Thirty four is now the number I respond with when asked my age on surveys, or by very curious children.
This transition from thirty three happened last week. I’m not much for the traditional notion of a birthday. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate any acknowledgment of the day for the thought and consideration, but it’s just something I stopped caring about a long time ago.
But the birthday is one of those times of years when I can’t help but become more than a little pondering about life and where I am amongst the whole journey. Some people do this primarily around the new year, but I find myself doing it more around my birthday. There’s such a clamor about doing so in late December / early January that I rather do so more privately in mid-July.
It’s been a very interesting year for me. I’ve got a lot more to be happy about than not, but it’s still hard to discount the negative. Live and learn, that type of thing… I’m going through a rough time professionally for a myriad of reasons. It’s obvious that this takes a toll on my personal life, but I’m doing my best to try to keep it to a minimum. I’m thankful for what I’ve got, and I’ve got no illusions about what I don’t.
My goals for the next year are pretty personal. The basics are that I know that I want to move closer to long term goals, take more pictures, spend more time with friends and family where there is a mutual respect, and find a job that reaffirms my notion of a career that I can be proud of.