41 years

It’s hard to believe I have been on this earth for 41 years. Even more interesting is the memories and highlights I have (In no specific order):

• My dog Happy
• Pop-a-wheelie cars
• Sharon, MA (Wendy (ceramic crafts), Tonka toys under the porch)
• Both grandparents’ cottages (In Littleton, MA and Maine)
• Running through the cornfields in Littleton.
• The Sai necklace my aunt handmade for me
• All of my cats throughout the years.
• My grandfather Rickers house (The gyro, black and white TV (and manually tuning it)
• My grandfather Connors attic (WWII items, National Geographic’s, Central Vacuuming)
• Great Grandma Nini
• Family picnics
• The park on Royal Rd
• Camp Jordan (Camp, Conservation Camp, Leader’s School, Reville, Camping, waterskiing, Friends)
• Camp Prentiss (beads, feathers, the trails)
• The old church in Lake Grove on Middle Country Rd
• The woods in the White Walls (Lake Grove, NY)
• My old mail truck my dad put together
• Eval Knieval bike
• Having a squirrel eat out of my hand after creating a trail of nuts
• Running across the field during the homecoming game, and mooning the other team on top of the goal post
• High School scavenger hunts
• 3rd Battalion at the MCRTD
• High steel at Creation and for Bronson Productions (Includes meeting Steve Perry, and Violinist to Jennifer Knapp)
• Hiked the Appalachian Trail
• Living in 9 different cities/towns (Boston, Sharon, New York, Bangor, Philly, Asheville, Los Angeles (ACKKK!!), Denver and Phoenix)
• Spending a total of 2.5 years of my life -in- the woods.
• 3 Fire Departments (Centereach, Brewer (Ladder Truck), Orono (FD and Hazmat)
• 6 years as a Franciscan Friar
• Running a street food kitchen in NYC and Philly
• Building homes in a village of Honduras (Would love to do that again when I can afford it)
• Religions experienced and studied (Protestant (United Methodist, Congregational, Baptist, Lutheran, and Non-Denominational), Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox (Greek, Antiochian), Islam (Sunni/Shia), Paganism (Earth and High), Buddhism, and Taoism.
• Driving across country(Coast to Coast)
• Running the Doxos web server with one of my best friends Raphael.
• Chilling with a wild hawk (2 ft away) for 45 minutes at work in Longmont, CO
• Watching my father remarry to an awesome woman, and being Best Man.
• Watching my sister get married.
• Climbing 3 pitches solo at New Paltz
• Owning a 1970 VW Bus (Camper).  I loved that bus.
• My adopted sisters and watching them grow up and have children of their own
• Being Best Man at my cousins wedding.
• 5 Nephews
• Going to Yankees Stadium (I still have yet to ever make it to Fenway, definitely one of the things I would love to do)
• Finishing High School, on time!!
• Winning 3 World Series in little league, and playing for the traveling team
• Owning a motorcycle (I can’t believe how much I miss riding)

Ackkk!!  This list can go on and on.  My life has been filled with experiences, and when I think about it and have talked with other people, I have done more in my first 40 years than most people have ever imagined doing.  Most people think that 40 is over the hill, but personally to me, it’s on top of the peak, and is such an amazing and sometimes frightening place to be.  From here I can look back, and clearly see my path, my ups and downs.  The places that were easy hiking, and other times when I fought to get my bearing.

So here I stand just over the crest of the hill, feeling a bit stuck (I have been for the past year), wondering do I really need to leave this all behind?  It’s such an amazing view, and I really wish I had someone to share it with.  So where to from here?  To be honest I just don’t know, so many ways to go, and how will they compare to the last 41 years?