Happy 40th

Steve looking right in the eye of the big milestone birthday. 40th. The one where you really can’t pretend you’re young anymore. You’re really not old either but, at the time, you don’t know that.

40 years old, and what have you done. That’s what poor Steve is bemoaning in the cab office. Lloyd is doing well with the encouraging and supportive noises. But he’s having trouble being truly sympathetic, still recovering from another type of milestone event himself – a heart attack.

Steve puts everything everyone feels about aging in a nutshell. It’s easier to confess fears and innermost feelings to a friend than to a lover, even a parent. Telling Lloyd helps him organize his thoughts, and decide on an immediate course of action. Forget it’s his birthday, forget the crappy presents he got (slippers and a coffee table) and take the long cab runs. So Lloyd has to tell him about the surprise party. Oh yeah, he really wants a big hoopla!

Michelle pursues him because that party is going to happen. So trapped with her in his cab, he bares his soul to her. For once, she listens in an understanding and caring way. Still, though, the only thing scarier than Michelle ranting at Steve about his schtupidity is Michelle being understanding.

I hope he doesn’t head down the slippery slope to 50 with Michelle constantly repeating back to him his words about ‘doing better with his life’ and ‘making something of himself’. Better to keep a big protective wall around your emotions, I think, than let Michelle actually see into your heart and mind. Happy birthday, Steve and Andy.