Turning 30

I was born 30 years ago today. Initially, I felt somewhat disappointed. While in my twenties, I always considered turning 30 to be a major milestone that separated the Age of Excitement/Enlightenment (the teens and twenties) from the Age of Responsibility (30 and beyond).

I always thought that, by the time I turned 30, I would have already earned a graduate degree, attained a Grammy, completed my first nationwide music tour or released a biography. Amusing, I know. I woke up this morning with conflicted thoughts of both gratitude and regret. Part of me feels like I haven’t really taken advantage of the opportunities made available to me.

But yet I retain a hope that, in the coming years, I will continue to grow in my understanding of myself and others; that I will be able to take advantage of opportunities with a fearless tenacity; that I will be able to engage more fully in the lives of those I come in contact with; that I will grow in the wisdom and confidence to overcome the snares of fear, self-centeredness and insecurity that I have allowed myself to be entangled by in years past; that I will grow in my dedication to those things I believe in, expressing my ideas creatively and sharing them publicly.

However, in the midst of all this, I try to keep in mind that I have seen and done many things that are worthwhile and important to me and that my life is a unique experience in its own right. Perhaps the most rewarding thing I could’ve witnessed as I marked the third decade of my life was the sight and sound of my 3-year old daughter running into my bedroom to wish me "Happy Birthday"(of course, forgetting her lines on the way and having to have my wife shout a reminder to her from the other room).