Hooray for Numbers 75 and 55

By Herbert Vego

IT was the first time I hosted a birthday party for 75 persons at Hotel del Rio, symbolic of having turned 75 years old on January 31, 2025. That means I am four years beyond the average lifespan of Filipinos, which is 71 years.

I had never before invited so many, preferring to break bread with my family and siblings only.

But this time I was also marking my 55^th anniversary as a journalist, starting in 1970 as a ghost writer for an entertainment columnist of the defunct Philippine Sun and Evening News in Manila. Not every senior citizen works for so long without retiring.

Anybody alive and kicking at age 75 would have a valid excuse for splurging on a birthday party, thanking the Lord for His gift of talent.

As the event’s inspirational speaker, MORE Electric and Power Corporation’s President Roel Z. Castro started by pulling out of a paper bag a “trophy” with a wooden carving that read “75”.

“Ready na rin ang ’80’,” he enthused. “When you reach that age, I will have the ‘85’ prepared for you.“

He read the embossed inscription underneath the figure ‘75’:

“Your legacy as a media journalist is a powerful testament to the impact of story-telling and the pursuit of truth. As you celebrate this significant milestone, we wish you endless joy and pride in all your accomplishments. Here’s to MORE years of inspiring others with your work.”

How could I disagree?  It may seem a cruel fate that I could not retire without losing income. But ‘parking’ my pen is not an option. Should I park, I would be prone to loss of memory – a situation usually called “senior moments”.

Writing for a living prevents not only hunger but also dementia (chronic memory loss). Writing daily compels me to read and update myself with what’s going on here and there; and to consult the dictionary or thesaurus for forgotten words and meanings.

But of course, it is a “given” that as man rises in age, his vitality falls. The Bible says, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10).

That verse may have troubled people into thinking the end is near. But why not be thankful for enjoying the bonus years which could mean 10, 20, or 30 more?

In fact, there could be no adventure without traversing the path from womb to tomb. No wonder the young ones beg of us young once to enthrall them with adventures we have lived through.

Old age reflects pricelessness – just like the old masters’ paintings, diamonds, old silverware, old furniture, old coins, old books, aged wine and vintage cars. Greece, Rome and Egypt thrive because of tourists who flock to see the ruins of past civilizations.

We don’t always lament the loss of a new thing; we cry over the breakage of an antique plate or jug.

The word “old” as “googled” sprang from an Indo-European verb that means “to nourish.” No wonder, when we ask a “young” child for his age, we ask, “How old are you?”

Unfortunately, when compared to “new,” “fresh” and “young,” the adjective “old” narrows its meaning to “stale,” “worn” and “dying.”

Reading a book on Benjamin Franklin – whose picture appears on all US $100 bills – made me pleasantly aware that he was already 81 in 1787 when elected delegate to the Constitutional Convention that would frame the Constitution of the newly-created United States of America.

That means I still have six more years to catch up with this statesman whose biography made me realize that old age need not be a liability.

It would be a waste of time to abandon what has taken many years to sharpen.