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44
As a kid who idolized George “The Iceman” Gervin, 44 was my favorite number growing up. Decades later, it doesn’t quite hold the same luster with my birth odometer hitting the double quad today. Turning 40 wasn’t all that big a deal to me, and I figured I wouldn’t actually dread another birthday until the heinous “Big 5-0.”
And while I didn’t dread turning 44, I do feel a little introspective today. There are some pretty major life changes taking place for me these days – none of which are related to age. I haven’t really gone into details about these changes, and won’t be specific about them now, but suffice it to say these events (which remain ongoing for at least the forseeable future) have me thinking a lot about my life.
It may be presumptuous for me to look at this as the mid-point of my life, as making it to 88 seems like a bit of a long shot, but I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I have (and haven’t) accomplished during the past 44 years – as well as all of the mistakes I’ve made.
Nobody’s perfect, and many of us are much closer to the opposite end of the spectrum, but I still aspire to become a better person. Many times it’s so easy to be weighed down by regret, which does nothing but impede self-improvement. I think I will dedicate my 44th year to overcoming regret and doing everything possible to be a better person for however many years I have left – whether it’s another 4 or 44.
Until then, thanks to everyone who has passed along birthday well-wishes. This year, they really have meant more to me than ever.
Another Facebook Miracle!
As the only child of two only children, I had no aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers or sisters growing up. The closest thing I ever had to a sibling was my mom’s cousin Nancy, who lived with us while attending college as the 1960s became the 1970s. I was only about four years old at the time, but some of my fondest memories of early childhood were times spent listening to records with Nancy.
After college, Nancy got married and we eventually lost touch. She’d exchange a letter or card with my mom every so often for a while, but neither of us had been in contact with Nancy for more than 20 years. We don’t have too many living relatives remaining, which really hit home recently, when my mom found out (by stumbling onto an online obituary) that her (and Nancy’s) Aunt Mary had died…a year-and-a-half ago! While it’s definitely odd (and even somewhat infuriating) that nobody else in the family notified us of Aunt Mary’s passing, it’s emphasized the importance of trying to reconnect with the rest of the family.
Earlier this afternoon, as I was visiting my mother, we were discussing this very subject. I told her that I would really love to try and get back in touch with Nancy, and my mom agreed that she also would very much like to do so. I made a comment about doing a Facebook search later, but then remembered I had my trusty iPhone mere inches away. It occurred to me that I had not so long ago friended an old classmate of mine who also happened to be Nancy’s younger former brother-in-law. A quick scan of his friends list revealed – who else – but long lost Nancy!
I know it’s beyond cliché by now, but it really is miraculous to think how Facebook has turned what was once an absolutely Herculean effort into such a quickly-resolved afterthought. It’s so great to be back in touch with Nancy, both for me and especially for my mom.
Nailing The Triple Lindy 