XXX

So I'm 30 years old today.  I guess it's supposed to be a big deal but...eh.  This is when I usually do a bit of introspection and retrospective thinking.  How far have I come, and where am I going?  That whole bit. 

Here's the thing: I'm not freaking out, and I'm not feeling weird.  It's another age, and a nice round number.  Last year, I had a lot more to say -- I was living at home at this time, working an internship and vastly underemployed.  I had some job prospects, but nothing firm.  As Lupe Fiasco said, "life wasn't too attractive." 

As far as the past year goes, this is the most stability my life has seen since I was about 18.  I moved once, and the move was local.  I changed jobs once, and have no plans to change jobs anytime soon.  I am not graduating from school, moving overseas, coming back from overseas, moving to a new city, or anything like that.  I'm still growing to appreciate living in DC, and finally being on my own again after over a year at home.  Let's hope I don't have to do that again.  I have a good job that allows me flexibility and opportunity to creatively contribute on occasion, at an organization that doesn't seem like it will tank dot-com style, and doesn't seem to be a poisonous, dog-eat-dog place.   I have diverse groups of friends, and I get to travel up and down the east coast whenever I want - which enables me to see my non-east-coast friends more.  That's pretty much all I wanted for now.

So what's next?  I think I'd like to find some people to play music with.  Nothing serious - just to jam with.  I'd like to figure out what activities to add to my calendar, maybe get into some altruistic stuff.  I'd like to start writing poetry again, and chronicle some of the stuff I've been through the past couple of years.  I should look into my back issues and my leg issues to see if I can get back on the horse and start running again.  And I'll keep swimming and re-start cycling now that I have my bike back in one piece.

Today, my brother is taking me to Charlie Palmer's on the Hill for lunch.  Tonight, I'm going to play kickball (it is Wednesday, after all).  After my game, I'm still going to go to 18th Amendment on Pennsylvania Ave. SE at Eastern Market as we usually do.  Only this time some of my roommates will join me there (and anyone else who wants to is welcome - I'll probably arrive at 8:30). 

That's it.  Oh wait -- I suppose it's safe to say it at this point.  Despite all the crap I've pushed through to get to where I'm at, despite all the expectations I met, then didn't meet, then clawed my way back into  meeting again, there's one thing I didn't do: 

I did not lose.  

There's still time, but three decades won't slow me down. 

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