Turning 30 and the Weekend of Death

There's nothing like a milestone birthday to make a girl think of dying, especially when the celebration is nested between visiting my 98 year old grandfather in the hospital to chat casually about his funeral plans, and the family dog of nearly 19 years dying in your hands. Super. Fun.

Hello 30s!

I'll say one thing for that dog: he was a terrier to the last. I'm certain he bit the hand of Death at least five times before the old devil succeeded in taking him. I could have sworn I felt Death whip his hand back from the fierce doggy jowls. But, in the end, the stubborn beast met his maker, and I felt the last beat of his heart thud into silence.

My grandfather is rather terrier-like himself, and is not going gently into that good night either. He's still bright and alert, telling stories to the nurses, and shows more patience with them than I think I'll ever have. Watching him stoically submit to the indignities of aging gives me even greater respect for his fortitude, but it also makes me wonder: Is it worth it? Is it worth while to live to 140 in dog years, or 98 in people years, if so much of those later hours are spent in the prison of a barely-functional body?

I suppose as long as the good outweighs the bad, and you keep your sense of humor, it might be.

As I slid into my own fierce old age (I say this ironically - I've no wrinkles to speak of and my hair's still dark), I made a list of the accomplishments of my 20s. They read as follows:

List of Accomplishments in my Twenties
1. Graduated college with honors
2. Paid off student loans
3. Figured out office work is a no-go
4. Developed wine expertise
5. Built a business from nothing
6. Traveled around the world to England, Japan, Canada, India, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa, Italy, Germany, and Austria
7. Got married (and had the Best Wedding Ever)
8. Bought a house
9. Interviewed celebrities, which was pretty cool
10. Went to a real, Cinderella-worthy ball
11. Learned to wrangle camels
12. Learned oil painting
13. Made amazing friends
14. Let go of bad friends
15. Was ordained, and officiated a same-sex wedding
16. Was a bridesmaid
17. Bought a new car
18. Developed closer relationship with my sisters
19. Had a story published in a book
20. Got my own office

But, the accomplishments I'm most proud of are the people I've known over the last ten years. Making and keeping great friends is hard, and I am so proud to know the people I do.

Next, I made a list of Goals for my Thirties. They read as follows:

Goals for My Thirties
1. Get fit
2. Have adventures:
   - Travel to Asia
   - Work with exotic/unusual animals
   - Take a road trip through the American South
   - Organize girlfriend getaways of the creative variety
   - Walk the Thames Path (maybe not all 160 miles...)
   - Travel to Scotland (miss the place)
3. Increase income every year, until I quit working altogether
4. Quit working
5. Seriously consider kids
6. Lots of house projects:
   - Landscaping
   - Tree Lounge
   - Bathroom renovation
   - Kitchen renovation
7. Make local friends
8. Have more parties at the house
9. Befriend Gail Carriger (one of my favorite authors, and it seems like we have a lot in common)
10. Get really good pictures taken of me, after I get fit of course

So far, my goal to work less and earn more is going well. I'm letting go my lowest-paying clients (as much as I enjoy working with them, it's shooting myself in the foot to continue), getting raises from my mid-range clients, and demanding a solid $75/hour from everybody else. Note to creatives: You can't do your best work when you're underpaid. If you work for peanuts, you'll wear yourself out and quit altogether. So, pace yourself and work less, for more money.

And with that, I'm off to do my billing for the month and fire a couple clients. I'm starting my 30s with a new outlook on life and work - ie. I need to do more living and less working. After all, time's a wastin'.