Feeling Kinda Old

I've had a lot of reminders about how old I am recently. One being my 20 year high school reunion which took place a few weeks ago (at a funeral home, no less). It really is strange for me to think that I've lived 38 years because I never imagined being this old. My parents almost had two teenagers by the time they each turned 38 (actually, my mom did).

My coping mechanism for most of my life has involved working hard so that when I got to a milestone I could check out knowing I did my best. Of course, I graduated from high school, turned 18 and didn't check out... I graduated from college, turned 23 and didn't check out... 30 came and went, too. I kind of thought the motorcycle would have done me in by now but I came closer on a bicycle, a few days after turning 36.Right now I've got my sights set on making it to five years with T-Mobile (only a few months away). That will probably come and go, too. I sometimes wonder if it isn't unfinished business that keeps us here. And when you've finally done everything you were meant to do...

When I was in Wenatchee (on my roundabout trip back to the reunion), I stopped by the first home I ever had. My grandpa's slides included a photo of the house right after it was built in 1973. I snapped a quick picture from the road for comparison, 36 years later.

It could always be worse... I could have been incarcerated for the past 18 years like the guy in the Tragically Hip song about this dubious age.