#91: milestones

A few days ago, I reached the last birthday that most people seem to look forward to: 25.

Kids look forward to finally being 10 (double digits), 13 (teenager), 16 (sweet 16), 18 (adult), 21 (US drinking age) and 25 (complete freedom or whatever).

The next major milestone is 30. I suppose I should now be formulating in my head my list of juvenile things to accomplish before 30. How depressing is that?

Now I have to start making lists of things Iwant to do before I reach a certain age instead of being like "I can't wait till I'm x years old."

Plus now the milestones become further and further apart. After 30 is 40, 50, 65 (retirement) and 75.

I feel pretty comfy and proud of all I've done over the past quarter century. Things are getting a bit murkier on the path that is my life now however.

I really have no clue what's next and that's what is most scary. Do I just work for 'the man' (although I'm currently pretty happy with that) until retirement (hopefully early) or are there a few more tricks up my sleeve?

#90: Twitter

So I've now decided to add a Twitter feed to my blog in order to randomly share thoughts in 160 characters or less with you guys. So feel free to 'follow' thejayagenda. The word follow just sounds so stalkerish doesn't it?

Is blogging even cool anymore? Two years ago most of my friends blogged. Now almost no one I know blogs with any kind of regularity. Even I am guilty of the same until this recent storm of posts which I have unleashed upon the disinterested public.

What's more interesting is that most of my old blogger friends don't Twitter either. However a whole bunch of new friends who never blogged seem to love tweeting. Maybe it's because Twitter involves less mental effort?

Very interesting indeed. At least to me anyways.

#89: homeward bound

I'm just over 2 weeks away from my annual trek home to the Caribbean. As always just before my trip I start thinking about whether I should use this as an opportunity to come out to my family or more specifically my mom.

I then remember that I'm going home for my sister's wedding and any such announcement would instantly overshadow (and knowing my family probably spoil) her special day/week.

As such, it's probably inapproptiate the same way that it's not recommended to do these things around national holidays such as Christmas. In theory however, times like these are perfect since everyone will be around and you can do it en masse.

Granted, given that this is my sister's wedding, there will be inevitable questions posed about whether I'll be next to tie the knot. My mom will most definitely ask me once again if I have a girlfriend and I will once again need to deflect.

I'll have to do this thing on my own terms (and preferably on my own turf here in the USA). So maybe when my mom comes to visit next year I'll have an announcement for her.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to kicking back, with some sand between my toes, the sun on my face and the beach in the distance. Not to mention some partying.

#88: know your neighbor

Back home it was pretty common for a person to know their neighbors quite well. I believe something similar also happens in suburbia here in the USA.

So why is it that I've not really gotten to know any of my neighbors in the numerous apartments that I've lived in in Pittsburgh or NYC. One would think that apartment complexes would lead to constant interaction with your neighbors. More so than with people living in houses separated by fences, yards and gardens.

I don't even know how I would begin to interact with and make friends with the other people in my building. More specifically the 3 guys on the ground floor with the awesome back deck who I spotted on Tuesday night from my window chilling outside drinking mimosas. They seem like my kind of people.

#87: the commuter dance

Commuting is an art in New York. Any trek through Penn Station or Grand Central at rush hour shows just how New Yorkers have perfected their craft. Their ability to move extremely quickly while navigating a maze of people attacking from all directions without crashing into anyone is impressive.

I'd even go as far as to say that the slow moving people (clearly tourists) are not only the bane of New Yorkers but also the cause of the occasional faults in this twice daily dance.

Every day, for a second I am amazed by the speed at which everyone moves. That is, until I jump right in and join the race to my destination just like all of the other cogs in the wheel.

#86: corporate GBLT networking event

I finally did it. I RSVPed for my first gay social event at work. This opportunity has presented itself numerous times before only for me to either already have plans or chicken out because I didn't have anyone else to go with.

I'm still a bit freaked out about it but I do think it's time that I started to network a bit more within my company, plus the event actually sounds like a lot of fun.

Going to an event is of course different than coming out to a select group of people at work (which I've yet to do apart from the colleagues I worked with on my London assignment and one person here in NYC). It puts me completely out there to many people I've never even interacted with before.

Granted numerous things could happen at this event -

• I could run into someone I know
• I could run into someone who knows someone I know and so forth....
  

But I figure these networks exist for a reason and I should take advantage of it. I'm excited (and still freaked). But hey, maybe I'll meet some cool people.

#85: the jamba experience

Coffee is more than just caffeine. It's a social experience. Meeting people for coffee can be akin to going outside for a smoke break (I don't smoke btw). It provides the ability to catch up with someone quickly while not devoting a whole lunch or dinner. I personally love my coffee but I've now discovered another love: JAMBA JUICE.

I was having a discussion with one of my friends about this. He stated that Jamba Juice isn't really a social thing and that it's more of an on the go "post gym" thing. Comparing your typical JJ location to a Starbucks he is probably right. There are no seats or tables in a jamba juice. It's like they want and expect you to leave.

I do think it'd be interesting if seats were placed in a JJ. Would gay men flock there and consume their fruit smoothie (with added protein of course) while they gabbed with their friends about the latest happennings in their life?

Who knows?

But I can tell you that my friend and I were discussing this while drinking Jamba Juice.