iCandybyWangC

• Just a part of life •

[2 MIN READ]

Music services with their suggestion feeds make it possible for David Bowie’s 1971 classic to be known to those who continue to come long after that year. I was in single digits of years old when that first got radio play. Yesterday, I turned single digits again, 6; as long as you’re counting decades.

I’ve genuinely been excited about it. After all, superannuation isn’t what it used to be and 60 is the new 50. Age is just a number, right? You’re as young as you feel.

The Chinese zodiac cycles every 12 years, so I just turned 5 rabbits—an even smaller number. It’s the only time in my life that has happened. And unless I live to 120, it’s the only time it will. Coincidentally, my fraternal twin just happened to turn 6 and 5, too. That’s exciting. Maybe we’ll both live to 120. Whatevs.

Round-numbered birthdays have a way of forcing a person to consider time and circumstances. They can be pivotal events or they can be just another day. Hopefully, regardless of monumental moments, we’re all giving regular consideration to both time and circumstances vis-à-vis our own selves. That might have been what Bowie was doing.

The field of mathematics calls changes in the curve of a line inflection points. The term is present in the professional world, among other non-mathematical spaces. Jenkintown has lots of topological inflection points that crest, level, or go back up. In the professional world inflection points present opportunities to make decisions that might be extremely consequential to career direction. More than a year after losing my 17-year university professor job in the library, the view of that inflection point for me is still resolving. The ability to do relevant adjunct teaching in copyright is helping.

Thankfully, other spaces where I’ve also long been operating have provided their own significance. Running, faith development, mentoring, ethnic conversating*, and mentoring have been just a few. They continue to provide meaning.

Bowie’s lyrical take was about facing old versions of self and moving forward. I’m excited about the places and spaces where I can continue to do that.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe), “Negative split or positive splat” #dothedue

FINE PRINT
*I.e., turning into conversation, even if Merriam-Webster doesn’t support that definition. It’s not the same as conversing. Sometimes non-standard serves a purpose: Consider communitizing. ¶Text and photos (unless otherwise stated): Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-posted: (1) Facebook JRC Growlers Group Run (2023’07’26’W Run Message), (2) GGR email list, (3) Cerebruns by CtCloser. ¶This website posting: Cerebrun with added caption.

 

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