Well...at least I'm still in my 40's.

DO I LOOK LIKE SHIT?

No, please don’t answer. But it’s certainly a question I’ve been repeatedly asking myself as yet another birthday approaches. Rather, how MUCH do I look like shit? (Or better phrased, "How shitty do I look?)

I decided to play a little game, one that I’ll share with all of you. I looked up the photos of a number of people, as they appeared at approximately the same age I am now. Can you guess which ones were younger? Older? The results are a bit surprising…but I’m still feeling pretty self-conscious about the way I look.

At the far right is the most recent picture of me – though in full disclosure, I had recently colored my beard to get some grey out. So yeah, that’s a cheat. But I haven’t had any surgery done. (And if I had, I’d obviously demand my money back.)

Pity party aside, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me with birthday wishes! I don't exactly enjoy getting older, but I'm always happy and grateful to be in the company of friends and family to celebrate birthdays with.

Friends, as with time, are all too precious.

Pictured in comparison:

Top row: Andrew McCarthy (present day), Abe Vigoda (The Godfather), Alex Jones (present day), Matt Damon (present day), Richard Burton (Exorcist II), Edward Norton (present day), Warren Beatty (Ishtar), Peter O’Toole (The Stuntman), Robert DeNiro (Goodfellas).

Middle row: Christian Bale (present day), Wilford Brimley (The Thing), William Holden (The Wild Bunch), Ben Affleck (present day), Marlon Brando (The Godfather), Colin Farrell (present day), Harrison Ford (The Fugitive), Carroll O’Connor (All in the Family, 1971), John Wayne (c. 1965).

Bottom row: Dustin Hoffman (Ishtar), Wil Wheaton (present day), Robert Shaw (Jaws), Jay Mohr (present day), Scott Grimes (present day), Fred Savage (present day), Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987), Karl Urban (present day), Michael C. Hall (present day).

Hint: 11 of the men pictured here were at least a year YOUNGER than me. Scroll down for the results...

VVV

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Top row: Andrew McCarthy (present day – 59, and looking terrific), Abe Vigoda (The Godfather – 50, even though he looked 70!), Alex Jones (present day - 46), Matt Damon (present day - 51), Richard Burton (Exorcist II - 51), Edward Norton (present day - 53), Warren Beatty (Ishtar - 49), Peter O’Toole (The Stuntman - 47), Robert DeNiro (Goodfellas - 47).

Middle row: Christian Bale (present day - 48), Wilford Brimley (The Thing – 47!), William Holden (The Wild Bunch - 50), Ben Affleck (present day – turning 50 on 8/15/22), Marlon Brando (The Godfather, 47), Colin Farrell (present day - 46), Harrison Ford (The Fugitive - 50), Carroll O’Connor (All in the Family, 1971 - 46), John Wayne (c. 1965 - 58).

Bottom row: Dustin Hoffman (Ishtar - 49), Wil Wheaton (present day - 50), Robert Shaw (Jaws - 47), Jay Mohr (present day - 51), Scott Grimes (present day - 51), Fred Savage (present day - 46), Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987 - 47), Karl Urban (present day - 50), Michael C. Hall (present day - 51).

Those whowere definitely younger than me:

1. Christian Bale (present day), 48

2. Marlon Brando (The Godfather), 47 – though wearing old age makeup.

3. Wilford Brimley (The Thing), 47 years…young?

4. Robert DeNiro (Goodfellas), 47.

5. Colin Farrell (present day), 46.

6. Alex Jones (46), and looking much older.

7. Carroll O’Connor (All in the Family, 1971), was only 46!

8. Fred Savage (present day), 46.

9. Robert Shaw (Jaws), 47.

10. Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987), a dignified 47. He still looks great today in his 80s!

11. Peter O’Toole (The Stuntman), 47. Drinking will do that, I guess.