The 40 Days and 40 Nights of 40: Day 5

I'm not expecting the "big day": to be any different than any other day with the exception of hooting and hollering about it for about five minutes. Birthdays are like watching your car's odometer approach (in this case) 40,000 miles. It's neat to see it happen, but after the event, you still keep driving.

My friends and I all discussed what we wanted to do for the big 4-0. Should we fly to Europe or maybe the islands? It seemed fun, but extravagant and, in this economy, frankly foolish for many of us. I didn't want a party with cake and tons of people; remember, I manage a restaurant and there’s always a party around me with lots of people (in fact, last night… Happy Birthday Jocelyn)! That was out. I just wanted to get some of my best friends together, chill out and spend some time away from the fray – no cell phones, no kids, no noise but the noise we make.

So, two weeks from today, we’ll be embarking on a two night houseboat cruise down the mighty Mississippi; just eight friends, from 32 to 45, for food, drink and a couple nights under the stars. (Oh, yeah and there’s a hot tub, wet bar and water slide on the boat.) I come from a small immediate family. It’s just me, my father, my sister and my late mother. Friends for me are the family you get to choose and I have to say I have chosen well. And as I get older, my “hundred” closest friends really comes down to about a good dozen or so. Taking time for me also means making time for the people who really lift you up so you have the energy and purpose to live the next 40 years with happiness and vitality. I hope. ;)

Tomorrow… can you fit your whole life into a suitcase? We’ll see.