A 4th Decade

You’d think by the title of this post that a 4th decade would mean I’m 40 but since I’ve been alive 3 decades, I’m pretty sure it’s appropriate. Once you get past the first 16 years of life, birthdays tend to be more a drag than a celebration. 21 is exciting but I find it better to not know or better put, not care. I’m not supposed to feel differently when I turn a new number yet by keeping track, it changes something in your brain. I don’t find this good or bad but I think people put entirely too much emphasis on a number. This should come as no surprise then that I’m relieved that the birthday has come and gone. I wanted to take a post and point out a few changes that come along the older you get.

Shorts Get Shorter – I loaned Sam a pair of my shorts this past weekend and he commented that they seemed short on him and I’m about 3 inches taller. This isn’t by mistake. Once you become a man you drop the cargo’s and buy shorts that expose half your thigh. Not sure why but the minute something in your brain tells you to buy Dockers, you’re old.


Going to Sleep Earlier – I still will go to sleep between 12-1 on weekdays but I mainly attribute this to my lack of commute. Where I notice this is on weekends where I find myself leaving bars at 12pm because I don’t want to be there anymore. Day drinking becomes more prevalent the older you get.


Waking Up Earlier – My days of sleeping until 1 pm are far and few between. I remember a college professor express that sleeping was for the weak and nothing gets accomplished when you are asleep. I don’t feel it to that extreme but I do try to fit more into my days.


Sticking to Beer – Hard liquor has got me in trouble too many times to count. I would routinely drink 6 mind erasers (why am I in a bathroom and why am I looking down) a night and wonder why my head hurt the next day. I can still get fucked up off of 9% IPA’s but I tend to be a little more controlled. The overwhelming feeling of too-drunkenness doesn’t seem to hit you all at once like liquor can.


You Know People Know Less – Wisdom comes with age. I never fully understood this statement but it’s evident when someone is younger than you when you get older. I hate to use the word immature because I don’t think it’s completely accurate but inexperience can lead to poor decisions. When you get older you see younger people and almost “know” what is going through their mind because you’ve already gone through it. I will attribute this is a clear advantage to age.