Forty

Well, today I turned forty.

Everyone tells me its just a number, but to me it’s a big number, a round number, a welcome to the next decade number.

It’s to me a number for reflection.

What did I do in my thirties and what will I do in my forties?

THIRTIES

I did a lot. Not too much with my art or this website, but I did do a lot of important things.

The biggest was my daughter was born. Becoming a dad was awesome and still remains awesome. It was the most important thing I did in my thirties.

I also worked on three paintings. I hiked with my siblings. I biked with family and friends. I started an annual tradition of doing a day hike on or around my birthday. I got to go to the Daytona 500. I moved. I became a Scout leader. I got a couple of big promotions at my day job. I got to travel to New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. I went from being a tent camper to a hammock camper. I built a bike from the frame up. I switched from traditional ink and paper for drawing comics to digital inking them. I owned a Jeep. I became a licensed HAM.

I did a lot of things that I probably can’t remember.

FORTIES

What do my forties have in store for me?

I don’t know.

But I hope it will be fun.

Over the next ten years I hope to see my daughter become a strong adult woman and perhaps one of the first girls to go from Tiger all the way to Eagle Scout.

I want to work on more art.

I want to get my General license for HAM radio.

I want to get Brotherhood in the Order of the Arrow. (twenty four years is a long time to still be an ordeal)

I want to earn my Wood Badge.

I want to own my own home.

I want to have a darkroom again (so I can make my own black and white prints again)

I want to build and operate a model railroad.

I look forward to celebrating 25 years of marriage in 2030.

I want to hike the New England Trail.

I want to finish hiking the Horseshoe Trail.

I want to camp at every Pennsylvania State Park campground in the state.

I want to not get Covid-19.