What is so special about 39?

At the strike of 12 AM on 2nd May, I complete 39 years and step in to 40. Yep! the big 4"O".  How do I feel about it? I am smiling and laughing, as I write this post. I think of myself as 39 years wiser and one year younger now than I would be in 2011.

Got curious and googled the number 39. Two films were listed under the number 39 - "case 39" and "The 39 steps".

Scrolled to the next page and found some odd topics like "39 Lyrics - Queen", "Audi sees 39% growth in 2010", "Wipro now has 39% locals in overseas units", "Gujarat's gold imports rise 39% ", " Tata Motors global sales grow 39% in March", "39 languages spoken in one British school," and last but not least, "Mumbai: 39-yr-old man hangs self in toilet".

I can't help but wonder, why this 39 year old guy chose toilet to hang himself? Would I do the same thing under the same circumstances he had faced? Maybe I would have, but I will definitely not choose toilet, I don't want my corpse to catch an infection and definitely not a nylon rope as it would hurt my neck. Let it better be, a nice Velvet rope in the colour of burgundy.

I also came across some witty captions on aging.

1. I'm not old, I'm youthfully challenged.
2. 50! I demand a recount. 
3. I'm not 40, I'm 18 with 22 years experience!
4. Damn right, I'm good in bed. I can sleep for days!
5. I used to jog 5 miles a day; then I found a short cut.
6. 50 year old; one owner; needs parts; make offer.
7. I get everything I set my mind to. Now where'd I set my mind?
8. You're a classic, you only get better with age!
9. Age is important only if you're cheese or wine.
10. If God had wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees. 

Found a poet by name Joanna Fuchs who writes funny "over the hill" birthday poems.

"Hike across green Ireland;
Bike the USA;
Backpack through New Zealand,
But don’t call it a day…

Do yoga in lovely Paris;
Jump rope in Katmandu;
Avoid Italian pasta,
(Well, maybe taste, but don’t you chew!)

Climb atop Mt. Everest;
Do aerobics on China’s Wall;
Lift weights on Mexican Beaches;
And honey, that’s not all…

Shake your booty with native dances
In Fiji and Bora Bora;
Move your body and exercise
Like you’ve never done befora.

Okay; that’s good; you’re finished;
Now you can take a break;
You’ve finally burned enough calories
To have your birthday cake!"

To wrap up:

"I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up."
-Harry Hershfield

I am neither senile nor suffering from dimensia or alzheimers, so 39 is not a bad age after all, what say?