happy birthday to me
August 04, 2003, 6:21 pm

I am now officially 25 years old.

That's a quarter of a century.

Halfway to 50.

5 years away from 30.

When I was 15, I saw myself at 25 being all of three things: married, a mom, and happy. How old did 25 seem then that it doesn't now?

I am surrounded by scores of friends who continually remind me that my 20s are to be enjoyed with the recklessness of a teenager but the income of an adult; I hope to God that I can keep listening to them and not to another sect of friends who kind of give me the appraising looks of someone who wants to see me fixed up.

If I were me at 15, how would I see myself now? Does it matter?

This is not a life wasted; this is, very clearly, the life of a person having a great time.

It's the life I've always wanted, and I have it. How lucky am I?

Scored some DVDs (notably, the Chasing Amy Criterion, Say Anything, and Grosse Point Blank) from the folks, a book I had my eye on, and a collection of Homestar merchandise from the pals (one hopes). Good haul, but that's not what today is about, no no no. It means I'm getter older, wiser, and more excited about everything down the pike.

Major birthday shout-out to my main Maryland man, El Critico Fuerte, known in the best circles as TheCritic. Happy birthday, baby. Also, belated birthday tidings to Spanky, the only diarist to make me moist on a continual basis. Yow!