So today is my Birthday. 32 years ago I was dragged into this world and there seems to be no imminent news of my departure from it, (note to self, look twice before crossing the road).

In the last 32 years I have done many things and experienced events that have shaped me, indeed I have watched events on tv that have shaped the world.

I have also been many different people. Every year brings new experiences, change, reinforcement of attitudes and new ways of thinking about things. It’s a gradual process but if you look at frozen times in your past, ie twenty one year old me, then you see just how different things have become.

I’m not sure if I would like the me from them, and I’d certainly find the me from the year 2000 a cocky bugger. Green with lack of experience and callow to the world I was very arrogant and full of myself. Obviously I am still both of those, but perhaps less overtly than before.

Having levelled up again I guess the experience of the last year have made me a better person. Every level takes you that much closer to wisdom, and we all know level 32 is better than level 31, stands to reason. I just need to figure out which game I’m playing…

In some ways I guess it’s strange given all the changes I’ve undergone that I’m still me. If I had a broom and changed the handle ten times and the head ten times would it still be the same?

Also, with the myriad choices I’ve made in life, it’s funny to think I’ve ended here. In how many parallel worlds do Jo and I end up with other partners, infinite. In how many of them is the guy she ends up with better than me. Considerably less (none, see previous comment about arrogance.

Equally how likely was I to get cancer and what caused it? It’s not hereditary (dodged a bullet there mum and dad) but no one knows what actually causes it. Was it one of my decisions early on?

Either way we are unmistakebly here, on this reality and I’m pretty pleased with how it’d all turned out. I’m impressed how many people have stuck with me as a friend, even though we are both very different to who we were. I guess they would have changed as much.

I feel really happy at the moment though, a good sales meeting and a piece of bread pudding from Greggs helped. Even though I worked today, it’s been a good day. I hope there are many more to come, and I will be wittering away like this in a few years when I have reached level 40. I’m just not sure yet what level you need to get to before you can say you completed the game….