MY NEXT 30 YEARS - A WAKE UP CALL
MY NEXT 30 YEARS - A WAKE UP CALL
"I think Ill take a moment, celebrate my age The ending of an era and the turning of a page Now its time to focus in on where I go from here Lord have mercy on my next thirty years"
The past year and a half I have been listening to the song "My Next Thirty Years" by Time McGraw. And during that time it made me realize many things in my life. Most of these I've told myself I'll do when I get the chance. But up until 3 months ago I didn't have the chance or opportunity. I often wondered what it would be & feel like to actually accomplish these. Three months ago I took a risk, a very BIG risk. I know it wasn't the wisest on how I went about it, but I knew if I didn't act quickly the opportunity might pass me by. See, I quit a job I had for a job that wanted me with only an acceptance letter, but no other guarantees. That's a very big risk to take & not one I normally do, especially knowing it could have gone sour and screwed me. I know my girlfriend was not happy I did it, but was glade it actually worked out…me too!
That job opened the door for good pay and great medical & dental benefits. This gave me the opportunities I only hoped for. The paychecks give me the chance to not worry about my financial future and be able to pay my debt down faster…MUCH faster. It feels good to have 3 debts completely paid off, but there are still more.
I took Group Health as my medical so I could finally quite smoking with them paying for all or the majority of the smoking cessation program. Now I just need to find the right clinic to go to. The dental is the best I've ever had. I pay NOTHING for basic exams, cleanings, etc. (except for the $5 office visit). Then on actual procedures I only have co-payments, which I just found out are CHEAP! You might be wondering why it means so much to me when it's only dental and most people do just fine on their average $1,500 yearly cap. Did you ever notice in my pictures why I don't have a "real" smile? It's cause my teeth are in REALLY bad shape and it's embarrassing for me to smile. I've been wanting to get them fixed for a long time and now I can! I know my teeth disgust everyone, especially my girlfriend, even if they don't say anything. I did some research awhile back and discovered that smoking not only gives you yellow teeth and bad breath, but also accelerates tooth decay and enamel removal. That's where my smoking cessation program comes in.
Now, I'm not here to talk about my girlfriend or our relationship. Why should I? It's been almost a year with some ups and downs. But I finally can trust in her that she won't cheat on me. That's a good feeling when all the others have either cheated, lied and /or used me in some way. And I'm not comparing her with any past women. Now, my experience has shown me that women want 8 basic necessities in a guy: 1) Has a job, 2) Dresses well, 3) Well groomed, 4) Good hygiene, 5) Lives close enough, 6) Loves & cares for them, 7) Doesn't have a criminal background (at least not a bad one) and financially stable enough. Now, of those 8 I have at least 5. I am decently groomed (no goatee anymore), I can & do love & care for someone very much…she's my world and I am finally financially stable (I am able to have play money, bill money AND debt pay-off money!). The things I need to work on is my dental (as explained previously) and getting a place closer to her and work, which right now will be in Tacoma (which is in the works). But the question is, how far is too far for someone to travel? I travel almost 100 mi. one-way (about 2 hrs) to see my girlfriend, but I know that's too far for her and for our relationship too work well. And my background? Well, I have only been to jail once in my 31 years…so not really a criminal background. It was all caused by just 3 tickets from about 2 years ago I really thought had been taken care of. So, now I save ALL my receipts, etc. just in case…wish I had done back then.
Since I agreed to my current living situation, I've realized that I've slacked off a lot on those basic "wants" I use to posses. I use to take more pride in my looks, how I lived, I use to be a clean freak, I use to always dress well (except when doing landscaping, remodeling, etc.), had better hygiene, etc. Well, it's time to do it again. I'm constantly working on my financial plan to make the most of my money and finally get rid of past debt. It's time to get back out on my own again and live my life the way I want and should.
Over the years I've thought about just up and moving back down to SoCal or even Atlanta. I mean who would really care? Not like I'd be missed by anyone. It would be like being in the Marines again. My parents would only call or write maybe once or twice a year and my friends up here would rarely contact me. So what's really keeping me here? The only thing I can think of is my girlfriend and my job.
Now as to the song previously disused, it speaks truth on what else I need to do.
"Hey my next thirty years Im gonna have some fun Try to forget about all the crazy things Ive done Maybe now Ive conquered all my adolescent fears And Ill do it better in my next thirty years"
Now the fun part I still enjoy doing. I've done the whole clubbing/party deal for years straight (5 nights a week for 1 yr at one point). I still enjoy going to a club or good bar once in awhile, although I haven't done that in a long time…maybe I'm just embarrassing to go with, I don't know. And I've done crazy and stupid things in the past which is what me who I am. Even though some of them I would like to change. And now I know I can do it all better and wiser in my next 30 yrs.
"My next thirty years Im gonna settle all the scores Cry a little less, laugh a little more Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear Figure out just what Im doing here In my next thirty years"
I think I've settled all or most of my scores. I love to laugh! So I will always do more of that. But the "crying" part tends to be a little the past 6 yrs. I believe I've found world of happiness with Audie, if only she'll let us grow and be a better "us".
"Oh my next thirty years, Im gonna watch my weight Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers Maybe Ill remember my next thirty years"
Watch my weight? Hell yeah, I need to gain more! I do like salads so I need to eat more veggies & greens. Yeah, I have a bad habit of staying up late…I'm just a night owl. But I do need to get more sleep and learn real fast on waking up to my alarm better. Hmmm…not as many beers? Well, how about I make everyone a deal on equaling it between non-soda drinks and alcohol?
"My next thirty years will be the best years of my life Raise a little family and hang out with my wife Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years In my next thirty years"
Oh so true! They will be the best. I only hope to have a family of my own in the next 4 yrs, God willing. I'm trying to spend more time with the ones I love and care about, but they all don't seem to want to include me in their life much anymore.
So, my blog conclusion?
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years