births and deaths

So it was my birthday on September 8th. I am constantly reminded how important it is to enjoy our lives. It’s taken me a long time to realize this, but I think it’s the most important lesson in life. You have to enjoy your surroundings and you have to enjoy the choices you’ve made. Because life is only a series of choices we make. Many people feel that they are trapped in their choices, but they must see that our possibilities really are endless.

Today is my friend Stephanie’s birthday, and for 31 years of her life, she celebrated her birthday just like any other birthday. Then in 2001, suddenly September 11 became a day of tragedy. And many people forgot that it was actually the joyous day when she was given life. I guess now when the day rolls around I try not to reflect on the terrible the events of this day in 2001, but how lucky I am, how lucky we all are, to be alive, and to be given the gift of life and its endless possibilities. If we are not taking advantage of the possibilities before us, and accepting our choices, and accepting the power we have to make new choices, we are merely sleepwalking through life.

I have of course been riding my bicycle a lot lately. And I love riding, it’s very exhilarating and fun. I saw two deer the other day that had been killed by cars. We joke and call them roadkill, but they were living creatures, and seeing a beautiful fawn lying lifeless on the side of the road made me very sad, because that spotted fawn had a mother, and probably siblings, who mourned the fawn’s death, and the car must have simply driven away into the night with no remorse for taking away the fawn’s possibilities of roaming and grazing the hillsides of Marin.

Since I wrote about what my friend Brendan did over his birthday weekend, I will recount my birthday events.

September 8:
Phone call with Alexei
Sushi lunch with my mom and Rosy
Received a birthday card from all my new co-workers
Computer crashed so I got to leave work early
Drinks and dinner with Jayson and friends
Dancing with Young, Julie and Sultan
Propositioned via text message

September 9:
Brunch with Jessica, Chantal, Young, Jayson, Estelle, Sultan, Julia and Noemi
Stephanie’s bridal shower
Marin Bicycle Bash and drinking beers from a keg in a red trailer equipped with DJ
Dinner with my mom

September 10:
Bike ride to Mill Valley
Walk to Tennessee Valley with Angie
Brunch with Angie
Bike ride back to San Anselmo
Beers with Rosy in Fairfax
Dinner with my dad and Karen

Even though I didn’t paraglide down Grouse Mountain, I still think I took advantage of celebrating life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHANIE!