I am fifty years old today. When I was a kid, I remember thinking about the upcoming turn of the century and how old I would be at that time. What would I know? What would my life be like?
In 2000, I had a toddler and was pregnant, so I was exhausted and nauseous most of the time. I had just been laid off from my job and who I was and what I knew could fit in a shoe box I think. It was a lonely time in my life.
18 years later, my life looks different. Technology has changed dramatically and the world along with it. I have a cell phone that can tell me the weather pretty much anywhere in the world. I have access to so much information, that I limit it so as to not be overwhelmed by it all. I have a reliable car that I push a button to start (or use that same phone if I so choose). I can reach all of my family members in a moment and not have to worry about the cost of the call. I feel safe and secure in my home and community. I have wonderful friends.
With my life as it is now, I am able to cultivate all that is important to me. I connect with the natural world and use technology to help me do it better. I can research what others have discovered more easily that I once did to find out a better way to build whatever mousetrap I want to build. I cherish the relationships I have with those near and far and have never felt more confident in my own skin.
I own my dramas more than I ever have. I still get overwhelmed and needy at times, but I have tools to help me through and friends and family to reach out to. I laugh every day. Every Day. That amazes me.
So my first half century helped me to understand what I want to cultivate in my next half century. I am off to a very good start.
