35, Still Alive

Your annual—nay, half-decade—reminder to make friends with fear."Whenever someone turns 35, I impulsively think, “35, still alive!”.It’s odd. It’s spectrumy. And yes, I have slogans for most ages.Exhibit:“32, chu brand new!”“33, lots to see!”.“34, so much more!”.Without surprise, little thought goes into these. I just open my enamelled trap and whatever comes out is it.Then, while mowing manchego at the birthday girl’s kitchen island, I drop “35, still alive”, the room goes cold, and we all move on.Admittedly, blurting out “35, still alive” felt a lot more carefree when I was 34 (with so much more).To read in full, head to: https://www.backtoshameless.com/