Other Complications: Turning 30

This entry falls under the category of "other complications" in the Ponderous House collection of diatribes.

I'm turning 30 in five days. It didn't really hit me until I flipped my pug dog wall calendar to June. It's my January 1. My new year--requiring resolutions, fireworks, and reflection.

As I was explaining to a friend who recently crossed this threshold: "When you're 30, everyone expects you to have your shit together. No one says that about 29-year-olds."

To evaluate my current status, I will be using Scott Adams' (creator of Dilbert) happiness formula:

Health + Money + Social Life + Meaning = :)

Health: I am pretty healthy. My ankles creak a little. My weight matches my height and body structure. My temperature readings show that I'm ovulating. I eat rather well, but could improve my intake of vegetables. I exercise three times a week. I have not been sick since early spring. Overall rating (out of 10 possible): 8

Money: I am currently unemployed, which may explain how I'm able to keep this blog rolling so consistently. However, just before leaving my job and moving, I received a grant for my writing, most of which is still in the bank. My husband has a full-time job with benefits, so the situation isn't dire. We have more on the credit card than I'd like, and it'll be several years before we can afford to buy a house. Overall rating: 6.5

Social Life: I just moved to a new area, so I don't know many people. The few I've met have been very nice. My social life consists of seeing family once a month, my husband daily, and my cats sporadically through the day and night. I don't need a lot of people to make me happy, and the few I need, I've been trying to keep in touch with (though I could improve in this area). Overall rating: 7

Meaning: Tough one. Am I doing anything that's worthwhile and that's contributing to the greater good? Well, right now I'm blogging, so...no. Writing consistently helps me translate my world into meaning. Sharing writing (both mine and the writing of others) makes me feel like I'm contributing. I'm searching for jobs that will also promote this area. Overall rating: 7

Ok. I'm whipping out the calculator. My average happiness score is 7.125. That's about a C minus. As an over-achiever, I'm simply not OK with that.

Perhaps I need to do a little extra credit. My husband and I play this game called the "three good things." Each night before we go to bed (if we can remember it), we tell each other the three best things that happened that day. I can be a Sullen Sally, so this prevents me from moaning, "Nothing. Nothing good ever happens to me!" I must find something, even if it is a cookie or a cat cuddle or a good sneeze. Sometimes that's all it takes.

The goal is to teach the brain how to search for the positives and to pull out of a downward spiral. If it's getting late and I only have two things on my list, I know that I need to create something good so that I have something to report. Some days are harder than others. Some days my husband covers my mouth and says, "That's enough, Pollyanna."

Right now: three good things.

Breeze through the window.
A good song on my I-pod.
I'm almost done.

Done.