A Birthday Examen

In honor of my 26th birthday yesterday, I sat down and did an examen...looking at things that bring me joy at this stage of my life, and things that bring me down. I have 13 of each to share.

13 Joys:

1. I still have hair (yes, this is my #1 joy).
2. Good friends, from childhood-adulthood.
3. Wise and encouraging mentors.
4. Food.
5. Shelter.
6. Family.
7. Wilderness.
8. Music.
9. People of passion.
10. The youth and children I work with.
11. No credit card debt.
12. A beautiful and loving girlfriend.
13. Hope for the future.

13 Concerns:

1. What am I going to do with my life?
2. Hangovers hurt WAY more than they used to.
3. War.
4. Poverty.
5. Injustice.
6. Inequality.
7. Celebrity culture.
8. Country music (note that "music" was #8 on my list of joys--country music is definitely a concern).
9. Where will I end up?
10. Does faith matter?
11. Traveling worldwide will become more difficult as gasoline prices continue to go up.
12. Will I make a difference?
13. My beer belly seems to be growing.