Another Notch on the Wall

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         Another year older, but debatable if I have gotten wiser. In the grand scheme of things, the answer is most likely yes, but it doesn't feel that way often. In short, I was, and still am, not prepared.

         Had some steamed buns because they are easy to make. I'm not into celebrating my own birthdays. As time went on, the enthusiasm of getting older also faded. I pretty much stopped caring after the age of 25.

         Growing up, nobody in my family celebrated birthdays that much. The exceptions were my grandparents reaching the age of 80. Those had more to do with longevity than the actual birthdays. Well, at least one of them is still alive today well into his 90s.

         But of course, this doesn't change the fact that I still like some delicious dessert every now and then. A birthday seems to be the perfect excuse for that. My fondest part is actually having a small gathering with family and friends. It's nice to catch up with people face to face, especially since the entire Covid fiasco.


         Going back to not feeling prepared, I can say, with all honesty, that I still don't feel like I know exactly what I'm doing. It's amusing to look back at what the 14-year-old me thought of the 19-year-old Mormon missionary. I thought they had it all together, being in an unfamiliar place and all.

         By the time I was in their shoes, I often sat on the chair in my room chuckling that I had no idea what I was doing. The only good quality I picked up from that experience was to be self-motivated to do things.

         Even today, I find being an adult challenging. There are so many things to become acquainted with in the hectic society. From learning about taxes to purchasing your first home. The easy way out would have been doing what many are doing: making suboptimal decisions. Worse, not care at all and live in a colossal mess.

         As a parent, I have frequent chuckles at myself for being unsure of how to handle the toddlers. Either my parents were great at looking like they knew what they were doing, or I missed some things along the way.

         As I get older, I find myself relating to fictional characters like Squidward and Shrek more and more. Is this the natural progression of things? Or, is this the result of an unrelenting society that demands too much of your time?

         Well, wake me up when I care, and get out of my swamp.



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36 comments
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Bang, I did it again... I just rehived your post!
Week 46 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
!BEER
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Happy Birthday. Outside of that I don't know exactly what else to say, I could go in so many different directions with what you wrote and still be unsure if, in the long run, it helps or hinders. What that says is there will be many unknowns, obstacles, and hardships but it will be the in between(s) that will make it worth overcoming them all.

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Hey happy birthday Leonis!!!!!
Today is my also father's birthday, so you are "pisces"! Interesting!
!discovery 30

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Yes, I'm a Pisces. I'm not sure what that entails astrological terms. but alas.

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Too lazy to find and link back that School of Life video from YT discussing about how our parents didn't get their shit together and just went through the same dramas as we do when they were our age.

The gist was that our world and needs weren't great and are easily satisfied so it made our providerd become models of competence in our eyes when they just do not so ordinary things like feed, cloth and play with us. Behind closed doors they argue and deal with life's demands like we do now.

Never understood this concept until I realized how much I took for granted my folk's sacrifice just to provide for my needs. Now I respect them more for keeping themselves sane and capable. Not ideal models but they did their best to provide and couldn't ask for more.

BTW, cooking those steam buns are probably the most Asian thing I've seen you did so far lol. I immediately called those 'siopao' from our local name for the food.

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Haha with my parents, they tended to have an air of arrogance and “know it all” even when that’s not true.

Well, they are baozi in my tongue, so there’s that.

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The arrogance thing can be excused partly. They need to air authority once in a while just to take control even when it's unfounded. We do that on some situations and it's unconscious at times.

When I have kids of my own. I already foresee me saying "cause I said so, or I know so" when difficult questions come.

Baozi. That's my trivia for the day. I think I vaguely remember hearing the word somewhere but never stuck what it meant. Now I know.

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How about sharing the recipe for steamed buns?

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Those weren’t handmade. So, no point.

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Damn, I thought you were going to show off your secret skills ;)

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You made those buns yourself!! Impressive! They look really good and love how neat the closing is. Perhaps you can do cooking tutorials as well 😊

Happy birthday!

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Hey, congrats on the birthday! I hope it was a great one! I have been reflecting a lot lately as well. It sucks when the stuff that happened a long time ago is harder and harder to remember.

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I thought to make buns you just threw them in the microwave with a wet paper towel over them??

Ya, it's tough drifting through life kinda aimlessly. Then when you are too old you realize what you should have been doing all along and you start to find the answers that you needed 10 years earlier. Better late than never though. My advice, try new things, get out of your comfort zone. Something will stick and there you will find what you've been searching for.

Were you a missionary? Grew up around Mormons, great people. Happy birthday.

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I'm a convert. So, I didn't grew up around them per se. But yes, great people.

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Happy birthday, wish you more years to come

Your post have been curated by @jizzyjoe, as Hive Celebrates With You on Your Birthday. You can join our curation trail here to celebrate with other hivans on their birthday. To know more please check our Introduction post.

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Happy birthday.

Philosofyin' is for old men on mountain tops, take care that you stay in contact with the things that keep you off your mountain tops, or you will end up alone, on a mountain top.

What those are, you gotta decide for you, or let them decide for you.
It's a balancing act.

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Thanks.

Yeah, I think about things sometimes.

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If you were wise at 32, what would be the point of sticking around?

Happy birthday!

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Thanks!

Haha, I'm just saying that I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing.

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