I turn 40 today. A milestone, I guess, but I’m not a big birthday guy anymore. I have taken a little time to reflect, and I have to tell you, I’m thrilled with the way things have turned out so far. And every year, it gets better.
I’m married to a woman who is my perfect complement. We are a perfect pair, and I’m as head over heels for her as I’ve ever been. I have my parents, and I have the best set of siblings of anyone I know. I have great friends, both old and new. I regularly meet interesting people. I’ve got a great job with a great company, and as of today, I’m looking at an opportunity to challenge myself and build my skills in a bigger role in the same organization. I’m debt free, and I don’t worry about money. I’m healthy. I’m still learning. I travel. I’ve been to the Olympics and the Word Cup. I love wine.
Not everything has been all sunshine and roses. I didn’t like high school much. I was a shy, kind of odd kid. I was never a good athlete (until I got older). I’ve lost a friend I considered a brother. I’ve had my ass kicked. I’ve been through a divorce (although amicable). I have an alcoholic parent, who is 5 years clean. I’ve made an ass of myself, and not just when I was drunk. I’ve been through a pretty serious health scare and corresponding diagnosis (but have lived symptom free long enough to think the diagnosis was wrong).
Every experience, every relationship, good and bad, have made me better.
Having been born in 1970, though, I’ve also seen what may be the most interesting 40 years since the industrial revolution, and possibly since the American Revolution. I saw Star Wars when it came out in theaters. I lived through Ronald Reagan’s presidency. I saw the Berlin Wall come down. I watched the Cosby Show. I watched the advent of cable TV. I had a VCR. then a DVD player. Then a DVR and High Definition. I watched Seinfeld. I read every book by Stephen King. I’ve watched (and used) the internet from Usenet all the way to Twitter. As we go through this year, I will put up a series of posts about these 40 years.
So far, it’s been a great ride, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Windy Recycling Day 