32 and a Floating Library

Turns out I'm only a little bit older than I was a week ago.  It's never an entire year you gain, it's really just 24 hours and a collection of shit that happened in the previous 364 days.

Isn't it hard when people ask you what you "want" for an adult birthday?  Aren't there so many answers you want to give ranging from "nothing" to "independently wealthy?"  It's hard to find the things in life that would really improve the quality of your existence and put a smile on your face.

What I conclude is that if you can name those objects – the things that you "want" – you should probably just go buy said things because being surprised has a different effect entirely – a more "birthday" effect.

Noteworthy gifts for 32 this year included books, bags, bottles and bunning shorts (really running shorts but I was trying to stretch the 'b' theme).

Looks like that's exactly what I needed.  Lost a bottle in the lake, continue to wear bunning shorts from high school and often carry my belongings in a Target bag – what a sad sack I was.  Could I have named these items on some sort of list?  Nope.  They just came to me from the sweet people in my life who are desperately trying to improve me – one birthday at a time.

Perhaps one of my most fun birthday adventures this year was the "Floating Library" that appears on Silver Lake in St. Anthony these summer weekends.  It was a HOOT!  Check it out HERE and join me for their year-end poetry reading TOMORROW.

No REALLY – bring your canoe out there and listen as they read the poem I wrote for them on my birthday (because they told me if I did I would be the world record holder for the most poems written by a floating library patron on their exact birthday).

Here's a preview:
Given the writing prompt: "This page was intentionally left blank" - Aggie Toppins

I have made two humans.
They were born blank.
Only guts on the inside
and me on the outside.
Blank doesn't last long.
Humans get messy.
32 years ago today I was fresh and new.
I'm better now than ever.
                                                     -Jen

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