A couple of years ago, I reached the age of fifty. Since that time, I have been making observations about my life at an accelerating clip. My wife, friends and colleagues tell me that it is a normal passage for fifty-somethings and that I should not be alarmed. Perhaps they are right. It is just a necessary phase of my development. It is necessary that I accept the consequences of aging. I have gained some weight and lost some hair. I fall asleep a little sooner and want to awaken a l...