Mardi Gras… Lent, hurricanes, Easter, parades, New Orleans, beads, Rio de Janeiro… girls gone wild? Mardi Gras means something different to everyone.
For me, with the arrival of Mardi Gras I realize I’m one year further removed from the time when I should have participated in the festivities. I should have done it when I was in college; back when things like getting stabbed, robbed and harvested for my organs were less on the forefront of my conscience.
But that’s one of the things that comes with age; the ability to see the potential dangers we were too careless to worry about in our youth.
But is that necessarily a good thing?
I can’t think of anyone recalling experiences from their 30s or 40s with the same reverence they recall stories from their 20s. I mean really, think of your top 5 most memorable, wackiest, funniest, laugh out loud, “I can’t believe we DID that!” moments from your life, and I’d be willing to bet that 99% of them came from your college years. Even if you didn’t go to college, you know I’m talking about the quasi-decade between 18-25.
No longer under the tyrannical thumbs of our parents, we were free to make some of the worst decisions of our lives (and boy, did we). But we also happened into making some of the most inspired. So why do we feel as we get older we have to pull in the proverbial reigns and “grow up”? What’s fun about being grown up? Bills, work, responsibilities. Blah.
Fate made sure to drive the point home this year, as Fat Tuesday was home to another momentous day: my 30th birthday.
*pause for applause*
I have a good buddy who himself turns 30 in April. When I talked to him recently, I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t looking forward to his big day. Which got me to thinking… was I dreading turning 30 and just hadn’t given myself the chance to think about it? I didn’t think so, yet unbeknownst to me (but knownst to others)* I was about to find out.
I was so oblivious to my fast approaching big day that my wife & sister managed to arrange an elaborate, inter-state surprise birthday party for me right under my nose. Obviously I was thrilled to have such an outpouring of support from my friends and family, but ultimately the event stirred emotions completely different than anyone could have expected.
I realized just how happy I am with everything going on in my life right now.
I don’t know if I can accurately summarize just how or when it occurred to me. It’s not like I was unhappy before that day… I guess I just never stopped to think about it. I think at times I felt like Steve Martin in Parenthood when his wife asked if he had to go right now.
“My whole life is have to”.
To an extent, that will always be true. But really, it always has been. Just because I didn’t have the responsibility of today in years past, doesn’t mean that I didn’t still have things I HAD to do. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if I only did what I wanted to do and nothing else. But I’m starting to get off track here…
For a time as Mardi Gras rolled around, I was bummed that I never made it to the Big Easy for its signature event. Just one of those coulda woulda shoulda things that seemed like it would have been a memorable weekend with my college amigos.
But thanks to the unexpected result of my 30th birthday party… I find myself less concerned with things I should have done, and much more focused on things yet to come. What’s fun about being “grown up”? I’m thinking first words, first steps… and those should come in just the next few months. I’ve got years and years of firsts, wonderfuls, & amazings… not to mention memorable, wacky, funny, laugh out loud, “I can’t believe she did that!” moments from her life. Her life… that’s not even 8 months old yet…
Maybe I won’t tell any stories about my 30s and 40s like I’ll tell of my 20s. My wild and crazy days may be behind me, yet I’m convinced my best days are still ahead of me; even if my favorite memories to come will cast me only in a supporting role. Thanks entirely to that stinkerbell rolling around on the floor right now with her momma (and potentially another bundle within a couple of years.)
So I’m done feeling bummed about things that never happened (even if I wasn’t that bummed to begin with). After my party, when I put my little girl to bed, I whispered into her ear “Thank you for making my thirtieth birthday my bestest birthday.”
Where would I be without her?
Td
*bonus points for those of you who spotted my movie quote!
and now, a word from our sponsor! (Jen)
A big CONGRATULATIONS to SuznK, who wrote:
Love your work. It inspires me!
As to the Sunday morning title…what about “i {heart} the stamper”? Absolutely great blog and I enjoyed Tony’s take on being married to a stamper!
Suz
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