Note: While debating the title for this blog post, I thought that one up and used it for one simple reason, Ali Campbell (lead singer for UB40) might have recently had a stroke, but he seems to have recovered quite well so that was double reason for the title: to describe where I’m at and to send him cheers for a recovery. Also, odds are pretty big I’ll celebrate with red-red wine :) Now for the proper birthday blog post.
Birthdays are a curious thing as you get older and this year will be no exception. Being in lockdown means getting creative about all sorts of things and celebrating a birthday will just be one more thing that’s a little more peculiar this year. Not bad, just different. As for my age, for many, turning 40 is a huge milestone and to me it kind of is at the same time that it kind of isn’t.
Time itself is a peculiar thing because it’s the one thing in life you can’t get back, something that’s been said repeatedly and shall continue to be said because it’s true and something people need reminding of. How we invest our time is up to us although it’s curious that time isn’t a constant thing. In our subjective travels through mortality, sometimes things speed up and sometimes they speed down. This could be in a specific moment or a period of time.
I remember the best barrel I’ve ever gotten at my home spot of Tocones. Time slowed down and I was so hyper focused with the line I drew that time slowed down for me and I can remember the three people that saw me from the channel and the two sections I beat to make a clean exit. I came out laughing like the Joker and had the giggles and adrenaline coursing through me for quite a while. It was about 4-5 feet, perfect, and that was probably the wave of the day, if not for everyone, then certainly for me. The rest of the session is a blur, but that moment is captured in HD in my soul’s hard drive. This happens with many things. Sometimes you’re so hungry you scarf something down, but when you have one of those umami moments, everything slows down as you savor a symphony within a single bite.
Too often we’re living in fast forward or even worse, auto-pilot. Sometimes so many rough things happen or things are so difficult that we seriously ponder on how much we’d skip a scene. It’s an understandable sentiment, but one that ultimately robs us of what creates character and what often helps us appreciate the good times even more. If you want an interesting take on this, watch Adam Sandler’s Click. Makes a pretty good point of it and plus, it has Christopher Walken.
By design, a full life probably benefits from having challenges and failures as much as it does from having victories and wins. But if you look in the positive when you experience the bad, when you turn the challenges into lessons and get something out of them, then you are more in control. I say more, because although we can impact certain things, there’s a whole world out there we can’t control. We can navigate through it, but control honestly begins and stops at you and how you respond to life, the good and the bad, and even that has its limits.
Some people ask me why I celebrate my birthday so much and for so long. Although, I’ve written about this before it’s worth repeating, August hasn’t been the easiest month throughout my life. It’s a month where my grandmother, my father, and a close family friend passed very close to my birthday and for a long time I had a hard time finding reason to celebrate. I wanted to stay quiet in my shell and let the birthday pass. The day consistently brought big challenges and rough spots and I do think that my attitude was key into how poorly I passed the time on my birthday. Then one year, I got tired of being mopey and I decided, consciously and in control, that I would do everything to enjoy my birthday as much as possible. I’ve had an amazing birthday ever since. Yes, even last year when Mom wasn’t with us on the physical plane. Thanks to family and friends and the people I connect to from around the world, I get messages and receive huge waves of love from across the world. I hear from friends I haven’t heard from in ages. I get hugs, kisses, cake, wine, beer, smiles, and joy from so many places and it’s all because I was able to get out of my own way in regards to enjoying and said, let’s have a great time, because why not?
It’s a year where a lot of people are hurting, a lot of people are worried, a lot of people are angry, and sad and all with good right. It’s also a year with a lot of people fighting. There’s a pervasive sense of wanting to cancel everyone who crosses lines and says things that go against your values. It’s also a year that is insane in so many ways, people still keep comparing it to Jumanji and that analogy still makes sense. Think about it, it’s a year where murder hornets were kept on the bench for the most part, because the starting lineup of what-the-hell-is-going-to-happen is so stacked. These are turbulent times and how we navigate them says a bit of who and how we are, although I think it says more of how we respond to stimuli and what our instinct of survival is. Some people have ghosted. Others are fighting every single day. Judging people is not great in the best of times, but in these odd times, it’ll just add fuel to the fire. Mind you, I’m not saying I’m not reacting, finding it challenging, or frustrated with a lot of what I see. After all, I’m Only Human™ :) What I’m saying is also not so much that we shouldn’t hold people accountable. That’s looking at the world through rose tinted glasses. I’m saying, that for me, I’ll do my best to continue helping others, sharing my opinions as considerately as possible, and all while I continue to strive to find smiles and have a positive impact. Some terrible things have happened this year. To respond to them, I believe we need cooperation, we need justice, we need creativity, we need skill, we need science, we need faith, we need respect (for ourselves and others), we need empathy, we need to desist from needing to win at everything, and we need kindness… a LOT of it. I also think we need to find as many smiles as possible and continue to mine for those silver linings.
Forty is a milestone for many reasons already, though for me, it’s like the books I’ve published. 16 books in and I still feel like I’m getting started, because I am. Every single day. And I shall try to find inspiration to continue giving my best and be my best. Will that include flaws and mistakes? Of course. But although flaws may be a part of us, they do not define us. Our actions do and for me, I shall work very hard to continue finding, sharing, and hopefully inspiring as many smiles as possible. Because that’s what makes me happy.
So here’s to the start of another year and another decade. Much love, stay safe, please be considerate to others, #CheersMamaEstrada, and as always…
Peace, love, and maki rolls
JD40
Ps: With that sign off, please think of the band and not that I need oil lubricant for my joints, K? ;)
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