25 years – Birthdays are greatness. I feel bad for people that don’t like birthdays or for people who grew up not celebrating them. It is your special day. The whole family focuses all of their attention on you and your have the whole day to yourself! For most people at least. I had that for the day I was born and then my 1st birthday. On my 2nd birthday my sister Katie was born and we’ve been splitting birthday honors ever since. We like to joke about it and act like we are actually annoyed that we both entered the world on the same date, just two years apart, but we really don’t mind and it makes a great story for our get-to-know-you awkward first conversation arsenal. Katie called me last night from Northern Ireland at midnight her time, 6pm my time, to celebrate the fact that for the next six hours February 10th was hers alone.
Today I am 25. A quarter of a century lived. I officially in my mid 20s now. (Your late 20s don’t start until you are 29 incase anyone is wondering.) I was born in Nebraska and moved to Texas when I was three. I went to Plano schools through 5th grade and then I had the unique privilege of being home schooled through high school graduation. (I am the most socially adjusted home school kid in the world apparently) I went to Texas A&M for 4.5 years (they red shirted me freshman year) I have been out of college for over two years. I have had a personal assistant for a year and half. I have clients in 11 states. I have flown enough in the past two years to redeem two frequent flyer reward flights on American Airlines and one on Southwest. I have been to 3 out of 7 continents. I have been in love with my girlfriend for over three years. We are the best couple out there. (I’m biased) I have changed my address seven times in my life. I have received two speeding tickets and nine warnings. (I’m almost as good at getting out of them as a weepy blonde.) I have only had one cell phone number and have managed to own tornvertical@everydomian there is, so email is easy. I have been a Christian since I was a kid and have had incredible experiences along the way learning more about who I am as a result of my identity in Christ and what that exactly means. I have seen first hand the change that happens when I am intentional about that relationship and what happens when I am not.
If I think back over the past 25 years and think about the way that the world has changed in that time, how incredible are the next 25 year going to be. 25 years ago in 1982 The Computer was Time’s Man of the Year. Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States. Superbowl XVI was won by MVP Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers and remains one of the most watched television events in history. E.T. phoned home with the top picture of the year and George Lucas began production of The Return of the Jedi. The song of the year was Eye of the Tiger by Survivor and Cheers began the need for everyone to be somewhere where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.
2032 is only 25 years away and I will be celebrating my 50th birthday with my family and friends. I will be 28 years out of college and very old and wise I am sure from the lessons of life. I will have loved more, hurt more, and laughed more than I have in the past 25 years. I will have had incredible successes and probably a short coming here and there as well. I will have made over 10 million dollars and spent or invested most of it. I will probably have changed my address a few more times, been to the rest of the continents, and watched some incredible things happen in our world.
When my obituary is written is going to say Andrew T. Ellwood 1982 - ????. And when it all comes down to my legacy, it is going to be summed up by that - . That is all we have here on this earth, a - . And with only a – to make this world a different place, I had better get started making my mark! “If you want to leave your foot prints on the sands of time, wear army boots.”