"I’m nearly half a century old now, and I still haven’t got it figured out."

In Profile: Daniel Puzzo

In Profile is a monthly segment of We’re All Getting Older, where we meet real people navigating life with intention, delight, and just enough mess to keep things interesting.

I didn’t know I’d like snarky notes until I ran into Daniel Puzzo. Another writer on Substack said it best: “Your sarkiness has an appealing, international flavour to it, combining American directness, European disdain, and British world-weariness.”

Daniel drinks a lot of coffee (and occasionally stronger stuff), says he wastes way too much time watching sports, and meandering around Vienna (where he currently lives), marvelling in the splendid architecture. A teacher by trade, he loves reading and writing, and hanging out with his 7-year-old daughter.

IN WHICH GENERATION DO YOU BELONG?

Gen X: 1965 - 1980

DO YOU WORK? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU DO?

I consider myself to be a full-time writer, though making ends meet is tough these days. Am I unemployed? More or less, I suppose, but I teach from time to time and find other sources of (legal) income, sometimes in creative, less orthodox ways.

WHAT WOULD THE 25-YEAR-OLD VERSION OF YOU THINK OF YOU TODAY? HOW ARE YOU MOST DIFFERENT FROM HIM?

I’ve always been very cynical about trends and fads. I was the kid who looked at weird fashion things like pegged jeans (remember those?) and thought, ‘One day, we're going to look back and laugh at this.’ But did I join in? Of course I did. I wasn’t brave enough to rebel and be that much of a contrarian.

Looking back, I wish I’d stuck to my guns and been that contrarian, but I fear this is a cliché to admit as we get older, the classic I-don’t-give-a-**** attitude when we hit middle age. That younger version of me would very much say, ‘Daniel, you should’ve thrown all caution to the wind and been a rebel!’ He’d also say, ‘How did you end up in such a pickle in life, my goodness, what choices you’ve made, what on earth were you thinking moving to Ukraine all those years ago?’

WHAT HAS NOT CHANGED ABOUT YOU?

Humour and sarcasm. I’ve always been a snarky bastard, but I hope I’ve at least refined it over the years and become a wee bit more witty.

GOOD OR BAD, WHAT ABOUT YOUR STAGE IN LIFE HAS SURPRISED YOU SO FAR?

I thought there’d come a time when I’d feel properly grown up, like an adult, but honestly? I still feel like a floundering kid and barely know what I’m doing. I’m nearly half a century old now, and I still haven’t got it figured out. Not that this bothers me all that much. I’ve accepted it for what it is, but... do other people actually feel like adults at a certain point?

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU THOUGHT FOR SURE YOU’D HAVE FIGURED OUT BY NOW, BUT HAVEN’T YET?

See my previous answer (haha). Truly, I thought that I’d have figured out many things by now, I can’t pinpoint just one. It’s mainly a case of feeling like a proper adult. I moved around a lot growing up, and I reckoned I’d have a similar life once I hit adulthood, and this has indeed been the case. But I thought I’d be a bit more settled down now. And if Russia hadn’t invaded Ukraine, forcing me and my family to flee, I suppose I would be more rooted somewhere.

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE PHRASE ‘FULFILLING LIFE’? HOW HAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THIS CHANGED AS YOU GOT OLDER?

I hate goals, and I have no idea what success means. When I think of “fulfilling”, I think it means having freedom over my own timetable and plenty of time for reading, which I do have. What I don’t have, however, is much money. Money isn’t everything, but I wouldn’t mind a bit more.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THESE DAYS?

I simultaneously suffer from crippling reading-related FOMO anxiety as I start to worry I won’t have enough time to read everything I want to before shuffling off this mortal coil and excitement over the books I have yet to read (as well as the ones I'm eager to reread). It's a complex mix of emotions. I have that same mix of (bittersweet) emotions watching my 7-year-old grow up so quickly.

IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME WORDS OF WISDOM TO SOMEONE 20 YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU, WHAT MIGHT IT BE?

Read a lot and stay in touch with the humanities. Don’t get swallowed up in devices and screens. And be curious, well-read, informed, and open-minded.
Also, by all means, make plans, but don’t stick to them. Be flexible.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION: WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE SINGER/BAND GROWING UP?

I was a massive Britpop fan, and Suede was my favourite then, and they're still my favourite now. They've been going strong for over three decades (wish I could say the same for me...)

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