Getting old — or getting older — is inevitable for all of us.

It’s just a fact.

To use a sports analogy, Father Time is undefeated. We all lose eventually.

This week, the sand in the hour glass is getting a little more empty for me as I celebrate my 51st birthday tomorrow. That’s on the downside of a half century, which I suppose means it’s time for some reflection on the first 50 years.

I’m so old that I remember when an actual human being walked on the moon and kids pretended to be astronauts.

I’m so old that I remember real live super heroes like Evel Kneivel, the greatest daredevil a 9-year-old kid could ever admire as he jumped over buses, the fountains in Vegas and even a canyon. Kids turned their Schwinn bicycle into a jumping machine after watching the greatest do it.

I’m so old that I remember the greatest baseball player in history sliding into third base head first, something every 9-year old kid learned to do in Little League and pretended to be Pete Rose.

I’m so old that I remember August of ’77 when the newsman on the TV broke into the afternoon cartoons to tell the world that the King of Rock ’n’ Roll was dead.

I’m so old that I remember 8-tracks being taken over by cassettes which gave way to CD players.

I’m so old that I remember when a space shuttle launched and then came back to earth, landing like an airplane on a runway.

I’m so old that I remember when that same space shuttle exploded in flight twice, taking the lives of some brave American heroes.

I’m so old that I remember witnessing the Berlin Wall being destroyed uniting a nation and bringing an end to the Cold War.

I’m so old that I remember one of the first Apple personal computers in a school classroom before becoming  as common in a household as a television.

I’m so old that I remember mobile telephones were something only seen in movies or on the TV shows of the rich folks in Dynasty or Dallas before becoming one of the most common electronic devices in the world.

So you get the point. I’m pretty old and have seen a lot in the 50 years I’ve been on this earth.

But what makes me incredibly old is watching my now 20-year-old engaged daughter turn into an amazing young lady who gives my purpose for being born 50 years ago meaning. She is without a doubt the greatest gift and blessing I have ever received and makes me want to stick around to see what the next chapter of the downhill side of 50 will be like.

Rob Sigler is the managing editor ofthe Oxford    EAGLE. Contact him at rob.sigler@oxfordeagle.com.