Sunday afternoons have always had this reflective air about them. The weekend is winding down, you usually don’t have a lot planned. If you’re still in school you’re either frantically finishing up that paper you meant to get to three weeks ago or deciding that you should call home to ask for money, er… call home and chat with the parents. Sunday afternoons, especially sunny ones, always get me thinking. It’s such a great time to reflect.
Maybe it’s some odd need for a lists that driving me to write this, but at 25 year old I started thinking that a quarter century seems like a good time to take stake in where I am, and where I’m going. So, for fear of being too corny, or worse boring, here’s the readers digest version of me:
1980 - A volcano baby I was born in Longview, WA, weighing in at an avearge 7lbs. 7ounces. I don’t remember anything but I’ve been told I had a nicely shaped head.
1981 - One year birthday cake was a bear with coconut for the fur. I’ve seen pictures, but since I’m not much of a coconut fan I suspect it was more for everyone else.
1982 - Commodore 64 released. First computer I remember playing, of course not for a few years later.
1983 - A bit fuzzy but I’ve heard I was a pain, didn’t sleep, and overall was “that kid”. Dubbed little Tommy Stinker by the family.
1984 - The Mr. Rogers and Reading Rainbow year.
1985 - I hit up pre-school. He-man and dinosaurs were hot. Girls had koodies.
1986 - We finally get Nintendo after what felt like an eternity of begging. I become such an Excitebike expert I can beat the game playing it with my feet. Legend of Zelda rocks my world.
1987 - Various tree fort wars, no-handed bike competitions, water fights, cops and robbers, little league, basketball games, soccer games, and of course firework stands. My mom was a saint.
1988 - Tire swings, lots of water activities, and I caught a few fish with the padre.
1989 - We moved. The family headed down to Oregon and we settled into a home in the suburbs. Turns out to not be the horror I’d initially feared since a couple of the neighbor’s kids rode bikes, played sports, and had Nintendos too.
1990 - More sports (basketball, baseball, soccer), new school, finally mellowed out and stopped spending my days in principal’s office. My family is still thankful for Mr. Moody, my third grade teacher.
1991 - Thought New Kids On The Block was the lamest thing ever, yet thought sweat pants were cool.
1992 - Was devasted that our class wasn’t the oldest in Elmentrary school but our 5th grade teacher, Miss Bennett, had an all night school slumber party for us instead.
1993 - Middle school—nuff said.
1994 - See above.
1995 - Dunked in a basketball game for the first time.
1996 - I head off to high school. Met my best friends future wife in line waiting to get my photo taken.
1997 - Lots of basketball.
1998 - Fall in love for the first time. Makes me realize feelings aren’t always something you get to control.
1999 - Graduate from high school. End up with a wicked sunburned “v” from the ceremony on my forehead.
2000 - Freshmen year of college. Learned I could survive on 4 hours sleep and Coke. Basketball seems more like a job than I every thought it would.
2001 - My mom passed away. She never experienced September 11th. Met another wonderful woman.
2002 - Still happy I passed classes and slept occasionally.
2003 - Fell in love, graduated college, and moved to Japan. Figured I’d try to pack life into one year.
2004 - The year of self relflection. Lived in the mountains of Northern Japan and found country living isn’t as lame as I thought. Met people from around the world, traveled, experienced feeling truly like an alien, and taught high school kids English. Brought new meaning to alone time.
2005 - Moved to Palo Alto and re-geeked. Spent a year as roommates with my incredible friend, Sean. Confirmed my suspicion that long distance relationships don’t work.
2006 - Moved to Seattle. Still happening…