Twas the blog before middle age.......

Hey everyone. Yes, it is true; I will be 40 tomorrow. I'm really not sure what that is supposed to mean or how I am supposed to feel but it's here and there is nothing I can do about it. Truth be told, I'm excited about the next chapter in my life.

Age is a weird thing. These last few weeks I have been pondering what it means to be 40. Have I accomplished what I was "supposed" to?  Do I "look" 40? You know--I was just being all philosophical and such. The bottom line is--age ain't nothin but a number. Someone recently asked me how old I would be if I didn't know my age--my response was 8. I'm young at heart and I'm proud of everything that has brought me to this stage in my life.

To me, success can only be measured in one way. If one can answer yes to any of these questions, then he/she is successful. Do you like your life? Do you laugh a lot? Do you feel grateful? Do you have people that love you? Are you still learning? I am so lucky because I can actually answer yes to all of these questions. We all live different lives and choose different paths--success cannot be measured by jobs, finances, family, or fame. It's about character and having an open heart and mind. Though I have made many mistakes in my life, I still feel accomplished and am proud of the life that I have lived and the lessons I have learned thus far.

There were so many things I wanted to do before I turned 40--many of them I did not get around to doing. Oh well--if I am supposed to do them--I will eventually. I've done a number of things that I never thought I would or could--sometimes we think we have it all figured out but, God might have other plans. He sure did for me and for that I am grateful.

I am right where I am supposed to be at age 40. I've accomplished a lot but still have a lot of ground to cover. That's alright with me--I've always enjoyed adventures.
Here are some cool things that I did in my first 40 years:
learned to play an instrument, starred in a musical, made a varsity team, traveled the country, recorded a cd, got paid to eat in New York, performed at the laugh factory, won a comedy competition, earned graduate degrees, bought a home, found a partner that has loved me unconditionally for 13 years, met 3 Presidents, published some research, went to the academy awards, won awards for my teaching, lived in the mountains, etc etc etc.

In my next 40 years I hope to continue doing more of the same--I want to tell stories and hope to write and publish my memoirs. I want to keep teaching, keep cooking, keep laughing, and keep learning. That should be pretty easy. I'm so grateful for all of my family, friends, and fans. I'm also grateful for those I have met along the way--even the ones that didn't turn out to be so great--it doesn't matter--I consider myself to be pretty damn lucky.

That's it for today--I realize that it's not very funny or witty--but oh well--I felt like being philosophical for a change. Deal with it. Now that I am in my 40s--expect more wit, more snark, more sarcasm, and more brilliance. One love--thanks for reading. BTW--this was me at age 3--thought you'd all enjoy the pic.