The Big Four Oh

Yes, yesterday was the big day. I'm now in my forties.

When I turned 30, I also wrote a post, appropriately titled “The Big Three Oh”. It contains a few bullet points summarizing my universe at the time:

  • I’m still enjoying playing video and computer games.
  • Getting kids is still a very distant idea.
  • I don’t want to buy a motorcycle yet. But maybe that’s what men do when they get to 40, not 30.
  • Marriage is right up there with the whole kids thing.
  • Politicians still confuse me.

10 years later, a lot of things have definitely changed, while other things haven’t changed a bit. The revised lists goes like this:

  • I still enjoy playing video and computer games, although it’s been ages since I turned on my PS3 for gaming. It’s mostly being used for movies now, and notice that I never made the jump to PS4. These days, it’s PC gaming all the way. I play much less than I did 10 years ago, though.
  • I’ve got two kids now!
  • I don’t want to buy a motorcycle yet. Maybe that’s what men do when they get to 50, not 40.
  • I’m actually married! Who would’ve thunk it? Not this guy.
  • I’ve pretty much given up on politics. Lately, it’s been an unbelievable mess, both at home and abroad.

So there you have it. Quite a lot has happened during the last 10 years. As I’m now entering the half-way point in life1, I’m in reasonably good health both physically and mentally, have no real worries, exercise semi-regularly, sleep well at night, and have a loving family.

What more can a scrawny guy with a rapidly receding hairline ask for? Nothing.

Publishing this post the day after my birthday might come across as a bit weird. For me, it’s completely natural. Getting any kind of personal attention stresses me out. How much does it stress me out? Anniken talks about a surprise party, I’ve told her it’s grounds for divorce. I’ve also kindly asked my friends to burn any invitations they might get. I do what I can to keep a very low profile when there’s a chance I’ll get any attention. Like when I’m turning 40.

And there’s no point in congratulation me now, since we all know any congratulations after the fact doesn’t count!


  1. The average life expectancy for men in Norway is roughly 80 years↩︎


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