Four decades and still ticking...

Send those cards and gifts, guys and gals - today is my birthday! The big 40!

40. Really? Seriously? How did that happen?

I guess it has something to do with being born in 1968 - that's where it all started for me - and Valentines Day, no less. I bet you didn't know that there are a lot of perks being a Valentines Day baby. For starters, you're officially eligible for a heart-shaped birthday cake every year, usually with white and red frosting. Additionally, there are plastic spoons, paper plates, napkins, and party hats are especially designed for your day. Most kids have to think of a theme for their parties, but it's all taken care of for Valentines Day babies.

Being a Valentines Day baby also means I'm an Aquarius, and if you believe in astrology (even for entertainment purposes) I am a true Aquarius. Objective, intelligent, independent, open-minded, energetic, friendly, and understanding. Although being aloof, stubborn, self oriented, and fickle go right along with it, so be warned.

Okay, so I'm 40.

I've run a diagnostic check, performed a battery of tests and, so far, everything is still working as well as it did yesterday (y'know, when I was in my 30's). No need for a walker or warm milk just yet. Put away the orthopedic shoes and adult diapers, for now anyway.

One might be inclined to write a long-winded reflective post about the past 40 years, but I'm not going to do that (I can hear your applause, pipe down over there or I'll whack you with my cane). Suffice to say I strive to build on my personal and professional achievements, learn from my fair share of mistakes, foster healthy relationships, help and respect others, and continue to grow as a person. I think that's really all of us can do, whether we are 15 or 85 years old.

Oh, and to get really good at Guitar Hero.

Okay, so I'm 40.

Buckle up and bring it, kids.

Just for fun, here are some noteworthy headlines from the year I was born:

In the Heat of the Night won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was album of the year. Still an amazing album after 40 years. Later that year, they released the legendary White Album.

Tragically, Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Richard "I'm not a crook" Nixon wins the U.S. presidential election, defeating Hubert Humphrey. And, of course, let's not forget we were in the midst of the Vietnam War.