A month from today, I'll be 75 years old.
It has been a wonderful 75 years, filled with ups and downs, but more fantastic experiences and more happiness than I ever imagined possible. Despite my deteriorating body and mind, I look forward to many more.
I used to keep my age a bit of a secret. It was probably stupid, but I was concerned that directors and casting directors wouldn't cast a 70+-year-old in roles described as "mid-fifties" age-range.
But despite my elderly appearance, I still get a few fun roles for younger persons*, and I love the range of opportunities.
Why announce it now? There are several reasons:
- When I first went on Facebook many years ago, I listed my birth date publicly but with the wrong year. I got tonnes of "happy birthday" messages on my timeline, many from people I barely knew. It felt wrong, somehow, and so I hid my birth date until a couple of months ago.
- 75 is a big one for me for many reasons. It's a nice round number and seems special. For some reason, this one seems more significant to me than 16, 21, 40, or 65.
- It's time to acknowledge that I'm no longer a 25 or 45 or 55 year old. As Ms. Eclectic has been saying over the past few years, my age is finally catching up with my looks.
A Special request:
Instead of posting happy birthday wishes here or on my timeline on Facebook, please just buy, read and review my novel, 2605! The Kindle version is dirt-cheap (cheaper than most dead-tree birthday cards), and there are Kindle apps available for reading Kindle books on either android or iphone smartphones.
*Indeed, a couple of weeks after my 75th birthday I'll be playing the 18-year-old Butch McCallum (see photo below), high school class president and valedictorian and quarterback and prom king in a mystery dinner theatre show.