Well, it's my birthday. And yes, I too hear Fifty Cents, "In Da Club" when I wrote that statement. "Go, go, go, shawty, it's yo birthday, we gon' party like it's yo birthday!" Nonetheless, yours truly is one year older, and one year wiser (I think?) at the age of twenty-eight years old.
In the past two years, I've had the posts of "What Does (Fill in Age Here) Mean?" (What Does 26 Mean?) (What Does 27 Mean?) Quite frankly, I didn't want to go that route this year for the age of twenty eight. And the truth is, I'm not sure if I could if I wanted to.
Twenty-eight feels awesome. It really does. It still hasn't hit me as of yet, but when it does, I'm not sure if I will have the same amount of life convictions the way I did about the previous two years. I can pose the same question this year - what does 28 mean? - and instead, literally be searching for answer myself.
Maybe twenty eight has no meaning. It's just what it is. Just another year. Or maybe it's just an extension of 27? A small part of an entire period that leads until the next big step of 30. I don't Know. I really don't, as I'm going on the fly here. Something that could be, and has proven to be highly dangerous for the DP.
Whatever it is, today as I sit here and punch the keys the way I have over the past few years on May 25ths (New Beginnings), each year having distinct checkpoints in my life, I literally have nothing to focus on in my life. Instead, I sit here and think about my family, my friends, and my wonderful wife.
Maybe in the wake of watching coverage of the devastation left behind after those wicked tornadoes ran through Moore, Oklahoma, self-evaluation feels shameful. Self-evaluation feels small. Self evaluation feels like it's over-thinking it all. And reacting with the heart is the best evaluation, solution, and reaction to any devastation or situation. You know, the way Kevin Durant did.
[Side Blog: I find it weird that two years ago when I turned 26, the recent tornadoes and devastation in Joplin, Missouri forced similar thoughts on my birthday.]
[Side, Side Blog: How awesome was the donation and efforts of Kevin Durant? Donating $1 Million for tornado relief is such an inspirational offer, not to mention the time he took to visit the site, meet those greatly affected, and has offered to return as well. Much kudos to KD!]
At twenty-eight, maybe it's a realization that even with thirty on the horizon, certain expectations from life really are insignificant and small. Like the inevitable comparison of your existing life to that of what you projected life to be at this point back when you were twenty one, because you know, you had it all figured out back then. After all, didn't we all?
Or heck, maybe like that confidence-crushing-comparison of your life to others at that point in time. Since we all fall for the grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome from time-to-time.
Sometimes, a birthday, a celebration, an age, can be as simple as what it is. Another year on this earth. Another year of being blessed.
Can 28 be as simple as count your blessings and celebrate life?
I think it very much is.
Happy Birthday to me...and to all of you, belated or coming, as well.