Two Lessons and Three Years

It has been a long time since I posted last. Sorry about that. I am not sure what has happened since I wrote last, but I am sure a lot and not much of anything.

My birthday is coming up. The big 2-7. It isn't a big anything. It is a nothing birthday. The next birthday I have to look forward to is my 50th so I can qualify for AARP and hang out with the oatmeal guy.

But 27 has been a hard number to look at. And I am getting no sympathy. Those younger (all of 24) say it isn't a big deal - at least it isn't 30. Those older don't say anything and just shake their heads and sigh.

A few people had good thoughts. I don't know if I can incorporate them into how I feel about getting 3 years away from 30, but it is good food for thought.

Lesson 1:
Life is a marathon. Right now you are sprinting through mile 5 or 6. You can't keep up that pace if you are going to make it all 26.5 miles. Also, this is the only marathon you are ever going to run, slow down a bit so you can remember what it looked like, how it felt, and who you were with.

Lesson 2:
Look at life in chunks. What has happened to you between the ages of 17 and 27? A freaking lot. All of the people you have met, places you have gone, things you have accomplished. What about between 20 and 27? 25 and 27? In the past 6 months? You will only continue to experience new things. What do you think you will have done when you are 37? Life continues; you continue to experience things up until the actual moment you die. 27 is only one point in time - not an ending point. Even if the movie was good, this is not As Good As It Gets.

Now, these two lessons came from two very smart people. Or they may have been a combination of a few conversations with somewhat smart people and these are my take aways - I'm not really sure. But what the lessons tell me is: live in the moment. Doing so is the only way to appreciate what you have and are doing today. You only get one today - be sure you take advantage of it.

Hopefully for my next post I will have something witty and fun to write about. However, depending on how things go, there might be one more post about how I am almost 30.

Reminiscent of the scene in When Harry Met Sally: She is sobbing on her bed and cries out "And I'm going to be 40!" Harry replies, "When?" Sally sighs, "Someday." Harry calmly, and a bit sarcastically, replies, "Yeah, in 8 years."