Celebrating the Journey and Looking Back

Today I turn 55 years of age. Wow. There are probably a few people that are surprised or would be surprised that I made it this long. I'm a little surprised. Well, perhaps it is more accurate to say that I just never deeply contemplated the possibility of me getting to be this old. And here I am.

I remember when I thought that thirty was old. Shortly after I graduated from high school, ABC premiered a new series, Thirtysomething. It was about a group of friends that were, as the title reveals, in their thirties. I remember thinking "Why would I want to watch a show about a bunch of old people?" Yes, I really thought that.

I'm happy to be alive to celebrate today and all the days that came before today. Admittedly, not every day in this life has been a joyful one filled with bliss and contentment, but I am thankful for the relatively few bad days that make up some of the links of a chain that is largely made up with more than my fair share of good days or links.

Assuming that I am still alive when this gets published, I will be celebrating my birthday by driving a tractor-trailer, making deliveries, and picking up a refrigerated backhaul to bring back with me to the distribution center. Assuming that I don't get stuck out on the road, I will probably get a bacon cheeseburger, tacos, or pizza from one of the area bars or restaurants when I get off work. I might even have a drink and/or a beer. But I can't overdo it, as I expect to need to return to work sometime after my 10-hour DOT break is completed. Further wild celebration and merriment will have to wait for another day.

Actually, I celebrated a little early this year. Last week I spent a couple nights at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport, Iowa. The stay was part of a birthday gift that included tickets for a rare morning professional ice hockey game between the Quad City Storm and the Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL. I attended the first Storm game during the inaugural 2018 season, but most of the team's games are scheduled for nights that I am scheduled to work. With that being said, I am still "Riding with the Storm" (https://gregorymaness.wixsite.com/website/post/riding-with-the-storm). The game was an entertaining one. There was a penalty shot, a fight, and a 4-3 win for the Storm. The game was attended by a large number of students, as the game was the team's second annual Education Day game. It was LOUD! The team set a new franchise record for attendance that eclipsed the franchise record set during that first game of the inaugural season that I attended in 2018 (https://quadcitystorm.com/media/storm-down-thunderbolts-set-attendance-record). Humorously, a young student approached me outside of the arena after the game and asked me if I was one of the players. I may have to wear a hockey jersey everywhere.

I must say that I really like the idea of celebrating my future birthdays (assuming that I have more to celebrate) early. You don't know how long you have and I kind of like the idea of leaving this world owing for a birthday celebration.

It is wild to see how much things have changed for me in the last ten years and since I moved to rural Northern Illinois in 2017. In early 2014, I turned down a job offer to work as a coach and personal fitness trainer for an impressive training center in St. Louis. I left my coaching position with arguably the premier training center in the Triangle and took a job with a respected and established personal training facility in Durham, North Carolina. Before I left North Carolina in 2017, I had left that job and accepted a salaried fitness training position with a respected orthopaedic practice which offers physical therapy and fitness training services. Now I drive a tractor-trailer for a living, something that I had previously considered doing a couple different times in my life.

I also left friends and family behind as well with my move to the Midwest, but life is all about change. Distance is real, but so is love, family, and friendship. While I may never return to live in the Triangle, I may ultimately return to live in North Carolina or relocate to another Southeastern state. And to be honest, I didn't often imagine myself moving above the Mason-Dixon Line, much less moving to the Midwest. So perhaps I will return someday to the Triangle to live.

Anyway, I am going to get back to my "celebration." Have a fantastic day, family and friends.