I turned 36 years old today. Last year on this date I joked that I was a third of the way through my life (not half, as some had suggested). 105 seemed like a reasonable age for which to aspire: far enough past the century mark so it doesn't look like you were stretching for a milestone, yet not so far past that you appear to be going for the record. This year I thought about it again — 105 — and it seemed less like a joke.
Why not? I've got things to do. 105 then. That's the plan.
First I informed Jodi, so if she wants to go first, or wants to try to outlast me, she can plan accordingly. Then I thought about this blog post. If 105 is the mark, at 36 I've officially entered the second third of my life — middle age — except lucky for me, middle age lasts until 70, at which point you may consider me an "older American." I don't intend to retire.
The second third. It's appropriate, because throughout the past two years, I've had a handful of experiences that pushed me out of uncertainty and into a much clearer (if not yet crystalline) vision of who I am, and who I want to be (y'know, when I grow up). So maybe it's time to move to the next stage...
I also noticed that so many things have sucked up my time in this past year that this is only the 30th blog post of the year (compared to about 158, year-to-date, in 2008, which was my peak year). Sad. So sad, in fact, that my good friend Jinglebob at the Dennis Ranch blog actually briefly cut me from his blog roll for several days prior to the election for insufficient presence. And since one of the things that has not changed as I enter the second third of my life is my desire to write, I figure I ought to remedy that right off the bat.
So...
Beginning today, and continuing each Wednesday for the next year (at least), I will post a Second Third entry, about where I think I came from, and where I think I'm headed. Navel-gazing? Perhaps. But I'll try to make it worth your while — and hopefully as I get into the swing of a weekly post, others will follow.
Oh, and Yield and Overcome? Sounds to squishy for my second third. Gonna have to remedy that, too.
Welcome to my Second Third. I'm genuinely glad to be here, and thankful you came, too.
Labels: Cowboy Bob, musings, Second Third