. As they say in Hairspray, welcome to the sixties.

Scott Hess's avatar

You were and are one of the good ones, as they say. Your spirit and humor brighten my days.

Janice Reinersman's avatar

I didn't feel flummoxed until my 80th birthday. Well, that's not entirely true.

In the 1960's and 70's, turning 30 was a watershed birthday. And not in a positive way.

The next four milestone birthdays were either uneventful or celebratory. But 80?

The stunned question: How did this happen? The logical answer? Genes, a

decision in my late 60's to lead a healthy life and, I guess, luck. Mortality is less

of an abstraction these days - I'm now heading towards 83. On the flip side,

nothing is taken for granted or too ordinary to warrant my attention. And that

includes relationships, the natural world, music, art, science, politics. At this

stage of my life, I realize everything is political. One of my friends thinks of me

as a Super Ager. I resist labels. I'm just what this society views as an old lady

whose heart is still young and who remembers to be grateful for this - as

Mary Oliver writes - precious life.

Scott Hess's avatar

So happy we're sharing precious moments with each other here, Janice. And, it's all personal, all political. I like to lead with curiosity, when I can muster it.

Janice Reinersman's avatar

I see curiosity as the gateway to everything.

Sharon Yencharis's avatar

Happy Birthday!!

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One ascii cake served!!

Are you hitting up the writers conference this year? So many things have happened since the last one including this:

https://www.letsgoadventurebooks.com/

So much love to you on this big day!

Scott Hess's avatar

Thx, Sharon. Here's to living life with joy and openness. No conference for me this year.

Fin Walter's avatar

Happy birthday, monsieur ... I feel ya' on the 'flummoxed'. Decisions now becoming more lasting, it seems. I recall an interesting quote from (I believe) Sylvester Stallone that he used to explain life to his kids: "Everything up to 40 is addition; everything after ... is subtraction" .... I didn't feel that way at forty - or fifty for that matter - but it deserves consideration at sixty .... My life since sixty has been refocused on the phrase: 'do that math' .... Cheers, brother!!! Make it a great(er) day ....

Scott Hess's avatar

Glad to be in touch, and appreciate hearing from you, Michael!

Mark Hansen's avatar

HBD!

Scott Hess's avatar

Hansen! Hope to cross paths. Been too long. Living at SPF for pickle these days.

Mark Hansen's avatar

Nice, kind of a Venice Beach vibe there all year. I've been hitting the cosmopolitan vibes at Proximo Padel of late, with Bryan K no less as well!