Amazingly, and technically, tomorrow night I will witness the turning of my fifth decade:
1969 – Admittedly a bit unmemorable as I was just 20-months old. I imagine the night came and went without much notice. But I was there!
1979 – Age 11 and life was moving fast. Dad had just been trasferred back to Detroit from Indiana and I was getting ready to finish the 6th grade as the new kid half-way through a school year. Some amazing memories and friends were left behind.
At the new school I mostly remember orange cheese bagels being washed down with bottles of Squirt on Fridays as a treat. The big game on the playground was pitching baseball cards. Knock down the standing card with your thrown card and collect all of the previous failed efforts. I was good but lost an epic game late in the year.
I was alright, accepted, but a bit out of step with the cool kids. Pretty damn lonely really but strangly alright with it.
1989 – College. Having just transferred in as a junior to Michigan State that Fall, my younger brother, a sophmore, was showing me the ropes and introducing me to college life on his campus. Odd.
I hated school, always did, but was making some great friends and having a ball. Being 21 and living with a bunch of Freshman and Sophmores will make you very popular in deed. Why we drank cheap beer I’ll never know. Like we couldn’t come up with the extra $3 for a case of the good stuff?
Classes were to be avoided as much as possible in those days. Bar night was every Thursday and Friday with Tuesday not out of the question. I even learned to hip-hop dance thanks to my friend Turbo. Although being sober somehow made the dancing harder.
Life was easy. I was spoiled and lost. However, within a few months my life would change forever as I would soon meet the girl that would later become my wife.
1999 – Married now more than 6 years. Scrapping to get by in Detroit with a huge amount of help from my folks. I was working at a printing company while Nancy struggled to grow her consulting business. Times were tough but we didn’t hate our jobs. They just didn’t pay enough to live well in Detroit where automotive profits flowed and spoiled nearly everyone they touched. We benefitted indirectly, of course, as our “help” came from that flow, but it was hard to stand on your own unless you were an auto worker.
We weren’t.
Within days of the turning of the new decade we were pulling up our roots and moving 1,000 miles south to sunny, and cheaper, Florida. A decision, in hindsight, that has proven to be most wise.
So much change around these big dates…
2009 – So here I am getting ready to strike in another decade. Times are hard once again even here in Florida. Jobs are what they are. You’re happy just to have one. To expect happiness almost seems greedy.
We are raising our only daughter, a lovely and bright 6-year old that is fighting against autism. The light of my life.
Our move to Florida still feels like the right call. While I miss Detroit the Detroit that I miss isn’t really there anymore.
I’m still a bit lost. Always have been. I’m still alright. I’m still out of step with the cool kids. But ready to move forward.
I’m happy. You?
Hello 2010.
