I’m 48 years old and I do not want to or plan to wind down my life. By many standards I guess I can be considered successful but I want more. Mind you, I’m not unhappy, but rather not done yet.

I see people who are my age counting time to retirement and coasting in their jobs without an original or new thought. Like a slow boat leaving no wake, they have no interest in anything new or even changing their daily routines. While I love routines and find comfort in them, I get bored with them and look for new ones. I consider my stagnant colleagues as “walking retired.” Maybe that is mean or maybe that is my defense mechanism to stay on my game. Either way I’m working to avoid stagnation.

What do I do to keep up with the twenty-somethings coming up through the ranks? Hopefully it is the same thing I did when I was a twenty-something. I work hard to see what others are doing and also try to find new things to do and pursue. In my profession of medical research there are scientists who work their entire lives on one problem. This focused specialization has its benefits but it has drawbacks too. One of the biggest drawbacks that I see with such linear professional pursuits is that external forces could suddenly make what you do superfluous. I’ve seen it several times where a person focuses on one field and that field dies or is over taken by new technology. Simple diversification prevents that. Without being diversified in my daily work and recreational activities I feel ossified.

I guess I’m at a stage in life where many males my age experience some kind of mid life crisis. I do not think that is happening to me or it has been happening to me since I was in my 20s. At 48, I regularly engage in martial arts and still spar with the college students. I exercise regularly and have outside interests. I made a promise to myself in 1982 to never be bored with nothing to do. Actually it was a new years resolution and I’ve been very good at keeping that resolution.

More to the point, as a professor of neurology, a stakeholder in a biotech company, a property owner and landlord, as well as a published author; I plan to continue to try new things. To a certain extent that is the story of my life. I adopt an activity for a period of time; gain a level of proficiency in it and move on. Some things stick with me for life and some languish waiting to be resurrected. You may consider this behavior as eclectic, immature, schizophrenic or admirable, nonetheless, it keeps me happy and productive. What can I say; Book 2 anyone? To quote Monty Python, “Always look on the bright side of life,” … “I’m not dead yet.”