32 Years

I am not the type to worry about my age. I think part of that comes from looking like I am 12 so that I have always wanted to be older. The other night while I was reading to Audrey she asked how old I was going to be. Before I could answer she said "I'm going to be 5, are you going to be 5? Or 7?" I laughed and said "No, I'm going to be 32." Her response was "32, that's weird!" As I think about turning 32 I have to agree with Audrey that it is "weird." I often tell Becky that my 16 year-old self would kick my rear if he were to see me now. Rocking a beard and not a goatee, going to college and doing well, not being a snowboard bum at Mt. Hood, and having kids. I am pretty sure that my 16 year-old self would almost die at the thought of sitting in bed with Audrey reading and coloring Ni Hao, Kai-Lan.

One of the biggest changes in the past 32 years is the ideology of my birthday. The 7th will be spent taking Audrey to school and then hours spent in the library working on my thesis until class. After classes I will rush to the museum to get my work done there to be back at the school in the afternoon for an honor society meeting. The day is packed full and I am completely busy with other things then birthday events. However I am excited about being busy because it means that I am working on something. A few years ago I would have taken work off for my birthday and made a day out of just me. This birthday will be spent securing my future which has a better ring to it then a day for Justin.

After 32 years I have come to realize that my 16 year-old self did not know what he was thinking. Sitting on the couch with my wife is a lot more fun then I thought it would be. Reading to my daughter is more enjoyable then I could have imagined. Spending time with David is better then anything I did at 16. If my 16 year-old self does show up maybe I will have to kick his tail instead. I am not sure that it would make much difference though.