Dear David Beckham: as you approach 50, remember this – there is still time to turn your life around | Tim Dowling

I’ve learned that at 40, you can set a course. If you’re not there by 50, there’s still time. By 60 the die is cast, and you know itG2: David Beckham at 50: his gorgeous, outrageous life in 50 picturesHappy birthday, David Beckham. Earlier this year, Beckham, still impressively bronzed, toned and sculpted, was modelling his own line of underwear. Today, he turns 50. It would be fair to say he looks good for it.But how does it feel to be 50? If memory serves – and it doesn’t, really; it was a while ago now – 50 is not so much a landmark age as a whistle stop between 40 and 60. At least, that’s how it seems with hindsight. At 40, there are still big questions to answer – “When do I actually become an adult?” being chief among them. By 50, you begin to understand that adulthood is no longer a desirable goal – you’ve already passed through the era when it would have counted for something.Tim Dowling writes a regular column for the Guardian Continue reading...

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