"She said she was approaching forty, and I couldn't help wondering from what direction"

The quote by Bob Hope is a funny discuss the idea of aging. By stating that he could not help questioning from what instructions she was approaching forty, he is implying that she is not always getting closer to forty in a linear style. Instead, he is recommending that she might be aging in a more ambiguous method, possibly even going backwards in age. This could be translated as a joke about how age is not always a linear procedure, which people can often feel like they are aging in different methods. It could also be interpreted as a discuss how age is a subjective experience, and that people can feel differently about their age depending upon their life experiences. Ultimately, the quote is a lighthearted talk about the idea of aging, and how it can be experienced differently by different people.