The first 50 years are a piece of cake.
Jan. 22nd, 2004 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaraviningOK. It wasn't always a walk in the park, but I am still here. Today I turned 50, and sometimes I thought I wouldn't make it, or wouldn't be around to make that statement. It was kind of a joke when we were in our 20s (Live fast, die young) playing rock music, that we weren't supposed to live past 25, then 30, but I never really bought into it. I have survived a lot in that time, and that includes some very intense things. I've done almost all the things that were on my life list at 18, at least attempted them, whether or not I was a success at them, traveled, though there are still a lot of places I need to see, and mostly lived up to the belief that I should try everything at least once. But what I am constantly amazed by are my friends, and how many wonderful people I know. I seem to need to be reminded of that more in the last few years, but it's what kept me believing in the worth of living, and gave me hope for the world.
Some of the things I have survived in 50 years are a wall falling on me, 3 people in my family dying, 14 or so of my friends in various communities dying, getting sober (12 years ago), coming out, a couple near death experiences, rapes and depression. I know that list seems mostly negative, but I think it's because it has the word survived in it. I've learned amazing lessons from most of the experiences, and life affirming ends came of them. All of them.
Some jobs I've held include gas station/car wash attendant, work study student - driver, ticket taker, office worker, movie theatre snack bar/usher, dishwasher, bar back/door person, student teacher, us army - computer programmer, marching band, us navy, graphic artist, typesetter, fish processer, cab driver, painter, landscape worker, quality control for art, musician, outreach worker, sound engineer, sound mixer, editor, web page designer, computer instructor, video production instructor, production manager, media content provider for the web, and curriculum developer. And I'm not done yet apparently.
Well, I had a great day. I guess I mostly ate my way through the day. Slept in 'til 9, then went to do a couple errands that had to do with getting ready for a party on the 31st. When I got back to get dressed, because I wanted to be a little dressed up today, I got a call from NYC!![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eleanor sang me a great birthday song, and helped me figure out what turning 50 means. Then went off to have great Chinese (Year of the Monkey) New Year's food with weemallard, and have more life affirming conversations, then off to my old roommates house to drop off a little present for Sophia Elizabeth, who turns 2 today. We're exactly 48 years apart, and she's so smart and we ate a birthday cupcake together. Then off to my favorite Thai restaurant (Thai Heaven) where I've eaten birthday food for the last 15 years! Who knew I'd be able to say that one day! And even more amazing conversation with wonderful friends. And a restaurant owner who knows my name and every year on my birthday says "Oh, yes! We'll save you the round table." Three of us stayed well past the end of the eating part and talked about very deep and meaningful stuff. Though there's lots of room for improvement, I love my life. And most of all, I love my friends.
Some of the things I have survived in 50 years are a wall falling on me, 3 people in my family dying, 14 or so of my friends in various communities dying, getting sober (12 years ago), coming out, a couple near death experiences, rapes and depression. I know that list seems mostly negative, but I think it's because it has the word survived in it. I've learned amazing lessons from most of the experiences, and life affirming ends came of them. All of them.
Some jobs I've held include gas station/car wash attendant, work study student - driver, ticket taker, office worker, movie theatre snack bar/usher, dishwasher, bar back/door person, student teacher, us army - computer programmer, marching band, us navy, graphic artist, typesetter, fish processer, cab driver, painter, landscape worker, quality control for art, musician, outreach worker, sound engineer, sound mixer, editor, web page designer, computer instructor, video production instructor, production manager, media content provider for the web, and curriculum developer. And I'm not done yet apparently.
Well, I had a great day. I guess I mostly ate my way through the day. Slept in 'til 9, then went to do a couple errands that had to do with getting ready for a party on the 31st. When I got back to get dressed, because I wanted to be a little dressed up today, I got a call from NYC!
eleanor sang me a great birthday song, and helped me figure out what turning 50 means. Then went off to have great Chinese (Year of the Monkey) New Year's food with weemallard, and have more life affirming conversations, then off to my old roommates house to drop off a little present for Sophia Elizabeth, who turns 2 today. We're exactly 48 years apart, and she's so smart and we ate a birthday cupcake together. Then off to my favorite Thai restaurant (Thai Heaven) where I've eaten birthday food for the last 15 years! Who knew I'd be able to say that one day! And even more amazing conversation with wonderful friends. And a restaurant owner who knows my name and every year on my birthday says "Oh, yes! We'll save you the round table." Three of us stayed well past the end of the eating part and talked about very deep and meaningful stuff. Though there's lots of room for improvement, I love my life. And most of all, I love my friends.
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Date: 2004-01-22 10:51 pm (UTC)hope I'll have such insight in 6.5 years when I turn 50 (I'm just a Crone in training right now)
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Date: 2004-01-22 10:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-22 10:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 09:35 am (UTC)If I handle this right, I could stretch it out for the rest of the year! Well, no, maybe the month.
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Date: 2004-01-23 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 09:30 am (UTC)Thanks for the wishes. I remember you with amazement also.
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Date: 2004-01-23 07:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 09:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 09:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 09:34 am (UTC)Tibetan Language Skills, um, my CD - at least 12 out of the 20 songs recorded, then run off a few copies and hand them out at the big bash on the 31st. From there, who knows...!no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-23 12:12 pm (UTC)I love you, too, sweetiepie.
You've held ever so many more jobs than me. Now I feel boring.
or the fringe on the tassle.
Date: 2004-01-23 01:48 pm (UTC)You are not boring, or I wouldn't know you. Really, the in the 80s, one of the sayings of punks and musicians everywhere (in Seattle, anyway) was 'The only sin is boring', so you can't be boring or I would be knowing you in sin, my friend. So there.