25 thousand days later!

Today marks my 3,653rd week of life, and it's amazing how much has changed since I first cried my way into the world on May 29, 1954. To put it in perspective, that’s 25,572 days, 613,728 hours, and 36,823,680 minutes of witnessing a whirlwind of transformations in lifestyle, technology, the economy, politics, and culture.

In 1954, life was a bit simpler. My daily routine involved milk delivered to the doorstep (in glass jars), listening to Elvis on the radio (transistor that is), and maybe catching a black-and-white movie at the local theater (rode my bike there and it cost a dime). Fast forward to today, and I start my birthday by checking LinkedIn (thanks Reid) on my iPhone (thanks Steve), and Facebook (thanks Mark), while answering Facetime calls (thanks Roberto), who knew?

Back in the day, technology was embodied by the marvel that was the TV dinner—a culinary innovation that let you enjoy Salisbury steak while watching “I Love Lucy” in the comfort of your own living room (and who can forget Jiffy Popcorn cooked on your stovetop, shake, shake, shake, for desert!). Compare that to now, where I can stream any show I want (they promised no commercials but yet there they are), order food from around the world, and have it delivered by a drone. I mean, even my thermostat is smarter than the average 1950s household!

Economically, 1954 was a time of growth and optimism. A house

cost about $20,000, and a gallon of gas was a mere 22 cents. Today, I could

tell you what a house costs, but I don't want to ruin my birthday with

depressing thoughts. Let’s just say that if inflation were a sport, it would be

the heavyweight champion.

Politically, Eisenhower was in office, and the biggest scandal involved a few misbehaving senators. Nowadays, political scandals have their own seasons on Netflix (that was a website, now it's an app that comes with the 85" TV you buy). I remember when debates were about policy rather than personal jabs. Ah, the good old days when politicians acted like...politicians.

Culturally, the 1950s were an era of poodle skirts, sock hops, and the birth of rock 'n' roll (the only real music to listen to!) Now, culture is a blend of memes, TikTok dances (thanks China?), and whatever trend Gen Z decides to resurrect from the '90s (we've been there, done THAT).

Speaking of which, I’ve seen fashion trends come full circle twice now—

bell-bottoms to skinny jeans and back to wide-legged pants. It’s like watching a particularly stylish and somewhat confusing time machine.

But here’s the kicker: through all these changes, one thing remains constant—birthdays are a time to celebrate. So, I’ll put down my VR headset (thanks DJ), pause the AI-driven playlist (thanks Jeff @Amazon), and take a moment to appreciate the incredible journey of the last 3,653 weeks.

After all, getting older is a privilege denied to many (just watch the news, dam, everyone's dying in their 70s), and the best way to honour it is with laughter, reflection, and perhaps a slice of cake delivered by a robot.

As I've said for 30 years, keep falling FORWARD!