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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

It was my 30th birthday last month!

It's a pretty surreal thing to come to this day after having previously imagined (when I was much younger) about how it would be. In my teens, I imagined 30 to be old. I thought I would have settled down by now. I had previously set a ‘target’ to be married at 26. I thought I would have travelled to more places by now, possibly more solo trips ticked off the list. I thought I would be much richer by 30 financially. I also thought I would be motivated in my twenties, to buff myself up or to swim more often, so I would have that perfect body to show.

It turned out to be a really normal day. I didn’t even apply for a leave from work. I reported to work normally, and knocked off on time too. Turning 30 was surprisingly easy and ‘normal’.

I had long gone past the age when I would hope to wake up to birthday greetings, or Facebook posts of “Happy Birthday!”. On the contrary, many years ago, I had already removed my birth-date from my Facebook profile page. People who matters would remember the date anyway. Today, it takes just one person in a WhatsApp Chat group to remember it, and then post a simple birthday greeting, before a flurry of similar greetings follow in the next 10 minutes in that chat group. I’m no longer thrilled by it, nor affected by the lack of it.

To many, 30 is a milestone year. I think so too. I’m at the crossroads when I decide my own career path; how my life is going to chart from now on; at the age when I settle down and start a family; and yet continue to grow more maturely; have my own set of principles, ideas and outlook of life; and at the same time, age.

I can feel change physically. I need slightly more time to recover from consecutive late nights. I’m more reluctant to stay awake overnight now. I spot additional lines on my forehead. My skin feels drier. I have thinner hair and spots where there’s less hair. But I still feel energetic; I still run at a good pace and I still feel healthy. But of course, put me alongside my 20-year-old self, and more differences will arise.

At 30, I have new priorities and motivations in life. I’ll look up to others who could still exuberate airs of charisma, grow on maturity, and score high on style. It’s gonna be me versus my younger self -- I am now a better man than when I was 20, and I have more achievements and stories to tell now. I enjoy life now and I cherish present moments, even as I look back at great times in the past.

Turning 30 really isn’t scary or dreadful, it’s merely a good time for me to look back, and then look far ahead. To my friends who are in this with me, a very Happy 30 to you too!

人生是黑白的.
2:30 PM <3

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