Shout Out: Getting Older

It is not often that one feels proud to get older, past about the age of ten years or so. Or, rather I should say, it is not often that one says so out loud. For whatever reason, we are supposed to hide our aging and pretend to be "29 and holding" - who wants to hold at 29? Turning 30 was liberating and wonderful. It felt great to get out of the instability and self-destructive twenties...and I know I am not alone in that thought. Each and every birthday, I am happy to get one more year behind me so that I can see what I am in for the next.

This year, I turned 38 years old. I am genuinely excited to turn 40 - a brand new decade full of challenges and changes. Maybe I have this outlook because I have sincerely relished each year of each decade, taking my time to do things and make life decisions. I never rushed into anything - and whether that makes me incredibly smart or downright immature, I don't know. But, whichever, I am happy for my personal path through my life so far.

While watching the play for the second and third time, I realized how proud and happy I am to be "middle-aged." Even though I mentally feel roughly 25 years old, when I can relate to the struggles and  benchmarks celebrated onstage and representing the "middle-aged" I feel so good to be here, in this time of my life. It's the smallest of details that mirror my own life - the ability to afford the better beer, empathy for difficult marriages, welcoming a new child into the mix, friends making tough life choices, and the camaraderie of Sunday afternoon ball games watched in real-life houses and not college apartments. 

This human element is something I am most proud of while watching the play unfold. The fact that Britt so eloquently couched it in humor is all the more amazing and touching. Getting older can leave you nostalgic for younger days filled with fewer responsibilities. But it can also leave you grateful for being content in where you are.

We are all getting older, every single day. Celebrate by going (or going back) to see "Between the Tackles." You have three more chances before the curtain closes on this production forever.