Turning 30...
Okay, so on the way home tonight, talking with my mom, I realized that in a week and a half, I'll turn 30. Now, I'm not stressing about this. Honestly, the birthday itself doesn't seem any more or less meaningful than my last birthday, or the several before that.
But somehow, realizing I'm reached the milestone of 30 is unsettling. Not the turning 30, not the realizing my 20s are behind me, none of that. It's realizing I've been alive for 30 years, and thinking about all I've lived through, all I'd experienced. In my lifetime, I've seen the dawn of Star Wars, the end of the Cold War. I've seen the space shuttle explode twice, the fall of the Berlin Wall. I wept in front of CNN as we went to war in Iraq the first time, and asked my mom "Why?" I wept even harder on 9/11. I got angry when we went to war in Afghanistan, and when we went into Iraq the second time. I cried when my cousin was deployed to Iraq.
I've graduated from high school, graduated from college. I've lived in 7 states, 18 different towns. I attended one kindergarten, 4 elementary schools, 2 high schools, 5 institutes of higher learning (not counting Oxford). I've travelled to Canada, and to Europe. I've absorbed history through my butt, while drinking a pint in Oxford, seen Stonehenge, touched the stones of Avebury and decided Paris is not for me.
I've made friends, lost friends, kept friends, rediscovered friends. I was diagnosed with lupus, and still graduated from high school and college. I bought my truck, moved myself to Minnesota and Colorado, with help from my folks.
When I look back, I find myself thinking, wow, so much in 30 years. And yet, there's so much more I want to do.
So, for all of you who've been with me through the first 30 years, thanks for being there. In many places, I couldn't have done it without you. Here's the next 30 years, and more.
A Funny Story...
Okay, so my folks flew in to visit this afternoon. I left work, drove over to the airport, and picked them up. Three adults, crammed into the cab of my pick-up. Not a very big pick-up, mind you! Toddled through traffic (not as bad as I'd expected, even leaving work), and headed toward the health/organic/healthy food grocery store to get stuff Mom could eat (severe food allergies), as well as dinner. Right next door, there's a Barnes and Noble. Since Mom and Dad don't have one close, we wandered over. As we perused the books, Dad and I wandered off, as Mom was doing more serious book browsing. Whilst wandering through aisle just after "Food" and "Wine", I spotted something laying on the floor of the aisle.
After gaping in disbelief for a moment, I looked at Dad.
"There's underwear on the floor at Barnes and Noble!"
He looked at me VERY strangely! "What!?"
"Look," I pointed, "there's someone's underwear on the floor!"
He looked. He stared. We both started giggling.
He asked, "Should we tell someone?"
"No!" I said. "I'M not telling anyone!" Still giggling...
I wander off to tell Mom, seeking a safe haven (safely away from the navy boxer-briefs decorating the floor). I whisper to Mom, "
there's underwear on the floor over there!"She looks at me blankly. "What?"
I try again. "
There's underwear on the floor over there!"And again, the blank look. By this point, I'm starting to giggle all over again.
"There's underwear on the floor over there!" Mom looks shocked. "Where!?!"
I point, and in doing so, notice that Dad is calmly, and politely, informing the girl at the information desk of the newest decoration. She looks puzzled, and a little concerned, and heads off.
My father, at this point, is grinning like a fool. I'm giggling. My mom, not believing me, heads off toward the "underwear" aisle. She returns giggling. Now we head toward my father, who's in prime position to watch employee consternation over the "underwear" aisle.
We see the girl who first headed off turn a brilliant shade of red, at sighting the new decoration. We see her commandeer the gentleman working behind the counter at the help desk. We watch him follow her off, very skeptically I might add, and then voice an appalled, "Oh my." He turns a little pink. He walks off.
At this point, I'm laughing so hard, I'm facing a book display, and holding on for dear life. My mother is chortling, and my father is doing his best to not roar with laughter! We watch the same beleagured young man come back, stare at the undies on the floor, and proclaim, "This is NOT in my job description!" which only succeeds in making us laugh all over again.
As we left the store, we saw someone had removed the thoughtful floor covering. We're hoping the burn the offending article. But it sure made us all laugh!
