Being Reflective

I went into my 30th year on this Earth with no grace whatsoever. If it weren't for the beer, I would've spent my birthday rolling around on the dried out grass, in the 101 degree summer heat, balling my eyes out, and in between sobs saying, "I'm not 30."

I still feel like a child most the time. It's a hard realization when I think, "Dammit, I've been out of the safety of school for seven years now. I'm a freaking adult with a mortgage."

But, the thing that makes me feel better, is also the thing that made me feel better when I was 25, and what will probably make me feel better when I'm 40.

It seems like no matter what age people are, they always reflect back 5-10 years as these great years.

Marc Maron was talking about his 40s like that. Chris Hardwick thought about his 30s that way. And I too, think about my mid-20s that way.

To be fair though, if I was still 26 I would still be able to run long distances. (Not that I loved doing that) I would still be able to drink a few glasses of wine without waking up with a headache. I would still have a glorious, non-grayed beard. I could pound a double bacon cheeseburger without the fear of heartburn.

But I would also be making less money. I wouldn't have a majority of the friends I have now. I wouldn't have a high-def TV or be getting ready to go to Europe. I sure as hell wouldn't know how to cook good food. We would still be eating spaghetti and mac and cheese every night.

I guess what I'm saying is, I know there will be plenty of great things ahead. Things that when I'm 40, I'll think, "Damn, 33 was pretty good. And you know what, 36 too."

But as part of that, I need to take care of myself now.

I don't go to the gym because I expect to have a six pack. I go to the gym because I don't want to have a ton of back pain and no flexibility when I'm 60.

I contribute more to my retirement fund than most of my peers. Because I want to be able to retire by the time I'm 70 and not worry about money again.

And I wear sunscreen or just stay out of the sun dammit. It's bad for your skin and eyes. And that glowing ball of death is only poking through our atmosphere more and more.

So live on and look forward people. There's some rad stuff to come.