Yep, It's That Time

“They say life is short, but it is actually the longest thing you do.” I read that the other day and it made me chuckle. We all know that life happens in a blink of an eye. I still feel like I am 20 years old. The bad thing is my feelings are not reality. I simply cannot just live the way I did when I was 20. Tomorrow when I wake up I will be 40. No matter how you say it, that is a big round number. Currently, my 9 year old daughter and my wife of almost 12 years are working on a fourth grade science project. It is Friday night. What happened to drinking in the groves, leaving for a tournament, or trying to find the next conquest before the dawn broke? Life keeps us in check. I listen to a lot of music and the song “Like A Rock” by Bob Seger really hits home. “Twenty years now, where’d they go? Twenty years I don’t know. I sit and I wonder sometimes where they’ve gone.” It all passes so quickly. It seems that day to day nothing changes but when you look back, wow, how things have happened. What have I done? Have I accomplished what I set out to? Are the dreams different? Am I living my life or one that was chosen for me? I’ve read that you choose your life or it will be chosen for you. If I look at those as a collection I would possibly be disappointed. When I look at the entire body of work I am pleased but not satisfied where I am. Of course the little voice in the back of my mind wants more but do I really. I believe that if you really want something you must be willing to lose everything to attain it. Maybe I am at a point where other things have taken the place of those deep mind thoughts. I still dream and push myself to become better every day. Some of the dreams are just so out there that at my age I feel stupid for hanging on to them. Maybe that is what keeps me young. The idea that you just never know what may be around the next corner. Time is an enemy of everyone and a partner for a few. We have the same amount each day and I try to squeeze in everything I want to do each day. I am not going to lie; there are days where my ass and the couch have a great relationship. These are few and far between but we all have them. I will never complain about my lot in life because I truly believe my decisions have put me where I am. Many of these decisions have been awesome and others, well let’s just say I am still pursuing them. Am I happy to being turning 40 and happy where I am? Yes, the other option is not one I want to greet yet. Also, listening to Michelle and Brianna sing while they bake the next special treat always puts a smile on my face. Do I want more? Of course I do. I feel that if you quit desiring better, along with failing to desire to learn, you probably are dead in a live life form. We all have boundaries that we set and some hold us back from dreams that may be reachable but others keep us out of jail. I turn 40 tomorrow. If the ride is as colorful as the first 40 years I better put on my seatbelt, raise my hands high, and strain to look over the edge because I feel like I am just beginning to hit my full speed stride. To start my 40th out I will be up at 6am to get my workout in. At 9am I will be playing in a golf tournament with my dad, brother, Brad, Uncle Allen, and others who I share some good laughs with. After some down time at the house we are going to finish the birthday at Manny’s and Dairy Queen. That is just how I roll. Today’s workout was a lesson in improvisation. It called for some push jerks and burpees with 600m runs. Well, I was at the horse barn so it went a little something like this: 5 rounds for time with 3:30 rest between each round 5 push jerks—used two fence posts lashed together with motorcycle tie-down straps 10 burpees—didn’t want to fail in push up position since failure would have put me face down in horse poop. 5 600m runs—actually was done by running a lap around the perimeter of one of the 3 acre fields. All completed and happy to get outdoors for some good work. I would like to thank all of you who have been a part of my life for the past 40 years. Whether you affected me in a positive or negative way and me the same to you please know that you were important to make me who I am today. You did your job.