In late December of '79, an epic event was soon to take place. I was about to hit double digits in age. As my birthday approached, I began to wonder what the next 10 years would bring. In the upcoming decade, it was mind boggling to realize I'd get my driver's license, graduate high school, and start college. Heck, somewhere in there I might actually kiss a girl. The magnitude of these events rocked the world of this 9-year-old in Mrs. Carol's 5th-grade class.
Over the next ten years, my prognostications came to pass, and I conducted a similar exercise on the eve of my 20th birthday. I assumed by the time I was an old man of 30, college would be behind me and I'd be settled in a career. Beyond that, my ten-year forecasting crystal ball was cloudy. Imagine my surprise when, by decade's end, I found myself married, living in Maryland, and paying a mortgage. Holy cow! That former 9-year-old kid was adulting!
Oddly, the next two decades didn't seem to carry any milestones. Weeks and months melted into each other, and the years just seemed to flow past like a slow-moving stream. I watched multiple cycles of seasons parade past at work. Light summer attire and fully foliaged trees slowly gave way to windbreakers and explosions of fall color. Sweaters and later heavy coats came out as snow covered the ground. Eventually, winter's bleakness was interrupted with swaths of yellow as the forsythia around campus bloomed as harbingers of spring. The same cycle repeated itself and just that quickly, two decades passed.
As I approach the half-century mark, I find myself reviving the practice started with my 9-year-old self. However, instead of ticking off milestones, it's time to concentrate on the quality of life. I imagine I'll still be working in my field, but I find myself being more strategic. I'm making industry contacts, doing some self-study, and planning for a possible career shift. I've still got a travel bug and a personal goal visiting all 50 states and touching all seven continents. With four states and two continents to go, it's entirely doable, although I suspect getting to Antarctica will be a challenge.
There are hobbies to revisit. The backyard has enough acreage for carving out garden beds that I hope will be half as successful as Dad's. A plethora of woodworking tools in the garage acquired in decades 3 and 4 haven't been utilized to their full potential. Building a kayak is still on the list. The garage is also home to a stockpile of car parts needed to get 2 Mustangs and a Blazer back in fighting trim. Speaking of fighting trim, I'd love for once in my life to be able to sport a 6-pack.
In short, there's stuff to do and a whole lot of living left on the backside of 50. Instead of winding down, it's time to gear up. How about you? Are you ready for what's to come?
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