Drive Time Reflection

So in a month I turn another year older. Being officially forty something - I'd rather not. I remember when I hit forty - it dawned on me that if I died and someone read my obituary their first thought would be "eh, he was 40 - what do you expect? Can't live forever!". Truth is - by the time I hit 40 I had lived a pretty good life. Still living one in fact. Actually it would be hard to beat the one I have. Being married to a true friend and having perhaps the greatest kid on earth (maybe biased) is beyond blessing. Getting to do what I love to do and using God given gifts to do it is a privilege. Getting to do that with people I admire, trust and enjoy is an honor. Wrap all of that up and stick it in So. California and it's just about perfect. I don't always remember that - but when I do I'm both thankful and humbled.

But as I reflected on my life recently I realized I've really lived about a dozen of them. It would be hard to tell my story because you'd have to select a specific chapter to focus on. It all seems so random. Only God could've put it all together - and I'm glad he did cause it's really a great ride. I think the reflection began while on vacation recently. That's when I typically reflect - there's not much time for it otherwise. As we were driving from LA to Phoenix, to Tucson, to San Diego, to LA, I realized there are very few - perhaps zero - interstates I've not driven in this country. Between living different places and spending years on the road touring I've covered a lot of ground. Most of it multiple times. It's hard to name a place here or abroad that doesn't have some bizarre association for me. I'm watching the Buffalo Bills play earlier today and am reminded of the little bar on main street where they invented the Buffalo wings out of necessity. Watched the Packers later and am reminded of driving through Wisconsin and buying cheese curds on the side of the road. Celeste and I watched "In Bruges" a couple of nights ago and I loved seeing the town of Bruges, Belgium and am reminded of those incredible, old buildings and walking the streets eating waffles (it's what they do!). I was reading a CS Lewis book earlier today and remembered walking the grounds of his estate, The Kilns, in Oxford - smoking my pipe and feeling quite intellectual. Anyway - these things go on, and on, and on - not just locations - but things I've done, jobs I've had, etc.... Celeste only a month ago learned that I ever flew planes. One of the many jobs I had growing up was at an airport which eventually led me to spending hours taking lessons and flying every chance I got. I never completed my license as I moved to Colorado to be a ski bum instead - yet another chapter.

So I began listing some of these random things as I drove on vacation and it's quite something. Pretty amazing what one can accumulate over time. I'll share my driving list - or at least the counts - for amusement, but I'll spare you the details and stories for now - they're a bit involved.

States Lived In - 6 (TX, CO, TN, NM, NV, CA)

Homes - 26 (not counting periods of time hanging at someone else's place)

Roommates - 14 (same as above)

Jobs - 36 (not counting small, odd jobs - a fun list btw)

States Visited - 48 (never AK, laid over in HI several times - doesn't count)

Countries Visited - 28 (best I recall - maybe more)

Continents Visited - 5 (certain of this one)

Cars Owned - 18 (also a fun list)

Guitars - 11 (currently 4)

Dogs - 11 (currently none)

Cats - 5 (currently 1)

Motorcycles - 3 (currently 1)

Not an exhaustive list - but exhausting for sure. A million memories and stories for each chapter. So as I'm reminiscing and tabulating I realize something else. Colin - who just turned 4 - has already lived in 3 states, 4 homes, visited 16 states and has flown well over a dozen times. God help him - who knows what his list will look like in 40 years. I just pray I'm still around to help him make it.