Middle Able.
I was watching The Big Idea with Donny Deutch on CNBC the other week, and I'm seeing trends today I'm amused at. In the Church of the Epical, we talk about building and being one's own Superhero, but now it seems we're trending towards a new sort of "immortality".
Allegedly, the human race now gets a second chance at life. The middle aged are now what I will coin the phrase as "middle ABLE". It appears that the latest generations of the "elders" are refusing to grow old gracefully. They believe that 50 is the new 30. Subsequently 40 is the new 20. This was now substantiated by that nights broadcast. That episode talked about midlife millionaires with book author Marianne Williamson who wrote THE AGE OF MIRACLES: Embracing the New Midlife. They brought in a panel of people that all reformatted their lives and careers by not letting the old ways of thinking get them down or set them back. See the video below.
We live in a new world where those old farts from 35 to 55 can actually start living or rather RE-living life. They consider their 20's as the practise run and that a decade or two later after they've become what they thought society dictated, they find they can now be what they always dreamed of! There was one guy who stopped being a lawyer and at 38 he decided to follow his dream of pushing onward and becoming a cartoonist. Another, a soccer mom, picked up a guitar and became a rocker mom now in a band called the Mydols who I'll be featuring on the Darkhours now that I have received their CD forthcoming in the mail. They basically showcased all these people that decided to go after and achieve their dreams no matter what. Should we thank that 51 year old guy in the Bowflex commercial? Who knows. All I know is that there's an immortality trend going on out there as we as a race become more health and longevity conscious . The push to ban and quit smoking, to design more revolutionary exercise equipment, to eat less fatty foods, to replace sugars that turn to fat...it's all prolonging life. Some Hollywood stars obsess too far, but in this day an age, it's more naturally done than with the plastic surgery and botox. I believe that that's also a new vanity point. To look young naturally without needing enhancements.
If you're like me, and you think you're past a certain age to do something like say....make a hit record, you're not. You no longer have to say "I'm past 25, let me go be a CPA now that I'm too old to make it" cause you're wrong.
The record industry is more of a money making machine that cares about revenue and marketability. Although, some of todays charting artists are younger, some of the current chart toppers are older established names that are accepted by all. Currently the number one album is Janet Jacksons new "Discipline " album. Janet turns 42 in May and she looks like she's 26 in video. It's a remarkable new world where you can be virtually immortal. If a record company likes your sound and you have the look to go with it, then you'll be signed no matter how old you are.
A new TV show on TV Land is called "The Big 4-0" which is about people turning 40 and really not going down without a fight. They do extreme sports, skydive, bungee jump and tons more things one wouldn't expect the stodgy 40 year olds of yester-decade to do. This only further fuels the forty-plus fire. We as a species are pushing for this new Uber-Man that if he cannot live forever, he will live much longer. 2000 years ago, you were married by 12,a major force in the community mid lifeing at 20, an aging man by 30 and dead by 50. So I guess it's only fitting that we can progress like this into the future.
At least I know that when I'm done with the music, selling it's not going to be as hard. It will be judged not on my age, but on it's quality, merit, marketability ,sound and vision. Most importantly , keep the blinders on and do not listen to "nay-sayers". Those are the jealous who see the greatness in you and want to see you fail.