This Means I'm an Adult, Right?

Today marks an anniversary. A 30 year one.

30 years ago, in lovely Harvey, Illinois, at about 1:30 PM a baby was born.

Me. Born September 11, 1976...

This one is a bit more reflective than usual. Really hard to put into words. I just look back at how my birthday's meaning has changed for me throughout the years.

When your little, its all about the presents and the cake. Oh... can't forget the party.

Then, you hit the late teens, early twenties. The birthday takes on a different meaning. Its about partying all right, but not quite the same as it was when you were little. Went from cake and milk to pizza and beer. And some more beer... and a few shots... like your age in them...

Then I hit 25. THE 9-11. Woke up a few days after a trip to Vegas to see the middle of the horror on TV. It did change me, as I'm sure it changed everyone else. Didn't do much celebrating that year.

Since then, its not been a wild party for me. I go about the day in a more subtle manner. Its not that I don't want the birthday wishes, or have issues with getting older. I still look like I'm in my early twenties, even if I don't feel it.

I'm happy on my birthday. It means I've made it another year. I look around, and I see a group of people I love, that love me back, support me. I look back and see everything I've been through, and where I've come. Especially the past five years. I've grown so much, and I'm on my way to great things.

I've gotton out of a dead end job, I've gotton past illness which took me through 14 months of not working and 9 doctors to which I still am in doubt about the diagnosis (even if they did halfway fix me), to working an almost full time job I enjoy, and being a full time student with a 3.7 out of 4.0 GPA since I went back.

They say in our society that you don't really become an adult till 30. Today, I've made that milestone. I don't know if I fully fall into that catagory as of yet, still being dependant on my parents... but I know I'm progressing on to that status. I just took that Gen X slacker thing a bit more seriously than others. Give me another couple years, when I can add a Bachelors Degree to my resume, and can get a job that actually pays real money... then I'll claim adult.

Until then, I'm a college kid with long hippy hair looking like I'm the same age as my classmates.