While I still have miles to go before 'lordy, lordy looks who's 40' or 'nifty fifty,' birthdays are already met with a touch less merriment and a tad more melancholy. I still dust off my bike for a ritual birthday ride - whether rain or late season snow. Yet, somehow popping wheelies isn't the same without a banana seat and chopper handlebars. Chocolate cake and Mint Chip ice cream are still part of the festivities, although I sense the infiltration of sorbet or frozen yogurt if my only sit-up remains when the alarm clock goes off. I even miss getting a pinch to grow an inch from Uncle Dick.
Presents are another reason why adulthood birthdays sometimes lose their luster.
After all, no one is genuinely excited about getting a gift certificate that reminds them they could use a month worth of workouts at Power House Gym. Of course, being able to blow out all your candles as a kid didn't automatically grant every birthday wish. Yesterday, I officially passed the 30 year mile marker on life's highway. I thought about pulling over and trying to roll back the odometer. After careful consideration, however, I've decided to floor it.