Ten F$@king Years

That's right. Ten years since I graduated high school (a little more, really, but the reunion is coming up, so it's close enough.) Honestly, I don't give a crap about the reunion, and I have other things going on, so I can't go anyway, but still, it got me thinking. Am I where I saw myself being way back in 1997? Have things worked out according to plan?

The answer to these questions is a resounding NO, but I don't necessarily view that as a bad thing. Sure, I haven't finished college yet, and my first marriage didn't work out, and I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life, but I think that in spite of all these things, or maybe because of them, I have become a stronger, wiser, and more well-rounded person. I now have real life experiences that have taught me things I could never have learned in the classroom, and some of the friendships that I have forged will last a lifetime.

The real question that I ask myself when I look back over the last ten years is this: Am I happy?

And I think that yeah, I really am. I have had some really unhappy times that seemed to tear away a little part of my soul, and I will never be content, but as long as I am pursuing my dreams and making progress, I will continue to be happy.
I have no regets. Each moment in my life, both the good and the bad, has served to make me the person I am today.

Things may not have worked out as planned, but what does? Are any of us doing exactly what we planned on 10 years ago? Life is a journey, and like any adventure worth taking, it can land us in some truly unfamiliar territory. But that is what it is truly all about. The best moments in life are usually unplanned, and true happiness turns up where you least expect it.

Safe journey until next time,

Clay