Reflections on my 44th Rotation

On growing older as a product of a generation that fashions itself as timeless.

I turned 44 years old yesterday, and it feels like a larger number than it is, partially because I didn’t envision being a middle-aged adult. It’s not that I have been living a dangerous life that would lead to an early demise, it’s just that when I reflect on the young adulthood I vividly remember, or the childhood memories that are seared into my conscience, I never had much of a thought of what my existence would be or mean at this stage.

As an early-generation product of Hip Hop culture, I am somewhat wired to view the passage of time adversarially. We Gen X/second generation Hip Hop kids came of age in a social movement that has always prided itself as timeless, innovative, and forever fresh, so even as we age, we often struggle with the concept of aging.