A new decade begins (omg I'm 40, someone send help!)

Today I turn 40 years old. It's a fun age because I know for a fact some people reading that line will feel sorry for me that I'm so advanced in age, while in others it will spark jealousy as they remember how good it was to be this age. I've never been one to get too caught up in age defining me, and if I'm being completely honest, today feels more like a Wednesday than some monumental day in my life.

I also don't have any deep lessons to teach the younger generation as I turn this age, nor do I have a list of 40 things I learned in 40 years. I'll keep it short and sweet and just share this one quote from Alexander Pope that I really like.

A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

There is delight to be had in being able to say, "I'm right and I've always been right." And while it may not be as straightforwardly delightful, it is maybe even more valuable to be able to say, "I used to think this, I got more information, and now I think something else." I think it's a personal flaw if you are a static object who never adjusts to new information or the times changing around you.

I think there should always be room for forgiveness on matters that are challenging, and I don't think we should put down people who have just come around to what we think is the right way of thinking. I'm certainly not perfect at this, and I can see even recently I had snarked about people who don't want touch screens on Macs suddenly wanting it, but I'm going to try to dial that back.

Cheers!