A to Z Challenge 2013

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A To Z - Old

Today is noteworthy because not only am I another day older, I'm also another year older.  Forty of 'em, to be precise.  Yep, I just passed the big Four-O-M-G line.  I don't really consider myself old, but it's a great way to deflect things.  Like when you can't remember that one detail your boss wants.  "I'm old dude, what do you expect?"  Okay, it doesn't really work that well but it sounds good anyway.

Some people really dread getting older, but it doesn't worry me much.  The way I see it, as long as I can still get vertical each day, I'm doing pretty good.  I don't know where I envisioned myself to be at forty, but I'm not overly disappointed in myself either.  I'm not a published author yet, but I have a great family, a decent enough job, we're not starving, and we're not homeless.  I'm a college graduate (something I probably wasn't sure I'd be by forty) and I'm even working my way though my Masters degree (something I'm positive I didn't envision way back when).

My wife asked me what I want for my birthday and I honestly have no idea.  I'm not a very materialistic person and birthdays stopped being a big deal for me quite some time ago.  Don't get me wrong;  I still celebrate every year and thank God that I'm alive and healthy.  But I can't say I'm excited in any way.  There are things I'd love to have (like that Victory 8 Ball motorcycle perhaps or get a tattoo of the Incredible Hulk filled in on my chest), but I'm not interested in bankrupting my family for the former and the latter is too expensive to justify spending on myself.  Tonight we're going out to dinner with my parents (who thankfully are in town right now), and that's probably all we'll do.

How do you feel about the years sliding by?  Do you celebrate each birthday with a huge party or are you more minimalistic?

5 comments:

Matt Conlon said...

I have mixed emotions about getting older. I'm not entirely worried about myself getting older, but I hate the fact that my kids are growing up so quickly.

Birthdays aren't that big a deal for me, and I always sort of feel funny when people get excited for me, or get me things, cause really, all I did was NOT die. I didn't do anything extraordinary or anything, I didn't really accomplish anything... I only did what was natural to me.

I will say (and have said) that the last 30 years FLEW by, and if the next 30 years go as quickly, I'll be disappointed.

Oh, happy birthday, by the way. Good job not dying. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Probably the same way you feel about them. Happy birthday anyway, Eric!

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

Happy Birthday, Eric! April people have the best birthdays! ;)

Birthdays are becoming more of a low-key event for me than they used to. I'll probably get myself something from my Amazon wish list, and I'm sure my family will take me out for dinner, but I'm not expecting much. I'm more excited about planning for my son's birthday next month. Birthdays are more exciting at four than (almost) forty-one!

DEZMOND said...

ah, happy Birthday, Eric! Didn't know you were a fellow Aries :) My B-day was last week :)))
I generally hate years passing by and I celebrate my B-day only because people love eating my cakes :)

Jennifer said...

[Insert mandatory teenager's comment about really not wanting to get any older than thirty.]

Happy birthday, Eric! :D