The Backside of Thirty

I turned 35 yesterday. I don't think that's much of a milestone birthday, at least not like 16 or 21 or 40 or anything like that. But it was a reflective birthday. Something about reaching the backside of thirty makes me feel old. For those of you who don't listen to old country music songs, that's a line from a '79 John Conlee song. I actually have it in my truck's CD player right now. I know, I know, Conlee is not exactly hip, but neither am I. Take for example the fact that I just used the word hip.

Anyway, there's a line in the chorus that says I'm on the backside of thirty, the short side of time. That's the part sill ringing in my ears. The short side of time?! So I've been a little more reflective on this birthday than normal. I've been thinking back over my last 35 years and wondering what I'll do with the next 35 years. Here's my short list (so far)...

• Stay at a church longer than five years. Since leaving home, that hasn't happened and my five year anniversary at Maury Hills is up in October. I'm not trying to scare anyone at MH. I don't plan on going anywhere. I couldn't imagine a better church or a better fit. I just want to make sure I don't screw it up. Church research continually shows that long tenure is one the keys to growing a healthy church.


• Learn how to speak Spanish. This has been on my New Year's Resolution list for about three years, yet I still only have a Dora-level understanding of the language. The problem is lack of exposure. At least one week out of every year (the Belize trip) I have strong desire to learn Spanish, but my enthusiasm fizzles throughout the remaining 51.


• Write a book. Same story. It's been on the New Year's Resolution list multiple times, maybe since Junior High. At least that's how long I've been writing stories. In fact, my Mom just found a whole stack of them in my old room and some are quite funny (if you enjoy 8th grade humor). Anyway, the book dream has been out there for a while and I figure I'll surely get around to in the next three decades.


• Teach my kids how to hunt and fish. This is something my Granddad and Dad passed down to me and its one of my favorite pastimes. There's just something about being in the woods or on the river that brings me happiness. It also gives me time to think and connects me with God's creation. I want my kids to experience that. I also want my kids to understand where things come from (i.e. meat comes from dead animals, not the grocery store). A couple of weeks ago I took Halle fishing and she asked, "When we catch some fish can we please throw them in the cooler and cook them for supper?" That's my girl.


• Take my wife to Hawaii. She's wanted to go for as long as I've known her. She wanted to go for our Honeymoon, but we settled for Colorado. Then I told her maybe we'd go there on our 10th anniversary, but I think we wound up in Nashville. So then I was talking 15th but that's only a couple years away so I've recently moved it back to the 20th. At some point I've got to stop postponing and book a flight.


• Give a major charitable gift. In working for a non-profit (a church) and volunteering at another one (my kid's school), I've come to appreciate the power of the big gift. The one that comes out of the blue and allows you to add that much-needed extra classroom or pay off that looming debt. I'd like to do that kind of thing one day. Just go up to an elder or a principal and say "what is it you need the most right now?" Then write a big check for it.

• Own a farm. I was raised on a farm. Not a working one with chickens and chores and stuff like that, but we had our share of adopted strays, fields and ponds. I loved it and still do. One day I want to be able to step off my own back porch and go hunting. This doesn't make any sense to my wife because I already have more hunting leases than I need, but its different when its your own backyard. I guess I just want to live in the country again someday. You could say we kinda do now (15 minutes from town on 1.75 acres), but it still feels like city living to me.