You have to listen to me now, I'm old

Hello Everyone,

I turned 40 the other day. I can't say that I had any great wisdom pop into my head as a result, but when I think about where I am, and where I thought I would be at this age, I note some discrepancies.

At 8 years old, the NHL seemed like a reasonable career choice. Ironically, it was as I had success in the sport and played on better and better teams, that the goal got further and further away. I realized at 15 that I wasn't going to make it. What I didn't know then was that I actually would get to travel the world as an athlete. I wasn't quite Olympic level, but close and if you'd have told me that at 15, when my athletic career seemed to have a short window, that it wasn't actually ending soon, I'd have been pretty happy about it. Still am, in fact.

At 9, I thought my siblings were the most annoying people in the world. At 40, I can appreciate how perceptive I was for a 9 year old. (JK, love you guys.)

When I was 10, I definitely thought we'd have jet packs, flying cars, personal gyrocopters, or some method of conveyance superior to the hybrid shoebox I drive. Didn't see bluetooth coming though.

At 11 years old, I played with guns and G.I.Joes. In the years since, I've met people who have experienced war. I don't think the same way about those toys anymore.

At 13, I knew that I liked girls, but didn't have the slightest, foggiest, one-single-iota of a clue as to how to talk to them or what to do about this fact. Now at 40, my partner teaches at a university and looks like a supermodel. Don't ask me how that happened, I still don't have the foggiest clue.

At 14, I thought I would have a cool job and travel around the world doing badass stuff when I grew up. At 27, I realized that I'd likely spend my working life in a cubicle. At 40, it looks like I was right on both counts. I work in a cubicle, but spent my 38th year travelling across north America doing badass stuff.

At 15, I learned that the people you love won't necessarily be in your life for ever. I've tried to remember that every day since.

At 16, I travelled outside Canada and the US for the first time. I met someone who didn't know what snow was and I couldn't for the life of me explain it to her. It was an early lesson in what they call "the water you swim in." I try to remember that one as often as I can as well.

At 17, I thought 40 was old, for both better and worse. I thought you'd be past the fun stuff in life, but also that you'd have yourself figured out, not just how to live but what you wanted to do in life. I was wrong on both counts, but I'm hoping to have this stuff figured out over the next 40 years.

At 18, exactly 22 years ago in fact, I went to a bar in Hull to celebrate. Absolutely, totally the first time I had been in a bar. For sure. Anyway, at 40, I keep waiting for someone to check my ID when I buy booze, but it's not happening for some reason. Could be the grey hair in my beard. Or having a beard at all.

I don't intend to do all 40 years, but here's one more:

When I was 23 I realized I couldn't keep my left knee bent for more than 10 minutes on account of overuse from fencing. I thought I'd have a lot more injuries and be in much worse shape when I hit 40. I'm glad to say that's not the case (knock wood). I'm doing alright physically.

Photos:

The first: my fridge with probably my favourite birthday card of all time. And the second is Arthur licking my forehead while I'm trying to take a selfie.