Turning 60: A Milestone Worth Laughing About

By: George V. Howe

As most of you know by now, I tend to take a lighter view of most things, which is to say I try and find humor in it all. It’s just easier that way. What most of you may NOT know is I turn 60 this year…well, this week….actually, this Friday. And while I don’t find that funny per se, I do see it as a peculiar milestone, not because anything magical happens, but because suddenly the world starts offering you discounts and unsolicited health advice. But the reality is, people often talk about the journey to 60 as “something earned, not just reached”, whereas if you grew up in the 70’s like I did, it’s more proof that trial and error is a valid life strategy. 

If you survived the streets and neighborhoods of 1970’s New Jersey then congratulations, you are technically a miracle. By today’s standards, my childhood was less “structured development” and more “unsupervised field research”. The parenting was….looser? I was raised by a single mom and no doubt we had our challenges but I always remember her expectations were very simple: go play outside, be home when the streetlights come on, and don’t die! There were no playdates, no helmets, no constant check-ins. I’m sure she didn’t know where I was most of the time and yet she was remarkably calm about it. If you were thirsty you drank from a garden hose that had been baking in the sun all day. If you were hungry you ate leftovers or whatever else was nearby and recognizable as food.

And because we didn’t grow up with technology, entertainment required effort. We only had one TV with the three network stations (channel 2, 4, and 7) but I remember the local UHF stations like WOR (channel 9) and WPIX (channel 11), and every now and then we’d get a random station out of Philly. No pause button, no streaming, no binge-watching. Sometimes the picture would start rolling or fuzzing so the common solution was slapping it on the side until the picture was clear. The TV shows were some of the best ever: 3 Stooges, Benny Hill, Monte Python, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Barney Miller, Taxi…now you know where I get my sense of humor. 

But outside was where character was built because it seemed like every toy or playground was a disaster waiting to happen. My group of friends always had a kid with a cast, a kid with stitches, and one kid who “should probably see a doctor” but didn’t. My grandfather actually gave me Lawn Darts for Christmas? Clackers? Chemistry sets with actual chemicals! Over-the-counter archery kits…yup. I wouldn’t exactly compare the 70’s to The Hunger Games but didn’t anybody question the wisdom of allowing kids to lob sharp objects at each other? And in the spirit of freedom and independence there was always the bottle rocket or Roman candle fight during the 4^th of July. Come to think of it, I also grew up with Evil Knievel…so there’s that! 

So here I am at 60 – a little creakier, a little wiser, and yet somehow still standing. I made it because the 1970’s made me street-smart, fearless, and slightly reckless in all the right ways. I made it by laughing at the absurdity of things, shrugging at the mistakes, and knowing that most of life’s problems are temporary, and most of its joys are permanent. 

And I’d do it all over again….