November 30, 2011

30 in Santiago

A different vacation from the one I had in my mind, but still profound in representing a turning point in my life. I had thought I was going to be in Santiago, Chile partying up a storm at the crack of dawn on my 30th birthday. And though I was at a party at the W Santiago Whiskey Blue (W Santiago Review), it wasn't as I had pictured. But that was a good reflecting moment for me as I realized that though it wasn't as I had pictured, it wasn't a memory I would want to forget. Whatever your belief may be, I have yet to meet someone who can see the future correctly, which is probably a very good thing because maybe I would have seen the future picture when I was 29 and said to myself: "this is not what I want for my 30th". Who am I to know what a 30 year-old person needs in their life, I was only 29! Now being 30, I can appreciate the birthday that was and the picture I have now in my life is much better than the one I had pictured for myself. So in “whoever’s” wisdom it was to not have us see the future, it has been equally divine that we can hold onto our memories (Alzheimer’s and poverty should be a CRIME…but that is for another discussion) for we live moment to moment, picture to picture.

Below you will see a slideshow of photos from my birthday trip to Santiago. I took a number of photos of different things but something I hope to change about myself going forward is to step out from behind the lens.




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While in Santiago I went to a football match between Audax Italiano vs. Universidad de Chile. The game was held out at the Estadio Bicentenario Municipal de La Florida. The seats my wife got for us was so nice, leather and padded, which made watching the game that much more comfortable. It’s always interesting when going to events in other countries because as we left the game there were these TV cameras at the entrance taping some guy who appeared to be famous, since everyone around us was trying to get his autograph as well as photos taken with, but we were just trying to leave. Christy ended up being on the TV because it was impossible to get around him without stepping in front of the camera. Nice!

It has come that time again for me to get on my soap box but this is more for me than it really is for anyone else (I understand the confliction as this is a public blog that anyone can read but just go with it). My beautiful wife (inside and out) who I have known since I was 14 years old (married for 21 months) took me to Santiago Chile for my 30th birthday. Now, who when they were 14 years old thought of what they were going to be doing for their 30th…not me! But, I have to say just as everyone before us has said, GOOD! The one thing I must have heard over and over when I was younger was “don’t rush to get old, don’t worry it will come in time, stay young”. Just as in the movie “Wedding Crashers”, the scene where John (Owen Wilson) talks about how life got away from him but he feels as though he is young and can still do crazy things. This is where Claire (Rachel McAdams) turns to him and says “Well... you're not that young”. That is where I think 30 sits. Some may consider it to be a “sweet” spot, but as I have only just turned 30, I am not wise enough to say at this point. But as many, who have before me, have come to share their wisdom I have heard similar tales of one’s 30’s being a great time...getting better. When I was 14 I had only met this girl from queens who I became friends with. Now at 30 she is my best friend who I want to share the world, my world, which is really the only world we really know, with. BETTER! I do not know what the future may bring but having a partner adds character and color to the soul.

You can have your own beliefs on whether we are “alone” in our existence, seeing as we come into this world alone but I think it’s the life we choose to lead, interactions we care to be a part of, memories we love to share in, that helps us leave this world together, just at different times. Who knows what will happen today or tomorrow, but the marker in time we call our birthday is a memory/moment/picture we as individuals can use to better understand who we are from yesterday…understand ourselves by connecting with others, growing our perspective to change the world, our world, my world, together.

Dent the Universe - Steve Jobs