Birthday Post

Tomorrow, I'm turning 25. Weirdly (or, expectedly) the only thing I can think of is how when you fill out surveys or sweepstakes online, the age groups are always 18-24 and then 25-39, and this is the year I make that hop. This thought alone almost inspired a night-long downward spiral to the bottom of one of those plastic tubs of Betty Crocker icing, but luckily I rose above that. Kind of. I basically just put the icing on a cake for Aaron instead, and then ate it.

Also you should really know about me that I enter every single sweepstakes I ever find. You might think that this makes me ambitious, or hopeful, or optimistic or cutely pitiful, but really it's just a symptom of my general, daily state of soul-crushing guilt. Let me explain - my Dad always told me when I failed at something (which was like of course almost never I mean come on seriously) that as long as I had at least tried, he would never be disappointed. So if I see a sweepstakes and I don't enter... omg Dad would never recover from finding out I didn't even take the TIME to enter my NAME to win that emergency flat tire repair kit for 4 wheelers.

Anyway, beyond the monumental difference this 25th birthday is going to make in my world of sweepstakes-entering, and the fact that I can legitimately now call my neuroses a "quarter-life crisis," it's gotten me thinking about all the weird stuff that's happened this year and some other stuff I learned from it.

1. First, older people don't like it when you act like the two of you deserve an equal amount of respect. (I don't mean elderly, I mean older people who are still working. Late 40's to 50's.) This is disappointing and not really that logical, but I learned that it's not only true, but that recognizing it and moving on from it is really your only helpful reaction.

2. Secondly, it's worth it to take time to consider how people will respond to you. Some people will respond in weird or illogical ways to completely appropriate behavior. But that doesn't mean you can't take a moment to try to avoid that if possible. That's part of being kind. People are weird and you are too. Get on board.

3. Thirdly, don't put all the food in the blender at once. Put the almond milk in and some of the frozen fruit and liquify that first, and then add the banana and the spinach. You may be thinking this is a great metaphor for something that means a lot to you. So yes, it is.

4. You can't get in God's way. So don't try to, and don't get sad when you think you have.

5. If you leave the pantry door open, your dog WILL get into the trash. Yep, metaphor. So deep, right? I better see this on postsecret tomorrow. (Is post secret still a thing?)

6. Post Secret may not still be a thing.

7. I don't think I could run a marathon. The sad thing is, I am writing this to try to challenge 25-year-old me to do it. But I don't think I should. I have way too addictive a personality. If I trained for a marathon, after it was over I'd have to run at least 26.2 miles every day because I then knew I could. It is such work being me. You don't even know.

8. Being 24 was weird, and things changed a lot more than I wished that they would. 25 might be similar so I should probably put on my big girl shoes and get ok with it. I think I am.