Why Don't We Cut Me In Half And Count My Rings?

As most of my blogospheric audience knows by now, October 1st is a very special date in our home.  We have, not one, but two birthdays today.  My daughter, Abby, turned four today.  My birthday had a four embedded in it somewhere.

I'd like to think of myself as a "young 42" but in looking at my students, I do feel old sometimes.  Like this past summer during the Office Politics class, one young woman was presenting on how email communication can trigger office politics situations.  She paused in the middle of her presentation (mid-sentence, actually) to ask me, "So, Professor Johnson, what was the work place like before we had email?"  I didn't miss a beat and responded, "Well, we would unscroll our papyrus, and if that system was down, we would access the back-ups we'd chiseled in stone."  (The Law/MBA student sitting beside me almost passed out from laughing so hard.)  So, OK, I'm maybe not as young as I'd like to believe I am.

Still, as I look at the opportunities I've enjoyed over the past two decades of post-college life, I wouldn't trade off a single experience.  Life really is what you make it... whether you're 24 or 42.

So, every once in a while, get out there and say something stupid, do something silly, think something irreverent, and be something different.  When you get to be really old (like triple digits), you'll be glad you did.

Comments

[Dr. Delaney Kirk]

Happy Birthday! Have cake for breakfast! Do crazy things to celebrate!!

[Rosa Angeles Martinez]

¡Feliz cumpleaños! October 1st is my Dad' Birthday too. I hope you had a wonderful day.

[Emily Abbas]

Tim, we all know that you are (and always will be) young at heart!

[Eric Peterson]

Happy birthday Tim. Also, happy birthday to your daughter. I'm sure year 4 will bring more wonderful teaching moments from Abby! My wife and I are enjoying my oldest daughter's "year 3" for a few more months, hoping that year 4 helps subdue the tantrums :)

I suppose it would only be right if the birthday boy brought birth"month" treats to his next PM class?!

[beth]

Happy Birthdya and happy becoming a dad again day! :)

[Joyce Pingel]

Happy Birthday Tim! I made a toast to you in London on your birthday. Cheers!
I'm back in the states now but will be in Scotland on my 40-something birthday October 28th. See ya this weekend at class!
Cheers to your daughter too!

[Timothy Johnson]

Thanks for all of the wonderful well wishes! I'm now a week into my current age and settling into it quite well.