30!

Okay, since it is now after midnight, it is technically January 31st and one day after my birthday, but I'm still going to post this. This is my "reflections on turning 30" blog.

But first, something I want to get off my chest:

I have issues with people who post comments on here anonymously. Only because some people make statements about me as if they knew me, but since they don't identify themselves, I have no idea.

For example, a few blog posts ago, I did a blog on "Why I'm an Atheist." A topic I was hoping would generate more discussion than it actually did. ANd when it did generate discussion, much of it wasn't intelligent. One person in particular decided to tell me that I DO in fact believe in God and they will pray for me.

Now, I'm curious as to how this person knows what I do or do not believe, and I wonder if this is someone I actually know or if this is just one of those Christians who believe that everyone believes in God deep down. However, since this person did not identify themselves, I'll never know.

So, I'm asking those who post anonymously, please at least let me know who you are. Especially if I know you. Thank you.

Now, on to our regularyl scheduled blog:

So, I'm 30 now. I don't feel any older than I did yesterday. I don't feel any different at all, really.
Every year on my birthday, I inevitably recap my entire life. Mostly because I feel like I should have accomplished something by now and, in the past, I always felt like I haven't.

Anyone who knows me is by now shouting: "You have four beautiful kids! That's a huge accomplishment!"

I get that a lot, and here's my response to that: My kids are beautiful. They are the best kids any father could ask for. I would do anything for them. I love them more than anything else in the world. However, I don't consider my children an accomplishment on my part for one very simple reason: Any idiot with a libido and a high sperm count can have kids.

Now, having said that, there are certain aspects of my children's personalities I would like to think I had a hand in nurturing.

1. My oldest daughter's love for reading. She's about as voracious a reader as I am, and she will (and has) read anything I give to her. One of my proudest moments was when she read (and loved) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. She read the Illustrated Classics edition which is geared to younger readers, and she read the thing in two days!

2. My children all have a natural curiousity and I like to think I helped by not discouraging them to ask questions. I always patiently answer them as best as I can, and often have to search for the answer on the internet when I don't know. I love the fact that all four of my kids seem to have a love of learning everything they can.

Okay, I can't think of anything else at the moment, but it's late and I'm tired.

So, I consider these things accomplishments.

Also, I posted earlier that I had a goal of getting published by the time I'm 30. I accomplished this at the age of 29 (talk about cutting it close!) by having my comedy/zombie story "As in Life, So in Death" published in SNM Horror Mag in March and my psychological flash fic piece "Fear Itself (Side note: My friend Kurt came up with both those titles, since I suck at them, he stepped up to the plate and came up with two awesome ones for those stories). published in Flashes in the Dark in July. Also, my story "Wounds" (I actually came up with that title) was accepted for publication earlier this year, but won't be out until several months from now. More on that as I get the info.

So those are a few other accomplishments.

There are others that happened this past year, however they're more of a personal nature, and I will keep them to myself. I just wanted to write this because sometimes we look at our lives and see ourselves as having no impact on society and we feel like we haven't accomplished anything just because we're not Mother Theresa, or we haven't won the Nobel Peace Prize.To anyone who believes that, I would like to quote the great Mr. Dickens, who said: "No one is useless in the world who lightens the burdens of another." I like this quote so much, my wife made me a bracelet and inscribed those words on it. I believe this to be true. If you have ever helped another person, no matter how small the deed was, you matter and have accomplished something.

With that, I leave you.

Until next time,

Joe

I think of this anytime