Hexawhatchamacallit
Today is my birthday. I’m using hexadecimal notation (for a base-16 numbering system) to soften the blow. Honestly, I don’t really mind. I’m reasonably healthy, things are stable in my life, and I have my wits about me. Dunning-Kruger notwithstanding, I think I’m doing fine.
I started using hex for my age back when it was #002B, because I thought it was cute, and also because I was starting to think about the onslaught of years.
15 years blogging
One of the first blog posts I made was this one: 2B or Not 2B. If you check it out, and compare it to the rest of this one, you’ll notice that things are kind of going the same.
(That was my TL;DR gift to you.)
What made this a good day?
As a kid, having a birthday in the middle of summer break meant none of my classmates made a big deal of my birthday. But don’t cry for me: my family parties always were a blast, and somehow the ice cream tasted like heaven on a hot summer evening on your birthday.
Those fun, family parties as a kid are long gone; still, I have plenty of reasons to appreciate this day as my birthday.
Last year, I realized a humor writer I admire shares my birthday. This year, I noticed a musician I admire also shares our birthday. I’m in good company.
The company where I work started granting us our birthday as a holiday. It’s use it or lose it, so I stayed home today and ignored work email (mostly).
What did I do with that time? Pursued things I enjoy. To wit:
- Played my ukulele
- Relaxed in the backyard
- Ate ice cream
- Wrote a story to take with me to The Moth StorySLAM tomorrow, where I’ll throw my hat in the ring
- Wrote a humor piece to submit to McSweeney’s (after one more round of edits)
- Wrote this blog
At #0049, where will we be?
In fifteen more years, I’ll be #0049. Hopefully, America will have its head out of its ass by then, and we’ll have shored up democracy, taken serious steps to address the climate crisis, and (as long as we’re being hopeful) secured the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.
I plan on having fifteen more books published by then, come hell or high water. I’ll still be helping my family as much as I’m able, looking out for my community, and taking part in civic activities to help with the head in ass thing I mentioned before.
Until then, good night to you, and to all the ships at sea.