20 Comments
User's avatar
Noelle's avatar

Happiest of birthdays to you, Ethan. Just so you know, you're not "the first generational cohort to have this age incongruity issue". It's universal, babe.

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Filk's avatar

Welcome to the club. The 40’s are great, different type of swagger.

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Carlos Johnson's avatar

Happy birthday Ethan. I'm grateful for you and the work you've put in over the years. Wishing you and your family many more healthy and prosperous years!

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Dan P.'s avatar

You’re already on the upper end of middle age. How many 80 year olds do you know!? Just giving you a hard time. You’ve arrived where most everyone does. Fighting then day to day and providing for your loved ones. Time, family and friends are where it’s at. I used to think that the expression “everyday above ground is a good one” was trite. But at 67 and closer to the end of line, I mean it and live it. You do the same now. Enjoy your 40”s because as you now see; everything seems to fast forward with each passing year.

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KW's avatar
Oct 1Edited

Happy birthday, Ethan. I'm 41, will be 42 in November.

A few months before I turned 40, my dad and I were driving back from an Orioles game when he told me that his 40s and 50s were the most enjoyable years of his life. He's in his 70s, and I believe him. It helped a good deal calming the nerves.

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Seth's avatar

Happy Birthday Ethan! Each year is a celebration and sure beats the alternative

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Joshua Pressman Jacobs's avatar

Mazel Tov on the big 4 0 , Ethan !

I always enjoy the prism from which you share the influence and cultural outlook of each generation.

In some ways you represent the natural continuum of the youngish pop culture / sports critic much in the way Bill Simmons was during his Page 2 days at ESPN, when BS has no effs to give and was the consummate outsider-insider.

Times change and people change as the years pass. If anything I hope you write another book on the shifting vibes on politics in sports. That seems to be your wheel house.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t recommend to u Jean Twenge’s book “Generations” which beautifully captures how much younger people in there 40s now dress than they did in the 20th century.

While the anxious millennials are the evolutionary succession from the Gen X apathy/cynics, we aren’t as immature as we seem to be. If anything, we have a refreshingly youthful outlook to life partially as a need to adapt as we as a people become increasingly more and more like cyborgs in both good ways and bad.

Like as each passing generation of people says “adapt or die”

Enjoy your first year of not being in your 30s, Ethan !!!

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Bruno's avatar

HBD

How years until this bday is used to link you to Epstein?

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TheEMart's avatar

Happy Birthday! Very much related to this observation:

As I’ve gotten older, I, proprietor of a website called House of STRAUSS, lead a life increasingly less about myself. That’s somehow both a source of immense day to day pressure and broader existential relief. I feel a lot more anxiety about letting my family down and a lot less anxiety over what other people think about me.

When you’re responsible for the development & well-being of others , it really puts the individual stuff in perspective.

Keep doing your thing Ethan - the best years are ahead.

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Ryan VP's avatar

The best part about having children is it takes the focus off yourself.

Happy Birthday!

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Brian Moore's avatar

Happy birthday, Ethan! If you can write that, you’ll be better than a-okay.

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Michael Caponiti's avatar

Happy Birthday Ethan!

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TJNash1's avatar

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

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Kieran's avatar

Post the birthday video

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SG's avatar

Happy birthday GOAT

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Pseudonym Joe's avatar

Happy Birthday.

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Tom's avatar

Happy Birthday dude! Great piece here.

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