Going on 30

I don't usually like to make a big deal of my birthday but people tend to make some birthdays more special than others. 13 is a magic number but 16 is seemingly even more important, but not as much as 18, which marks you as an adult while 21 let's (legally) you drink and partake of the wonderful joys of hangovers (never been one to do that).

So what does 30 get you? Well I really don't know, but lots of folks view it as a sign of  that you're really getting old. But from everything I've seen and heard, 30 is the new 16. I mean, I don't particularly look or even feel that much older. Most people are surprised when I tell them my age. While I don't mind getting older (too much) it does serve as a reminder that our time on this Earth is limited. That makes me stop and think about what I've done with my life.

I don't have any major, grand scale achievements to my resume, but when I think back on my 20s, I did do two pretty important things. One was moving out and living on my own for the very first time. I got a lot of experience and grew even more of a backbone. The other was becoming an uncle, which is one of the best things that's ever happened to me and one of the most important titles I'll ever hold in my life.

It seems like my teenage years breezed by but my 20s moved at a snail's pace. And yet, I can recall being a teenage as if it were yesterday. Playing GoldenEye in the basement with friends, a bunch of us in the car driving around. Good times, good times. I made some new friends in my 20s and had a blast with them, too. I'm sure the 30s will hold some good memories as well.

Getting older also makes me think about things I'd like to do with my life. There are still so many things I haven't done. I'd love to check out Europe, visit New York, get some stories published and more. I'm not sure when those things will happen but I do want to make them happen.

The one thing I really hate about my birthday is when people sing it to me. This tends to happen at the numerous places I've worked. I've only been at my current job for two months and I work on Saturday (my birthday) but very few people there know it's my special day. So maybe I'll be spared the embarrassment of being sung to. Maybe.