It’s so interesting to me how your memory works; if you try to think back it seems as if only yesterday you were in highschool and somehow years have gone by without anything happening in your life. My dad says it only gets worse when you get older. “You look up and 20 years have flashed by”. I started to think that was the case, but while remembering backwards in time you start to recall little details that made your life interesting, and suddenly the years become weeks of little memories that you can pick out from the haze. You remember bits and pieces of things you did or places you went, or sensations. It’s easy to glaze over your life when you are going through the same routine; it’s the little details that make your life memorable and unique.
On this day 25 years ago I was born into this world. It’s hard to believe I am really 25 years old,.. I still feel like I’m just turning 20. Seeing as it will take a while for me to sort through all the emotions that come with a quarter of your life approaching I will instead list some of my major life accomplishments in no particular order. Hopefully after writing all this out and then reflecting on it I will come to some conclusion about what my life has been like so far.
- I have drawn over twenty thousand comic pages, doodles, sketches, and pen and ink drawings (estimate based on average drawing rate per week). I enjoy painting and have tons of stacks of notebooks, drawing pads, and canvases that have been in a few gallery shows (and I hope to put them in more). Because of all this I have excellent skills in most artistic forms of expression.
- I have a loving family and two awesome brothers that would do anything for me
- I made a submission video and was accepted to complete on the television show Survivor Micronesia and placed 5th out of 20 (an incredible experience)
- I have worked as an ice cream man in Hell Michigan, as a Trader Joe’s sign artist, had my artwork published in a children’s book, worked on numerous graphic design projects, and performed as a scare actor in my local haunted house
- I have had three major romantic relationships in my lifetime (that I would consider worthy of note) and have experienced so many incredible memories with those that I got a chance to know intimately. There is nothing like being in love or being with someone you love.
- I am currently working on a 3000+ page graphic novel that I have found that I really enjoy the act of “creation” whether it was tracing a rubber bat at Halloween when I was about 4 years old, building a clay monster when I was ten, or writing a screenplay when I was in college.
- I have travelled all over the United States and have incredible friends and family that I have visited in Los Angeles, New York, Houston, and I have also been able to travel and vacation to far away places such as Palau, Yap, Belgium, England, and the Virgin Islands (although the last one cost a little more than hoped)
- I am not broke but would not consider myself rich; I’m kind of in the middle and have a good job that supports my needs.
- I got to fly in my grandfather’s Falco airplane with him before he died and got to look over the entire state of Michigan from the air above. I also got to learn a little more about flying from my father.
- I ran track and field from when I was in the fifth grade and still am a very healthy and active person who tries his best to stay in good health
- I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with high honors and on the deans list
- I have around 4.300 facebook friends (but I think that’s because of Survivor).
- I have met and talked to a lot of interesting people who don’t share my point of view, but have taught me something about the nature of the world. I feel very lucky for all the interesting people I have met in my short lifetime.
My conclusion? I think I have done pretty well for the first quarter of my life and I can’t wait to see what happens next.