40

It's finally happened.  The calendar turned enough leaves that it's now 40 years since I was born.  It's a number I've been waiting to reach and trying to avoid for a number of years.  I can remember starting out as a teacher 15 years ago, tired of always looking 5-10 years younger than my actual age, hoping for my hair to turn silver so that I wouldn't be confused for a student.  I can also remember sighing about things that I wanted to have accomplished by this age that I later realized would have to wait a bit longer, if they would even occur at all now.

However, there is so much to happen about which I have no foresight.  Ten years ago, I didn't see myself still living in my native Tennessee after moving back from southern Florida for a respite from job burnout.  I also didn't see myself having two short story translations published, one of which in a World Fantasy Award-winning anthology.  Squirrels were just another animal back then, before an in-joke between me and someone dear to me made them much more special.  Back in July 2004, I was contemplating whether or not I wanted to try this relatively new thing called a blog; in 2014 I've been on Facebook for 6 years and Twitter for 4.

My hair is slowly turning silver, but thankfully it is as thick as it was when I was 30.  Perhaps by the time I'm 50, I'll have found a place and career that is more rewarding to me.  Maybe I'll translate a book and see if I can get it published.  Maybe I'll establish a squirrel sanctuary.  So many maybes.  Perhaps the one constant will be that I will likely, as long as I have eyes to see and hands to move the pages, reading a story in some form or fashion.  Hopefully, there will be people along for the ride.