MZ looks at 40

Yes I am a pirate - 200 years too late. The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder, I'm an over 40 victim of fate. Arriving too late. Arriving too late. And I have been drunk now for over two weeks. I passed out then I rallied and I sprung a few leaks, but I gotta stop wishin', got to go fishin', I'm down to rock bottom again. Just a few friends. Just a few friends.
A Pirate Looks at 40, Jimmy Buffett

Wow. Hard to believe as it is for me, I officially hit the big 40 today. For all the ranting I enjoy doing at this website, every once-in-awhile I like to throw out a softer and more personal post to let you see me in a different light.

Hitting 40, one can't help but evaluate how life seems to be progressing. Let me tell you, it has been one hell of a wild ride over the past 5 years, as I met my wife, got engaged, got married, became religious, had a baby girl, had a baby boy, bought a house, got new cars, and changed careers twice (so far), just for starters.

Whew!

Ultimately, I hope you can see that I consider myself very blessed and very thankful to God for all the nachas He has given me. Back when I turned 35, I never could have imagined the changes in my life that were about to happen.

I'm not going to get too sappy, so let me change gears and tell you that turning 40 is an incredible birthday experience. 40 means I am no longer a kid; I can't get away with using youth as an excuse; I'm older than nearly all the professional athletes; I'm losing some hair; getting a bigger belly, and wondering how just a blink of an eye ago I was a kid growing up in Buffalo and now I'm suddenly friggin 40 years old!

Anyway, as the song above by Jimmy Buffet says, sometimes I feel a bit lost and displaced. Part of me is deeply saddened that I'm not living in Israel performing my obligations as a Jew to settle the land. I want to be there, my real homeland, doing whatever it takes, yes whatever it takes, to rid the Land of the islamic filth that has infected Israel and terrorized my kin.

On the other hand, I love it here in South Florida. I love where I am living and the wonderful life I have built here. Family, friends, community...it's just a fantastic place to be, I must say.

The part about being drunk for over two weeks? Well, I certainly expect to at least do my part at my party Saturday night, and then with Purim just over two weeks away when I will be most definitely wasted again, I guess you could say that perhaps that part of Buffet's tune will hold true in a sense, as well.

Anyway, I just wanted to do a brief little bit of reflection to try and let you get a little more acquainted with MZ, and maybe bring us a step closer in the process.

From there, I'd like to conclude with a little Q/A with those of you that visit this site. Please, feel free to ask me any questions about myself you like, and I promise to answer them as best as I can. If they are too personal I will say so, and if they are crude or obscene they will of course be deleted.

-MZ