Turning 60, the new purgatory — just 3 rules (actually suggestions) to live by!

In October 2017 it was reported that Pope Francis no longer abided the catholic concept of purgatory — being a place of purification before entering heaven. This halfway house is apparently problematic for many catholics who understandably would prefer a higher level of assurance about entering heaven after having lived a good life. And therein lies the problem with all halfway houses. They are invariably not where you really want to be and typically they’re designed to prepare one for the next step in some kind of redemption. So no surprise they are a hard sell unless of course it’s the only way up or out — an imposed checkpoint to a preferred destination.

So what’s my point? Well I have just “celebrated” my 60th birthday. Of course as everyone knows each birthday is preferable to the alternative, and I am grateful to have reached this milestone. But what now? Unlike preceding anniversaries this one feels ominous. I have an overwhelming feeling of having entered the final stage of a process — the process of having lived a life. The life which is not yet over, but which in the greater scheme of things soon will be. I am terminal, as I always have been, but now with a greater awareness of there being a real end point — not just a theoretical one. Indeed the range of possible dates for my terminus is narrowing. With some gene mapping and actuarial advice I suspect the range could be much narrower than I care to contemplate.