A Step to the Side and a Half-Beat Off

In other month I'll be 31. I have officially been "in my 30s" for about a year now. Beyond Maiden and firmly into Mother (metaphorically, anyway). Has age brought wisdom? Well, let's see what I've learned:

• If I haven't grown up by now I'm never going to (and this is not a bad thing)


• Other people are more bothered by my marital status than I am
  
  • Dad: "There are singles' activities at [my church]. Lots of young men..."
  
  
  • Gen. Practitioner: "Well, you're still young you have plenty of time, you'll find someone..."
  
  
  • Me: Um, yeah, no. My life is not lacking just because I haven't gotten hitched and had the standard 2.3 kids. Sorry.
  
  


• Straight paths may be stable, but they're not for everyone


• Most things in life do not come with a "best if used by" date


• I've always been out of step, and I probably always will be. It'd be enough to hear the same music


• Life is much nicer when I don't hide behind what I think other people want me to be


• On that same note, I shouldn't measure my life by someone else's ruler


• Because the standard rules often do not apply


• I will never "get there" because there is no there to get to. The point is the getting


• It's okay not to choose


• It's always going to be a struggle, because there is no magic formula

I'm sure that's not everything. And I'm sure there's a lot I simply haven't clued in to. But it's not bad, considering that nothing turned out the way I or anyone else thought it would. I'm supposed to be settled with a career and family now, right? Not just finishing up my education while living with my mom and working at a less-than-halftime job. But really, I'm pretty much fine with the way things have gone. I haven't been doing this to please anyone else, so I guess that's what matters, right?