Introduction

I have reached 10 years working for the same company. Perhaps not the biggest of milestones, but it got me thinking a few things. And these led on to others.

The first was simply, am I doing the job I want to do? This then led to what did I want to do, and have I achieved that (in some way at least) or is there a long way to go.

But the idea of a milestone was something that also struck me. Early next year, I turn 35. Whilst discussing this with my wife and other friends, it isn't really middle-aged anymore, but I remember that the bible had said the life of a man is 3 score and 10 (70 for those of you who don't know what a score is). Therefore, by this marker, I will be middle aged. Certainly I am over half way to the current statutory retirement age (in the UK) of 65.

Also, as milestones go, my son turns 5 next year, and starts school. A big thing for all of us, and something that also made me think, I'm unlikely ever to go back to full time education, so the next 35 years of my life will have a fair amount of difference to the first.

So, perhaps the time has come to evaluate, post-mortem, think about and put into words the first 35 years of my life so far. Like that, it sounds a little depressing. I hope the journey won't be though. I'm looking forward to remembering stuff I thought I'd forgotten, and perhaps some things that I'd rather wish I had completely forgotten. Hopefully there are more happy memories than sad ones, and perhaps not quite being what I wanted to be is not a bad thing. Certainly, I am happy with my life now, so the one thing I fear at the start is that I'll find something that makes that rest of my life meaningless, but I find that difficult to believe.

Before we continue, I'd just like to make a few things clear:

1) I may start a rant at some point. I hope not! I don't want to dwell on things that were bad, such that it looks like I'm trying to make public horrible people or times. Kids get bullied, you fall out with friends and family, jobs go sour. I hold few grudges (and I certainly aim not to air them). My life has led me to where I am now, and any I have revisited just disappeared, so in time all will. (However, I will not mention names unnecessarily, so you would need to know a lot about me to work any of it out!)

2) I am going by my memories, however inaccurate or dis-jointed they may be. I don't have the time, or inclination really, to delve through other peoples recollections of me. My life is a build up of my handling of my experiences. I may have influenced others, and in turn they me. But I don't need to find out what they thought of me. If that sounds very self-centered, that's fine. It is what this is about. If you want to read it fine, but don't complain.

3) My grammar is not fantastic, I have never claimed it is (although, I don't use txt spk). You are reading the thoughts and rememberings of a human, not a copy edited text. I generally write in the way I speak, so that is what you will see.

4) What has inspired me to write this now is also the NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org) and PragProWriMo. I am going to try to write something each day during November, which should read like a book (although perhaps not a Novel). All material on this blog is my copyright, where this doesn't infringe on the usage of blogger. I am happy to be contacted via a comment, over anything.