With Age Comes Wisdom....

Or something of the kind.

I have now been 40 a week and a half.  Statistically speaking, as a better-off American woman, I have lived half my life.  Not  bad--especially considering how many people I have known who didn't even make it this far. I think it also means I've learned about half of what I'm going to learn in my lifetime--which also isn't bad.  It gives me lots more to learn and experience, and it means there is hope for mastering that damn crockpot yet!

Some of the key things I've learned in the first half:

*  Too many adults lose the fun and playfulness in life

*   Consciously or not, I tend to spend more time with people who are open to trying new things, who have few dislikes, and are generally positive than with the people who have long lists of things they won't do or won't try.

*  Never wear shoes that hurt your feet, no matter how cute they are or what a great deal they were

*  If someone talks about how others have "abandoned" them or how they have "trust" issues with new people, it usually means they have driven everyone else in their life away.

*  Beware of women who don't have many friends or who always have new friends.  It generally means they don't know how to BE a friend.

*  I will never EVER wish I had spent more time watching television

*  Having children in order to hold onto someone, to save a marriage, or to make someone love you never, ever,  EVER really works. 

*  Marry someone you genuinely like to talk with.

*  No one--not a sibling or a parent or a child--deserves to be in your life if they treat you badly.

*  I have a lot of friends, even though I don't always have much in common with some of them.  The key seems to be whether or not we really like each other for the people we are, not the jobs we have or the sports we play.

*  People rarely change, no matter how many chances you give them.  Either accept them as they are or cut your losses and move on.

*  Building a snowman is fun at ANY age.

*  Swapping book recommendations with friends is great.  I wish we'd started sooner.

*  If you want people to want to be around you, BE a person others want to be around.

*  Some people seem to go from drama to drama to drama in life.  I just don't have the energy for that.

*  Some of the most fun things I've done are the ones I was almost too shy to do.  

*  Chewing with your mouth closed and not talking with your mouth full are not only good manners, but if you can't even stop talking long enough to chew your food, you're probably doing too much talking and not enough listening.....not to mention spraying everyone with half-chewed food.

*  Spend as little time as you can around people who talk AT you and as much time as possible around those who talk WITH you

* Humor makes most things easier.

*  Sure, one can always have a bigger house, a nicer car, more money.  I really believe the key to happiness is being content to say, "I have enough." 

*  Be a collector of amazing people.