Today, I took down my Christmas tree. I always find its not as fun as putting it up. Maybe because its knowing I’m going to have to fight to put the tree back into the red bag that is supposed to accommodate up to a ten foot tree. It must be a skinny tree, because I have to push and sit on the tree to get it too fight, like fitting the glass slipper on one of Cinderella’s step sisters.

I feel like it was just Halloween and now it’s January. I like January because its new beginnings and of course, my birthday. I’m cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius. Every year I look forward to my birthday and this year is no different. I officially turn 50 and am looking forward to it. Why? Its a milestone, one step closer to retirement and the start of a new decade.

Last night, I was talking with a friend and reviewing the last half century and major events that I witnessed. In elementary school, I remember when man first landed on the moon, the end of the Vietnam War and Watergate. In high school, I remember when Reagan was shot, but the events that I think I remember most were 911 and Columbine.

I was backing on out of my driveway listening to the Fox radio station to Lewis and Floorwax when they announced the airplanes crashing into the World Trade Center. Lewis and Floorwax sometimes make inappropriate comments and I thought they were joking, but I listened to their sad voices and I realized they weren’t joking. I worked at Hodgkins Middle School at the time and we went into lock down and parents came and got their children out of school. I used to be able to greet people flying in from the gate. Those days are gone. Security is tighter.

With Columbine, I was working at Westminster High School, sitting in my prinicpal’s office typing a social medical report when the news came over the radio. My best friend’s daughter was at Columbine High School and I called my friend immediately. Her daughter was safe, but Columbine took its toll on my friend and her daughter. Columbine changed school policy as well. Schools now do intruder drills that we never did before.

Recently, Aurora, Jessica Ridgeway and Connecticut were all events that will effect me. Probably, the one that touched me the most was Aurora and Jessica because those events happened in Colorado and Jessica lived within blocks of me.

Although those were sad events, I like to review the good times in my years as well. The technology alone has changed. Do you remember pong? I do. Ha! Ha! I also remember Atari. One of my favorite television shows was the original Star Trek series and how computers these days resembled theirs, but current day computer are more advanced than the original television series.

I look forward to the next should I say 50 years? Mmm, don’t want to go there just yet.