38

Today is my birthday!  I am excited for 38.  On a recent run, I debated with myself whether or not I was old enough for a mid-life crisis.  I determined that I definitely am.  This was a dramatic realization for me.  There were times in my life when I could not picture growing up.  I am glad that I have.  I have a beautiful, successful, super smart wife (who, luckily for me, is a genius in everything but love), two wonderful little girls, a nice home, a career in which I get to help teens figure out how to better their lives on a daily basis, and so much more.  These were the thoughts that came to me on this run, and several other recent ones.  I came to this conclusion:  I will not have a mid-life crisis.  This may seem to others to be an exercise in futility.  Some may be saying "Everyone has a mid-life crisis.  Jim is just living in denial."  The simple truth is that I am aware that a mid-life crisis is expected and am working hard to not endure one.  Instead, I am enjoying mid-life triumphs.  I have re-dedicated myself to being healthy and happy.  I exercise regularly, pretty much on a daily basis.  I recently enjoyed the pretty big accomplishment of finishing a marathon.  I continue to run and am preparing for future races.  I enjoy life on a daily basis.  Physically and mentally, I am fighting off the crisis which I should, as a rite of passage, be forced to endure.  Please join me.  Mid-life triumphs seem much more beneficial than mid-life crises.  Let's celebrate them together.

On the Blog Again

I am Blogging Again?  Yes, I believe I am.  My friend Zac has inspired me to resume this form of social media and impact the world with my limitless wisdom and wit.  This first post will serve as my welcome back, as well as my effort to prove to others (and myself) that hashtagging is the ridiculous trend that we will make fun of ourselves for six years from now.  The following is a brief list of trends, ideas, etc that were once embraced, adored, celebrated, and maybe even idolized.  I think most will agree that they are now part of the pop-cultural phenomena i will term "The Ridiculous Crap for Which We Now Make Fun of Ourselves/Others."  Enjoy:

• rat tails/mullets
• "Hasta la vista, baby."
• French cuffed jeans
• laser disc players
• New Coke
• Snooki, J-Woww (how many w's?), The Situation, Paulie D...
• beanie babies
• planking
• moonwalking
• cartoon character tattoos
• all of the Ernest movies
• Garbage Pail Kids
• Zubaz
• disco
• fat, Caucasian, middle aged guys in Tap Out shirts
• hood ornaments on necklaces
• Ricky Martin
• hipsters
• Winger, warrant, Ratt...
• breakdancing
• The XFL
• Z Cavariccis
• Punky Brewster shoes
• Cabbage Patch doll craziness of '85
• Skidz
• Hanson "mmmm bop, shoooby dop dop."
• Ed Hardy shirts
• Vanilla Ice
• "Wazzuuup?"
• Kevin Bacon dance fighting in a warehouse
• acid washed jeans
• "That's hot."
• Charlie Sheen's Tornado of Truth tour/tiger blood/cocaine infused pubic megameltdown

So, the next time you hashtag something, ask yourself, do I really want my kids to look on the internet in 15 years and see that I placed a pound sign in front of  a phrase like "gimmesumuvdat" under a picture of a piece of cake, an ice cream cone, some money, a good looking female/male, or anything else?