40

What am I supposed to write about to mark the time I turn 40?

I think it would be appropriate, to an extent, to be weepy and nostalgic about life to this point. While life has certainly had its issues, it has been filled with epic love stories, great adventures, successes and failures, and fairly recently, the blessing of a child. I wouldn't know where to begin.

What I think is actually pretty awesome is that being 40 has brought me the peace and wisdom to really savor the moment I'm in, right now. We spend too much of our lives trying to build toward something, sometimes at the expense of enjoying what's right in front of you. You can still be moving toward something or setting goals, but you can't allow it to get in the way of the life that's happening right now.

I also think it would be silly to be suddenly worrying about my mortality (or use it as an excuse to indulge in hookers and blow). I look at what I've done so far with my life, when the first 20 years barely count, and I think, shit, I've got another 40 to 60 years to go! If I have come this far with 20 adult years under my belt, imagine what I can do with the rest.

Maybe that's why I'm not quite ready for a midlife crisis. I'm still full of shit when it comes to a lot of things, but at least I'm self-aware of that. It also turns out that I'm really good at a lot of things, and I know a lot of things that I didn't before. Turning 40 isn't a sign of impending doom, it's a signal that you're more capable of asskickery than ever before.

Bring it, life. You might be thinning out my hair, but I've got your number.