Thursday, March 24, 2005

Turning 10,950 Days Old

Turning 30 top ten! From a random Google Search!

The list didn't help...why do decades do this to people when we don't really have a way to judge how many decades we will have in total? Seems a bit random. Oh well we'll see, now what to do on my birthday to make it mean more than any other day. Maybe I'll go buy a wine to open and save the bottle so that the dust of future birthdays has some place to collect. Maybe at some point I can count the rings of dust to remind myself how old I am as time goes on. I'm surprised too how when you have an "event" like 30 you seem to attract others who too have a decade to celebrate. Maybe this is the universes way of providing a support group of sorts.

Inventory time:

  • 30 yrs old
  • 1 Degree in Sculpture and Painting
  • 2 years as a Chef
  • Mid to high level knowledge of wine
  • Unemployed
  • Prospects for employment currently in question
  • Savings?
  • Living in a forgien land where I don't speak the language too well, not to mention past the point of brain development where language aquisition is easy.
  • Married to a beautiful and stunningly intelligent woman.
  • Half a liver(more or less)
  • bad back(already)
  • Half way to making a dream come true of living in a forward thinking country where the past is always around us to remind us of our past mistakes
  • Talented cook(or so La Familia thinks!)
  • Stunning sense of wit! (Give me this one, it makes a nice gift!)
  • Oh half blind and according to prevously mentioned wife, half deaf

I've had a lot of friends turn thirty lately or about to but it still seems weird. Markers of time past always seems to affect us in strange ways. I can look at a roman ruin 2000 years old and be amazed that it's still standing but I'm able to understand it because I can touch it. While at the same time 30 years of life gone by seem in some way even harder and more amazing to imagine. Go figure. Many of you have already been here and many of you are welcoming decades that I seem to think are forever in my future. But I'm sure you all remember what 30 was like. I'm not really that bothered by thirty, but rather amazed that I'm not more bothered.

Today I guess I'll try like everyone else has at this point in their life, to find a profound thought or 2 about it.

Like the last point in the list at the link says:

10. Starting in 24 hours, you are officially closer to 40 than to 20. How're they hanging now, kid?

Happy B-day to Me

Till soon, Ryan

3 Comments:

At 3/24/2005 10:02:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeh,
I remember turning 30. It was worse than turning 25. Those were the bad two. The rest of the 5's and 0's have been pretty easy.

The irony is that when we are young, we measure our age in years and months. Later it is the 5's and 0's. THEN, later, it seems to be back to years and months. proud at both ends; not so much in the middle.

Tony

 
At 3/24/2005 10:31:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Ryan, and many more to come!

I remember my 30th birthday well because it was my "Golden" birthday. I was out of town, in New Orleans on business. There was a total eclipse of the sun that day, although I never did bother to find out what the astrological implications may have been. The down-side was that I was ALONE. The upside was that I spent the evening at Brennans Restaurant. Yes, I had Bananas Foster. Also drank a bottle of 1980 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay. I still have the cork.

In many ways, age is just a number. It's not the age, it's the mileage. (I'll stop with the trite metaphors now). The point is what you do with the time you have left, as Gab has so eloquently stated to this "young grasshopper". Live life with meaning and purpose and you will find what you need.

PS. I wholeheartedly endorse buying an "event" wine today. Please give us the blow by blow account of your birthday celebration.

pps. March 24 factoids from "The Secret Language Of Birthdays"

Born on this day:

Joseph Priestly - British chemist, discovered oxygen.
Steve McQueen - 'nuff said
Clyde Barrow - Bank robber

Strengths
Positive
Open
Affectionate

Weaknesses
Imprecise
Depressive
Unrealistic

Advice: Keep your life balanced and beware of attracting trouble. Handle small matters with care and patience. There are in fact details that merit your concern.

Above all. Best wishes from Tami and Bill.

 
At 3/28/2005 11:37:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, RYAN. We still remember the blizzard you were born during and your hesitation to enter the world, stubborness?? A harbinger of things to come, however, you have turned out to be the best son ever and have given us so much joy....ahhhh to be thirty again. Have a great day and better coming year. Love, Mom

 

Post a Comment

<< Home