4 going on 5...

I've said dozens of times that life begins at 30. It's fun being 4 years old.

But, the memories of a distorted youth are mine. Some of those memories can only be viewed through broken glass. A young man full of self-loathing, full of fear. He finds the world without joy and does not see a place for him in it. That young man cannot imagine living into his 30's. That young man cannot comprehend my existence. That young man wasn't completely wrong.

You see, the quintessential elements of that individual are gone. People that knew him may feel differently, but a single quality does not define a person. He was, in a word, deconstructed.

But he gave me a gift. With his memoirs complete, his story told, we can learn from his lack of foresight.

In my estimation, humans change... a lot. Our desire for stability is in part due to our inability to achieve it. The universe we live in changes constantly. The planet we abide is an orchestration of movement. We ourselves change ourselves and our environment at break-neck speed. We cannot stop moving. We cannot stop changing. Movement is part of existence in our reality.

So, I have to wonder... How many versions of this individual will there be? How old will he be when he stops moving? Which one will get to spend the most time moving? Does each one have a mid-life crisis? Does each one grow and learn or will some backslide?

Don't ask me... I'm only 4.