This is not just any birthday, this is 40.
Now this does not come as a shock to me, exactly; I mean, I've had a idea that this day was coming for quite some time. And yet...I can't help but wish I had another year or two to prep for it. It's strange how the days kinda creep along and then one day -"POUNCE"- you look up and you find yourself asking questions like "where did all this grey hair come from," and "why does my skin suddenly need ironing," and you find yourself telling all the neighborhood kids to turn down that loud music and get off your lawn.
OK...maybe I'm not THAT bad................yet.
Remember the days when having a birthday was something to look forward to? 13 meant you were an official teenager. 16 meant you could drive on your own. 18 meant you were an adult. 21 you could drink (legally for a change). Then things start to change. 30....40....50....you realize that the numbers only continue to increase until the only major landmarks to look forward to include retirement, activating your Social Security benefits, and realizing you finally get in on those discounted meals at restaurants again (even if you have to start eating dinner at 4 o'clock in the afternoon).
Thus far, aging has not been all that traumatic for me. Thirty was cake, 35 no big thing, even 39 was relatively painless. And in the grander scheme of things, turning 40 isn't that big of a deal. I mean, it's not like I'm the first person to turn 40. In fact most of the people I turned 13, 16 and 18 with have already hit the big 4-0 mark (sorry guys). And yet...I'm starting to find that every once in awhile these little inklings of unrest are starting to sneak into my brain about getting older. I mean, 40. Holy geez. My parents were 40; not me. 40 is for old people. Not young, hip, happenin' people like me.
Wait...is "happenin" cool anymore? For that matter, is "cool" cool anymore.
Damn.
Well, that's it. I'm putting my foot down and refusing to let it get to me. I'm going into my 40th birthday celebrating and scoffing in the face of age (no matter how many wrinkles it has on it). I'm counting down 40 days to 40 with a series of events and things I've always wanted to do but haven't for one reason or another; a "bucket list" of sorts. Of course I can't just jaunt off to China to walk the Great Wall - but I have found about 20 or so small things that I can do relatively easily.
So today being Day 1 of this little adventure, I thought I'd pull from the "Good Deeds" file and do something I've not done before but always wanted to...buy coffee for complete strangers anonymously.
Step One - pull into drive-thru of local coffee establishment:
Check.
Step Two - ensure there are people lined up for aforementioned coffee goodness behind me:
(well that's kinda a mindless step considering it's 7am and this is Starbucks, after all) - but Check!
Step Three - hand over form of payment to cashier with instructions to use for however many people in line behind me it will take to run the card out:
Done!
Step Four - drive off smiling, knowing good deed has been done and Day One's mission has been accomplished.
(I would have added a photo of my driving away, but the very friendly police officer was not giving me a very friendly look from his vehicle in the parking lot)
So that's it! Forty Days of Fabulous...a way to count down the days to...well, whatever it is and having some fun at the same time. Some will be simple and easy - others a little more involved - some of them rather stupid (it is ME after all); but for the next 40 days I'll be adding to my blog here and there with the happenin's of my own little challenge. So check in often, and feel free to throw out suggestions if you have any. I'm always up for a challenge.
Pretty groovy huh?
"Groovy....??"
Damn.
