Aging (not so) gracefully

I don’t really know what has happened.  It seems like just yesterday I was 21 years old and my whole life was in front of me.  Now I find myself north of 40 and wondering where all the time went.  I’m not saying that I haven’t enjoyed my life – I definitely have.  However it seems that I went very suddenly from being young to being middle-aged.  All of you that have been through this – you know what I am talking about.

It is often said that when you are about to die, you see your whole life flash before your eyes.  Well – living through it seems to be about the same experience.

I had some big goals that I set for myself to accomplish before I turned 35. One of those was to speak 10 languages.  I didn’t make it (though I do speak and/or understand 5 or 6).

I also wanted to travel – to see the world.  That one I have certainly made a big dent in.  I have been to 5 continents (only Africa and Antarctica remain).  I have been to 44 of the 50 states, as well as about 15 foreign countries.

I had a dream, as well, to make a living as a musician.  That is one that I am still waiting for – not that it is a realistic goal at this point.

Of course, another area in which I hoped to make an impact was in computers and technology.  That one I have done reasonably well.  My brother and I started a software company and after about 4 years, sold it to a California company. That company then hired both of us as employees.  I worked for that company for an additional 7 years, until I decided to retire at the end of 2007.

So do the dreams and goals of our youth really mean anything?  Are we a failure if we have not fulfilled them later on in life?  I don’t think so because as young people, we really don’t know what we want to do or who we want to be when we get older.  We are constantly inventing and re-inventing ourselves throughout our lives.  That’s a good thing.