The Beginning of the Rest of My Life

Today, I addressed myself by my new (social) identity for the very first time.

Older, or Wiser? Or Neither? Part II

So, turning 30. I can either avoid it like the plague, or face up to it and make the best of it. I'm kinda leaning towards avoiding it...

But I told my friend I would list out the positives about being older/turning 30, so here I go:

• Shopping autonomy. If I want something, I go buy it. No permission needed. (Until the husband steps in, but nothing negative is allowed here, so I'm leaving that part out.)
  
• Career stability. It's nice to be able to replace "Assistant" with "Supervisor" in my job title.
  
  
• Earned respect. People ask me for advice and actually follow them! Shocking!!
  
  
• Improved decision making. Mistakes will always be made, but hopefully I'll get fewer stupid ones and no repeats.
  
• Angst free. No more boy drama. Period. (I kinda miss the angst though.)
  
• Acne free. I really don't get zits anymore, except for the occasional "time of the month" or under extreme stress. And even then, there'd only be one or two.
  
  
• Fun with the "Guess My Age" game. I know I don't look 29, regardless of what my friend who-shall-remain-nameless-but-is-a-male-first-year-soon-to-be-second-year-student-at-ICO says. In fact, during my facial today, my facialist told me that I had "a lot of collagen in my skin" and that I will "age gracefully."
  
• Gone with the insecurities. I'll always be insecure about somethings, but as I get older, I'm much more comfortable in my skin. I no longer base my self-worth on other's opinion of me because I know who my Creator is, and I know of His grace and love. And beauty, it really is only skin deep.

Well, I think that's all I got for now. I guess that's kinda enough for me to take a baby step out and maybe leave the freaking out to tomorrow. Besides, 30 is the new 20 baby! And you can tell that to the world!!

A quiz, of sorts.

I'll get back to the depressing turning 30 entry soon. In the mean time, I want to do a quick intermission post, prompted by some very fun dinnertime conversation.

Please take a look at the following and identify the city that corresponds with each picture.

Exhibit A


Exhibit B (New picture)


Note: if you are currently living in or have ever lived in either one of the cities, please still answer, but your points will not count as much.

Older, or wiser? Or Neither?

Yesterday, I was chatting online with one of my dearest friends, xiaoting13, about this one little fact that has been giving me MASSIVE amounts of anxiety lately--I'm turning a very (in my opinion) unpleasant age this year. Ever since January 1st, I've been dreading, plotting ways to avoid this day that will come soon enough. Oh man, I shudder just thinking about it. I can't even TYPE the number.

So why does THIRTY bother me so much? (Yes, go ahead and gasp, I know I don't look a day older than 25. ) Honestly, I'm simply not ready. Not that I feel like I needed to accomplish certain things before I turn 30; I just don't want to leave my 20's. I'm not ready to throw in the towel, put the stake in the ground and say "There! I was here. I made my mark, and now I'm leaving." That's just it! I don't feel like I've truly lived and enjoyed my 20-something decade until my late 20's, so I feel as if I've been robbed of those early years. I've only recently begun to really know how to be independent, be secure in who I am, fully understand why I must surrender my all, and finally learn the meaning of and actually having TRUE friends who will be there for me through thick and thin. Knowing what I know now, I want to go back and re-live 23,24,25...because I'm much more prepared now, and I'm could do a much better job.

Instead, without warning, without my consent, I'm being forced into being a boring, plain, serious, suck-all-the-fun-out-of-life, no-longer-young-and-hip, 30 year old. 2006 I hate you!

Can't I just decide that every birthday from now on, I will turn 25?

Xiaoting13 says that Jesus' ministry did not begin until he's 30. And she wants me to write down the positive things (and only positive) about being older.

Fine. That'll be the next post.