After Fifty by Paul Anthony

Synopsis

The author has captured the truthful expression of his uncensored and unbiased thoughts, looking back on his last fifty years of being a soulmate to the world, sharing the things he thought were most important, that would benefit others in his brief descriptions of one man’s journey to happiness. Having never written a book before, he discovers the magic of spontaneous writing and the treasures that emerge. You be the judge. Just flip to any page and begin to read—within seconds you are feeling the author’s tone, emotions, and positive vibes. He has the writing style of a “real world” teacher, student, and friend all mixed up in short but interesting conversational writing sessions. Jumping from technology to human basics, this book introduces the genius of expression without an agenda, yet always uncovering gems of wisdom that will feed your quest for knowledge. After Fifty is a timeless collection of ideas, warnings, and techniques that readers of all ages can benefit from; however, be advised that there are some sections that you may want to read before giving this book to your children.
 

Taster ...

Today is the beginning – today, and the next day, and the next, will no longer pass without some record of my life. What I write in this book is about many things, but primarily it will focus on life after fifty.

For those of you who are only in your twenties, thirties, or even forties, fifty may sound ancient. You may say to yourself, “I can’t imagine what I would be doing after I turn fifty … man that is old!” Well, here I am, and you know something, my mind and body still behaves like when I was still in the spring of my years, only society looks at me and categorizes me as in my fifties, with all the labels, stigma and perceptions given to an individual with graying hair and children entering their adulthood. What do I feel and believe after fifty to be?

This book will tell!

“After Fifty” - the wonder years. Yes, you wonder what you should do with the next fifty. You wonder why didn’t you do this or that, you wonder why you ever believed in those past acquaintances that turned bad, Wonder if fifty is too old to still be what ever you want to be….

Ok, here are some of the constructs of this book,

I will never write with the thought that what I write is to sell this book, instead what I write comes straight from the thoughts that are passing through the receptor we call the brain.

Each run-on sentence or two-three page paragraph is a writing spell, the product of one sitting, only to be interrupted by my other responsibilities - my children, wife, or time. I will not stop until some outside force pulls me away.

My audience is anyone (even myself) that would happen to read the contents of this book. This book is not fiction or fact - it is only abstract thought passed on via black ink and paper.

More definition of this work will follow, but for now it’s time to get back to the task at hand, no pun intended.

This morning was interesting - both younger children asked me what I was doing when they saw me writing. Looking up at them with a goofy look, one my wife's dislikes, I said, “I’m writing a book.”

In today’s world someone sitting in a room writing is perceived as being emotionally disturbed about something, so to put their minds at ease I explained my mission. Think of it as a gift from my dad, who sent me that black journal, to my children, so one day they can pick this up and read the ideas and concepts that their dad had. If for no other reason than the smiles and warm felt love one may feel when getting to know another person who took the time to write down their memories.

Here I am, sitting at Hardys, the sun filling the room, the steam dancing off my coffee with the same random patterns of my thoughts as they drift from one message to another, so much to write, so much will never make it on this paper, but what does may it give you something to inspire your journey. What about after fifty, or after sixty or whatever age, there are three dimensions of life. Some live in the past, “woulda, coulda, shoulda”, others live for the present, “take life one day at a time”, or others live their life for the future, “I am going to be, one day I will… someday soon…” This book is for all these people. Helping to move from the past, planning in the present to understanding the potential of the future. All of what happens to our loved ones, society, and us in general is preordained by our thoughts, deeds, and attitudes. If after fifty means to you, your window of opportunity is past, then it is. If you think that after fifty means, health problems, troubled financial blues, and that you are getting old, then you are. However, on the other side of the reality that we create for ourselves could be confidence, desire, excitement, determination, optimism, and love of life. “After Fifty”, is all about the rest of your life, the life that you form based on your own concept of who you are, what you are willing to believe. It has nothing to do with before fifty or even this single moment. It is all about what you make happen, by doing. This world is full of thinkers and doers, thinking is only the first step, doing is what most forget. You have heard the saying, “it’s the thought that counts.” No, what counts is the action that carries out the thought. Be the doer, and life after fifty will be no different then life after twenty, thirty or sixty, doing is what life is all about. The biggest misconception of our modern society is the idea of retirement. How could anyone’s objective in life be to retire? Instead one’s goal in life should be to always live an active productive, and ambitious life, doing things we are exited about, if that is work (farming, programming, helping others, writing, painting, or fishing) then we never retire. We reinvent ourselves, rethink our goals, never looking back just keep on, keeping on. Let someone else think about what life after fifty means, we should just know that time will continue to pass. As sure as the sun will rise each morning your life continues to progress, change, shape and reshape and it is up to you to live it. Don’t ever think that it has passed you by. What you do today will start to move you into a new adventure, career, or project. Don’t get caught up in the stereotyped expectations of being over fifty. You make things happen just like the words that I write for you to read. If I only thought about it and didn’t do it, we would never meet, time would have passed and nothing would have been accomplished...

... Want to read more? Then buy the book.

After Fifty: Copyright © 2002 Paul Anthony