Somebody Had to do It

I'm turning 40 this week.
No, I'm not contemplating a mid-life crisis. My father has been in one for 25 years now, and I think that's more than enough for my family.

I don't feel 40. Friends say I look a lot younger. They say 40 is one of those big deal birthdays, like 16, 21, 30 ... to be honest, though, I'm not feeling it.

But I do find myself thinking back on the past, wondering where people are today, how everything ranks up. It's not all my fault: sometimes I get emails from people I've not seen or heard from in many, many years. As reporter and columnist at a certain state newspaper, it's almost as if my name, phone number and email are pastered between invites for intimate experiences and rants against GW on just about every restroom wall in the state.

Take an email I got last week from Wilma Cabaniss - Mark and Jana's mom. She told me of a moment in time I simply can't remember, but don't doubt. As she tells it, there must have been a school or church function in Dallas during Mark's senior year (1983, right?). As the story goes, everybody was enjoying a breakfast buffet, except for the two of us (she says we both were hit with some sort of stomach sickness). We talked, and she remembers me talking about either wanting to be an attorney or go into politics. She's curious: am I disappointed I never got to follow either of those paths?

I've still got to answer that email. I just don't know how. I'm such a coward - here I am, talking about it on the 'net, instead of answering her email.

Look, I was kid. A geeky kid at that. Truth is, I always wanted to be a writer and reporter. I had a toy printing press when I was 9-10 years old. I still have one of the "newspapers." I played reporter with a childhood friend at an even younger age - that moment is captured as well with a pretty decent photo. Yeah, I was interested in politics during my last year or two in high school. I even skipped a family trip to Disney World to be a page at the 1984 Republican National Convention. And a couple years later, I was a delegate to the state Republican convention. But that was about it. I don't remember ever wanting to be an attorney. But when you're a kid, interests can go all over the place, right?

As I consider all this, my favorite singer, Billy Joel, is doing an interview on CNBC. He's talking about his hometown - and my original hometown - Hicksville, New York. He's asked to name his favorite songs, and unlike in previous interviews, this time he relents and answers.
"Laura," "She's Right on Time," and "Where's the Orchestra."
Yeah, they're obscure. But the first two are really great songs that never got their due. The third is simply weird, but if Billy likes it, that's just fine with me.
He's promoting his third incarnation of a box set, this time "My Lives."
Good lord, Billy, give up the classical music and crank out some new songs. I know you're up in years, out of hair, and struggling with "the bottle" and all, but damn it man, we need you!
And so we get back to the start of this blog. I love Billy Joel music, but it's not like I've got someone who I can talk to and recall when we first heard "My Life" or "You may be right..." Yes, my sister and wife are both big Billy Joel fans, but it's just not the same thing.

Well, that's enough rambling for me. Now I'm going to let this blog go out on the net, and wait to see if any of you "CLS" prodigals check in. Yeah, I know there are some hurt feelings out there, and not everyone wants to relive 1980/1981/1982/1983/1984/1985 .... by the way, when did the school finally shut down anyway?

Somebody send an electronic shout out via the comment section, will ya?
Did I mention I'm turning 40?
-Steve