{
  "id": 13860272,
  "title": "Birthdays: Getting old still beats the alternative",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/birthdays-getting-old-still-beats-the-alternative",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-12T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/birthdays-getting-old-still-beats-the-alternative/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Thursday, I turned 55. I didn't look it at all – I was about 35 years younger, not even a redhead in the picture above this column. My dad would have informed me that I was entering my 56th year, and he would have been right. As midnight approached, I remembered that I was closer to 60 than 50, closer to 70 than 40, and closer to 80 than 30 in just 16 minutes. I messaged a friend for sympathy, brushed my teeth (mindful that they were still in my mouth), wore an old T-shirt, and went to bed, remembering that I enjoyed birthdays once they started. Age is just a number, but it made me think about the birthdays we celebrate. Before turning 10, we mentioned half-birthdays, and each year in our teens was noteworthy until the final key-of-the-door nonsense at 21. After that, there tends to be more fuss over round numbers like 30, 40, 50. However, the halfway point in a decade is more consequential, when we tip over towards the next decade and become closer to the next round number. Looking back, we realize that we didn't appreciate the changes that come with age, but now, as we look at once-hated photos, we wonder why we were so hard on ourselves. And then we remember that getting old still beats the alternative.",
  "summary": "We tends to be more fuss over the round number birthdays. Yet, for me, the halfway point in a decade is more consequential, says Jennie.",
  "key_points": [
    "55-year-old author reflects on aging",
    "Birthdays become milestones at round numbers",
    "Gains perspective on past self"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Shifting focus from milestone decades to the halfway points of life reveals a growing appreciation for aging as a privilege that outweighs the discomfort of physical change.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}