Today is my last day to experience 35. Tomorrow I turn 3 dozen. Oddly, I don’t feel all that old! I feel like I should be getting ready to blow out 26 or 27 candles, not 12 + 12 + 12. This is a good thing, yes?
What all happened in 35? Most of us experience the “day to day” stuff and really don’t think about all the landmarks along the way. At this time last year, the challenge was getting a place for my parents to live, convincing Dad it was in his best interest to move from the house he bought 25 years before to the dreaded “seniors care facility”.
The spring of 35 was spent clearing out Mom and Dad’s house – readying it for sale – getting a painter, organizing garage sales (of which we had 3!) and of course working in all the daily to dos that come with life in general.
A good chunk of my summer was spent working a corn and fruit stand 7 days a week for 6 weeks. That was interesting, not sure I’d do it again though.
From a business standpoint, 35 saw some fruitful growth as a result of an alliance with my then girlfriend’s business. Sadly, this was also an opportunity to demonstrate to me and the rest of the world yet another example of why business and personal relationships don’t always work. By the middle of the year there was so much stress in both the business relationship and the personal one – it would have been best to walk, in both cases. Sparing you the sordid details, the personal relationship fizzled and over time the business relationship failed and took with it a sizeable chunk of 35’s earnings. Money, however, can be made back over time.
The last quarter of 35 brought with it some amazing personal connections. I dated an absolutely wonderful lady, made some new business industry friends and brought into focus some existing friendships that had been in the shadows for some time. I experienced some personal and professional growing pains and discovered how far family love will carry you when you’re down. I have my sights set on a prosperous new year ahead.
36 may just be my year of awakening. I remember sitting on the swing in the park back in late October, early November thinking: “Something about NOW has me feeling like it’s time to go for it – to enter my adult years. (strangely enough)” It may sound odd, even borderline strange to hear a 36 year old man say “it’s time to be an adult”. But really, up until recently I haven’t been ready to “move”… 36 is a nice round number. It’s time.
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About Me
- Turtle Guy
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- English student, Pottery enthusiast, Yoga novice and lover of all people. I make friends over a warm handshake and a beverage. I discover, every day, someone willing to help me along my path.
5 comments:
Happy Birthday--almost. You youngster! ;)
Well, I'm 40, and I'm still trying to reach adulthood. I've got adult responsibilities, for sure, but I still want to make faces at company meetings. I still can't talk business with a co-worker without at least one joke about something or the other. And, I'm just now getting into Eminem, years after the "kids" did, but I'm loving it just as much and calling him a genius and turning up his jams in my--oh, gawd, I never thought of this--in my mini-van! There. There's the perfect metaphor for my 40's--loud, snarling hip hop music blasting out of my minivan.
Happy 36. Here's to growing up on your own terms.
MEL What are we doing "together" tomorrow - so far apart??
ELLIOT Don't get me wrong, I'm all for remaining the kid - remember, I run a DJ service... not to say that Eminem will be blasting from MY van anytime soon, but I do love lots of the new stuff! Despite the industry I'm in, there are still some rather stupidly serious people in it and I, too have been tempted to just go "BLAHH!!" in an event planning meeting. The things some people get bent out of shape over - almost ridiculous! So, I'm with you... laugh, giggle, point... then sign the damn contract!
For the record, I drove a minivan between 00 and 03... far younger than anyone ought to!
Happy Birthday to you.
You still feel 26 or 27? That won't change. You'll still pretty well feel like that in another twenty years. It's the way that it is.
Believe it or not, some days, I feel 26 or 27. It passes quickly however.
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