49 thoughts on turning 49

Each year I write out reflections near my birthday.  Here are 49 this year one day before turning 49.  Interesting to note they are a little dark at times....

1. I think if I could go bowling with 3 others right now they would be Malala, Pope Francis and Chuck D
2. I think I’ll break dance and do the running man on a plane the first time I hear a female’s voice as the pilot
3. I think either a new, inclusive and inspirational leader emerges for 2020 who we don’t already know or Trump will win again
4. I think holding space for a thoughtful dialog with opposing views is more valuable and a lot harder than taking a position and defending it
5. I think God needs a new name
6. I think Shaun the Sheep is Ferris Bueller in wool
7. I think I’m going to start a podcast called “15 Minutes You’ll Never Get Back and Never Forget” or maybe just “The 15”
8. I think schools need 4 electives over 4 years that are subjective classes around concepts like empathy and failure
9. I think women should be priests
10. I think young men are in great danger right now because they are woefully ill equipped to interact with young women and very few people are able to teach them how
11. I think young women are in a tenuous position because they need more guidance about how to unleash their power and stay accountable
12. I think men who are uncomfortable with their feelings are children
13. I think while women don’t like men to solve their problems, it helps to give men formulas, they work (and in my experience there are times when women want men to solve problems)
14. I think there’s a small percentage of people who are actually qualified to do life coaching and that small percentage has an almost uniform inability to speak at a level of abstraction that is maximally inclusive
15. I think I’m ready to resolve more unresolved anger
16. I think reality TV has gotten so bad that we don’t even see how much it’s negatively impacting society and relationships
17. I think the next frontier for application development and advanced metrics in sports will be based on emotional elements
18. I think real love in an intimate relationship is really hard work
19. I think I’ve learned more in the last year about how my survival behaviors from childhood and teen years unconsciously and consciously guide my current behavior than the 47 years before
20. I think if you’re a parent you should ignore the warnings about teenagers, the rewards of raising my teenage daughter are beyond measurable, even when it’s challenging
21. I think the next wave for me with my parental friends is our teenagers doing all the stuff we used to and wondering how to guide them and not sound like complete hypocrites
22. I think I’m a darn good Dad and boyfriend
23. I think I have a freaking AWESOME daughter and girlfriend
24. I think I’m officially sick of being called Tool Time
25. I think if adults have mental and/or emotional problems and the means to address them, it’s is completely on them to do it and I’m tiring of people who don’t
26. I think if these same adults don’t do that and create conflict and then ultimately do horrific damage of some kind they should be locked up and analyzed rather than rehabilitated, they had their chance, their contribution to society now should be helping us stop more people like them
27. I think if you don’t have a child there’s an experience of love that’s not available to you, which is a plus and a minus
28. I think while at our core we are considerate and kind there are some that the hurt on top of the kindness is so complex and deep that they are irredeemable or unreachable
29. I think rainbows are cooler than unicorns, but I’d rather ride a unicorn than a rainbow
30. I think if I could act on any show it would be Westworld for drama and Atlanta for a comedy
31. I think I take things personally because I’m more comfortable with that at times
32. I think we are WAY too hard on millennials partially because we’re envious of them
33. I think the current batch of teenagers coming up is loaded with kids who want to do powerful, meaningful things and as a parent I want to play a role in supporting that but don’t always know how
34. I think I think a lot
35. I think Guacamole, sushi and red velvet cupcakes are proof of the existence of some kind of God
36. I think atheists are cool and sometimes I wish I was one because it seems like it might be more simple
37. I think forgiveness is sometimes too powerful for us to give away
38. I think I like that I make people laugh 
39. I think I want to write a one person play and I’d likely be the person in that play
40. I think my darkness doesn’t rule me because I know my darkness exists and I’m familiar with it
41. I think basketball is the best sport, by far 
42. I think my social circle may actually shrink in the next few years and I will thrive
43. I think it’s sad to see Dave Chappelle, Louis CK and Amy Schumer’s last comedy specials stink, thank goodness for Michael Che and Neal Brennan
44. I think I’m worthy of love
45. I think as a sales guy I’m more Ricky Ricardo than Ricky Roma
46. I think San Francisco is too liberal and too conservative to really address our homelessness
47. I think I "should" meditate more, but i think too much
48. I think people with accents are cooler than I am
49. I think I’m going to have an awesome 50th birthday party, wanna come??  I think so....

Comments

[Chris Yeh]

Today, on my flight from Denver to San Jose, the pilot was a woman.

But I didn't break into dance, since I think that gets you on a government watch list somewhere.

On the plus side, since the last episode of Home Improvement aired in 1999, young people don't even know that the voice of Buzz Lightyear ever had a TV show.

What are you going to do for your 50th birthday party?

[Tim Taylor]

OMG that is SOOO awesome dude!!!

My best hope on Home Improvement is somehow Tim Allen goes all in on his conservative viewpoints and his show disappears.

The big question is what are YOU going to do? Sadly, you will have to add one item to the "things Chris Yeh will come to SF for" because I'm going all out with a party in SF and you are invited, even if I have to come get you and your lovely wife myself you two are coming!!

[Chris Yeh]

I will have to amend my long-time opposition to SF. I will now be willing to travel to San Francisco for weddings, funerals, business, and Tim Taylor's 50th birthday party.