Reality BITES!

In other words, it’s my birthday again and I have just aged another year. I guess my cake would be awfully crowded if someone were patient enough to put the number of candles to represent my age.

I’ve always loved my birthdays…it’s the one day of the year that I feel special. This year however, I didn’t feel that way – maybe its just because I’m feeling sick today. Or maybe I’m just getting old and cynical.

The day isn’t over yet though…so maybe there’s still something to look forward to.

At different points in our lives, we will be asked a question that goes something like "Where do you see yourself five (ten or twenty…) years from now?" (This is one of the favorite questions of most interviewers)

As far as I can remember, I’ve been asked this question at least 10 times. The one time that I distinctly remember answering this was during a retreat I attended in fourth year high school. I was 16 then, and I believe my answer was that I didn’t know where I’d be, but that I just wanted to be happy.

I’ve always envied people who know exactly what or where they want to be in a certain number of years. I could never conjure up anything – I mean, how could I even think of where I’d want to be in a few years, when I hardly know where I am right now?

Now that I am turning 26 though, I can’t help but think of how things have turned out for me. I certainly never imagined I’d be in my line of work. But I guess, what’s important is that I am happy. Despite everything that is wrong with my life and how lost I sometimes feel, I get a certain sense of contentment in being able to say with full conviction that I like who I have become.

I’m sure that I’ll never be able to give a satisfactory answer to any question starting with "Where do you see yourself…" But to me, that isn’t really important. What’s more meaningful to me is knowing exactly who I am right now and how I can be a better person in the years to come. Besides, I have faith in knowing that I’ll be wherever He needs me to be.