the Tommy|Zor era

I am not a person who makes a big deal out of his birthday. Sure, I love being the center of attention and that part of me obtains some sort of gratification, but it really is just another day. This year, however, I want to take the time to look back and reflect on my existence. I realize I spend much of my time on this site ranting and venting about whatever is busting my balls at that time, but in reality, I am generally a happy person. I enjoy life! In fact, I want others to enjoy life as well. Looking back (and forward), there are a few honorable mentions I want to acknowledge for providing me with such an optimistic outlook.

Road Trips

Those two words were the reason I got excited about getting my license. The thought of getting in a car with a bunch of your friends and heading out on the road. The destination kept changing, but it didn’t matter where you ended up. Really, it was all about your first taste of freedom. Getting your license and going on your first road trip was the first time you actually got to explore the world on your own. It was your initiation into adulthood. The cars my friends and I used belonged to our parents, so for obvious reasons, our road trips had to be within a reasonable distance… aka… close enough to return the car back to them so they can go to work in the morning.
The excitement of it was unmatched. “What do you guys want to do tonight?”
“I dunno. I hear they have this awesome coffee place in Niagara Falls.”
“We should go – it’s only 9pm!”
“Yeah, we so should! It normally takes 2 hours to get there, but I’m betting we can break a few speed records.”
It was stupid, it was irresponsible and it was fun. Even the non-impulsive road trips became the excitement of the week. With Toronto being a short distance from my hometown, a road trip there to see a concert was a HUGE deal. We took multiple vehicles, selected the passengers based on who you wanted to die with just in case somebody else lost control on the highway and argued the entire way there which track was the best on the artist’s latest album.
The road trip for me today would be the equivalent of a vacation idea coming into fruition. While it doesn’t hold the same excitement level I once had for my impromptu follies, I still feel strongly that it is such an essential part of growing up that is needed for the bigger adventures of today. My hope is that my kid will be able to… or rather… want to take part in this rite. When that question gets asked, “Can I borrow the car tonight?” I’ll be sure to hand over the keys and a death threat of what will happen if I see one scratch.

Friends

While I’ve had the privilege of knowing many people who have had an influence in my life, none of them will compare to the influence my friends have had on my life. It is often said that who you are is determined by your circle of friends and not by your family or upbringing. I would go as far to say that is 90% true. Over the years, I’ve made many friends and have lost touch with most of them. In the end, I am proud to say I have a tight circle of friends right now that I couldn’t be any more proud to know and hang out with.
The exceptional part is we all have a real fucked up sense of reality. Individually, we’re pretty messed up people who manage to achieve a high level of success with whatever we do. Together, we’re downright awesome. I’ve grown up with these people and it’s pretty amazing how much we have grown up over the years, yet at the same time, still haven’t outgrown ourselves. While I have moved away from my hometown years ago to start my life here and now, the part of me that still hasn’t moved on (and probably never will) is the attachment I have to my friends. My one solace is Skype. I love them, but I ‘aint spending a gillion dollars on long distance to talk with them.

Magic

Ever hear of a kid who struggled to find a hobby? That was me. I tried hobbies just to see if any of them caught my interest. I read, a lot. That was about it (I still read a lot – of books – today in case you’re wondering). One day my foray into the public library lead me to the magic section. I had seen a bunch of David Copperfield specials on TV and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I have also seen him live recently and still think it is the coolest thing ever. Anyway, this was my time to take part in the ‘magical arts.’ Within 3 tricks, I was hooked. I became obsessed and wanted to learn everything there was to know about magic. I wanted to move beyond the stuff that everyone had access to and work with the stuff that the pros used. The irony is the books that everyone has access to is actually the stuff the pros use. The biggest joke in the magic world is that if you want to keep anything a secret, publish it in a book.
My hobby eventually turned into a side career. It became more than tricks to entertain people (which I can do VERY well), but an art form to bring people into a new reality. I used it as a crutch in social situations, but now have realized it has become an integral part of who I am.

David Allen

This is more of me wanting to acknowledge him indirectly. A few years ago, I made a commitment to get my life in order finally get organized (the good intentions we all have for our lives). I hated scrambling to get things done, not having time to do the things I wanted to do and generally wasting my time thinking about things I could be doing. Along comes the productivity train…
David Allen is the author of a book entitled “Getting Things Done.” A book about how to organize your thoughts and get to doing the productive things you always wanted to do with your life. Inadvertently, the man started a productivity cult. Everybody began taking his work and tweaking his system, or developing productivity systems of their own. Long forum discussions on what type of pen and paper was best used to make to-do lists on, or arguments about electronic organizers vs. paper ones came into full swing. People are now spending more energy into finding ways to be more productive that it has actually become quite entertaining. Needless to say, after stumbling onto one of the productivity websites, I jumped on the crazy train. As a result, I finally have my shit together and feel more at peace with my life even though my life is nowhere being settled yet. Specifically, I would like to acknowledge the following sites: Lifehacker, Lifehack, Unclutterer, Put Things Off and Primer Magazine (not a productivity site in the GTD sense, but useful for everything else).

McDonald’s

A Big Mac at 2am is the greatest thing in existence. Really, it is.

There’s a lot to be thankful for and I am excited for the next exciting chapter of my life. Cheers to my birthday and to life! This drink tonight is for you.