Editorial: Life begins whenever you want it to

Andrew Austin, Editor Hawke's Bay Today.

They say life begins at 50.

Well, to be totally honest, the phrase is actually "Life begins at 40", but I will misquote it for the purposes of this editorial.

It was made famous by a self-help book of the same name written by Walter B. Pitkin in 1932.

When it was written the life expectancy of Americans was increasing quickly and was sitting at about 60. This was quite something considering 50 years before that the average American was only expected to live until 40.

Either way, having just celebrated my 50 birthday on Anzac Day, that phrase makes me very young.

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Which is a little different from what I have been feeling.

It is a big number - the Big 5-0.

The scary thing is that it seems like it was just the other day when I was turning 30. Twenty years later and I have three children, one turning 20 in June.

Where does the time go. It is a sobering moment to look back over five decades of one's life.

I cannot even begin to imagine how Madeline Anderson felt this week when she turned 110, making her the oldest living New Zealander.

The first thing I noticed about her when I saw her photo and the interview on television was how young she looked. She could have easily passed for a sprightly 80-year-old. The second thing that struck me was how at peace with herself she seemed.

What a feeling to have lived such a long life and be so contented.

She was asked if she had any secrets to a long life and even her answer was refreshing in its honesty.

"I'm afraid not. It just happened, to my surprise."

At the end of the day it is just a number and all that really matters is that you make the most of life and take all the opportunities before you.

I suppose the main thing is that life begins whenever you start living it to the fullest.