MadMup.com

Bloom County, by Berkeley Breathed

I honestly never thought this day would come. But here we are, in spite of all the Twinkies, root beer, and sitting around. 40 years old.  Well, “we” meaning “me,” unless you also happen to be 40, in the which case I offer you the same grim nod I expect from you.

I told myself that I wouldn’t engage in all the normal introspection that seems to happen when people turn 40. “Too cliché!” I said. Turns out, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s a thing put into the very strands of your being – everything that has a beginning has an end, and anyone who knows they had a beginning can see the end coming.

Yes, yes, I know – 40 is no big deal. Some people live another 60 years after 40! Forty today is like… I don’t know, thirteen 300 years ago. That’s not really the point, I guess. I don’t feel like I’m on Death’s door, but I do feel older, certainly. Forty seems like a good spot to look around, take stock, and figure out what to do from here. I think it’s probably okay to do some introspection at 40, just like it’s okay to do it at 80, 25, or 13.  Dolly Parton said it this way: “”Find out who you are and do it on purpose!””

So I had one goal this year. Remember it? Well, I didn’t quite make it. I did have 29 posts, which works out to an average of one post every 1.7 weeks. that’s better than the previous years’ averages, and even more importantly, I’ve gotten the taste for it again and look forward to writing. I’m going to shoot for One Post A Week again this coming year, and have been considering project posts like my Weird Al series. Maybe Schwarzenegger movies? An in-depth look at licorice? How about signing up for experimental drug tests? Maybe all of those things!  The sky, as they say, is the limit.

Thanks for sticking around – some of you I’ve known all 40 of those years (hi, family!), some I’ve only known a couple, but I’m glad you’re in my life. Thanks for a pretty good first 40. Here’s to the next 40!