Let's Make a Milestone Out of This!

The act of turning 30 represents the first age-related milestone in one's lifetime that is, in effect, hollow.

Some typical ages of significance are as follows:

Age 4-5: Start School

Age 13: Bar Mitzvah

Age 15: Quinceñera

Age 16: Driver's License/

      Super Sweet Sixteen

Age 18: Voting

Age 21: Drinking Alcohol (legally)

Age 25: Rental Car

Age 30: ???

It's the first "milestone" that offers no new benefit, no reward, no new level of entitlement.  The root of this problem can be traced back to ancient times, when man's life expectancy was not nearly what it is today- in fact, in Paleolithic times, a 30 year old would be seen as a mythic elder of the tribe, a miracle of survival! They would also, however, be the unfortunate first victim of the next Saber toothed-cat attack due to their advanced age.

This absence of foresight by our forbearers has left those entering their third decade of life (aka Triple Deckers) searching for a theme or meaning behind turning 30, since society has refused to assign them one.

A common solution to this problem is to label one's 30th birthday as "Leaving my twenties behind!" or "I'm officially over the hill!", or any other clever evite title.  Does this give true meaning to the act of turning 30? No. But it most certainly beats, "Congratulations! You've hit another age with a zero in it!"