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July 20, 2006
Twenty-ten
I'll have a big slice o' cake with a side of fabulosity, please
Life is a journey, blah blah blah. We know. We get it. But I’ve always been kind of a neurotic traveler (my guiding credo in life: “I hate change”) and today, as usual, I’m skulking around the boarding gate, mainlining Dramamine and wondering why I didn’t cough up the extra $50 for refundable tickets.
Yeah, yeah. It’s a (bad) metaphor, you guys. Just humor me.
Here’s the deal: I’m turning thirty this month (or, as we here in the Historic Township of Denial like to call it, “twenty-ten”) and, well, honestly? I just thought I’d be a little more...together at this point in my life. When I was a teenager, I thought thirty = one foot in the grave.
Of course, when I was a teenager, I also thought that shellacked, feathered bangs were the last word in sophistication and that there was a decent chance I would end up marrying Christian Slater.
Christian never called, but despite that (or perhaps because of that), I managed to get through school, weasel my way into the wild world of publishing, and surround myself with the superficial trappings of adulthood: mortgage, insurance, pool maintenance problems (Lani, that one was for you!), etc. So why do I still feel like the whole house of cards is going to come tumbling down at any moment and it’s going to be anarchy, baby, anarchy!!! I was supposed to be wise and accomplished and confident by now! I was supposed to be somebody!
(Update: Mr. Tall just read the part about Christian Slater and would like me to point out that he is WAY taller than Christian, plus his arrest record is much better. Plus, he is better looking. Also, more virile. He just wants you to know.)
Okay. But back to me. I hear from many reliable sources that the thirties rock. I’ll finally come into my own and stop worrying so much about what other people think. I’ll become a little bit more like Dr. Cristina Yang, a little less like Charlotte York. Sounds pretty promising.
Here’s what some of my friends have had to say about the upcoming decade:
“Your thirties rock. You finally get past all the pointless drama from your twenties and really start to appreciate your blessings in life.”
“Totally. You stop suffering fools and realize that no matter how hot a guy is, it’s just not worth it if he’s an emotional train wreck. Although, I gotta tell you, the years of miniskirts and bikinis are over.”
“Don’t listen to her. I wear my bikini all the time and I look hot.”
“Shut up, you’re a damn yoga instructor. Of course you look good in a bikini. But why are we wasting a perfectly good buzz discussing mortality? There’s a Mike’s Hard Lemonade in the fridge with my name on it.”
And things just devolved from there. So I turn to you, my trusty LC posse. Hit me with some sage advice on how to strut into my thirties with sass and panache. If you aren’t in the mood for sage advice, I will also accept delicious chocolate cake recipes. Operators are standing by.
Posted by Beth at 11:56 PM | Comments (11)
Comments
I have no words of wisdom. I'm turning 60 next year and I thought that I would have everthing in my life organized and running smoothly. Hah! Why should things change because I've been on the planet longer? Not helping, am I?
I don't even have a chocolate cake recipe for you.
But, 30 is fun, 40 is better, 50 is a gas -- just don't expect for you to get it together if that isn't your normal M.O.
Actually, I'm kinda excited about 60. Have fun.
Posted by: hollygee at July 21, 2006 3:50 AM
I don't have any words of wisdom, either, but I think your friends nailed it, Beth: eat chocloate cake, drink Mike's Hard Lemonade, and a bit of yoga will keep you in bikinis ;-)
Posted by: Michelle C at July 21, 2006 7:16 AM
Take more risks. Worry less about what other people think. Do something totally daring at least once a week. Happy Birthday!!!!
Posted by: Alesia Holliday ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 21, 2006 7:37 AM
Beth, honestly, age for you isn't ever going to affect making the "honey time" cut where you're concerned. As for sagely words of wisdom, just live in the moment. It's living a thousand lives in that moment that keeps life interesting.
Posted by: Brian at July 21, 2006 9:04 AM
My birthday was yesterday and I'm now half way into the 40's. cough..cough..that's tough to say haha! Truthfully, I think my 30's were fun times and the 40's are even better. Just don't think about the number.
Posted by: KimW at July 21, 2006 11:15 AM
My thirties were an incredible roller coaster encompassing some of the best moments of my life (birth of children), some of the absolute worst (death of husband), huge amounts of change (two major moves) and about everything else in between.
I think I learned to roll with it which has ended up being a very good life skill for me.
Eileen R
Posted by: Eileen at July 21, 2006 1:00 PM
WES--it just gets better as you go along. Just learn to go with the flow! Happy birthday--mine is coming up next month... 30 didn't bother me. 40, however, was a tough one. Took a sabbatical to the ocean with just the girls and my dog. Very peaceful. Aprreciated what I had been given and came home with a better frame of mind... I believe age is a state of mind. Personally I range between somewhere in my teens to 30 something!!
Posted by: Sheri at July 21, 2006 1:56 PM
I've been in age denial for years, so I'm totally with you on this one. I hear what everyone says about 30s being great, and 40s too (I'm in the latter), but even so it hurts!
That said, I also agree with Sheri that it's a state of mind. I'm really mid-twenties. It helps that most of my working life I've lecturered and been around people a lot younger than me.
Anyway, eat plenty of chocolate and enjoy yourself!
Posted by: Sara Hantz at July 21, 2006 5:50 PM
Beth, sweetie! Thirty is the new twenty, didn't you hear? And the thirties are much, much better than the twenties, for all the reasons listed above. I'm actually kind of looking forward to the forties. As good as it's been to be more confident, less in the bullshit as I was in my twenties, the kids exhausted me! I'm looking forward to having older kids (who hopefully won't be shoplifting or getting knocked up) who will be a little more independent (until they call for bail money.) But the truth is, if you make the most of the bonuses, every age is good. And none of them are anything more than really a number. The path is the path; as long as you're still on it, it's all good.
Posted by: Lani at July 22, 2006 7:18 AM
I'm finding dating in my 30s to be an absolute horror show, so be glad you have Mr. Tall. At least I'm getting plenty of material to write about...
Posted by: laurenjharwood at July 22, 2006 11:55 AM
Go, Mr. Tall. Any age is what you make of it. I was still getting carded in my 30s, which was embarrassing, but didn't make me feel any younger. I was just talking to my cousin last night, and we agreed that we still felt like kids in our heads, and, for us, that's the best way to be.
Happy 20-10!
Posted by: ZaZa at July 22, 2006 12:08 PM
