Breaking the Inertia – Young Roman vs. Old Man Roman

During my horribly painful run Sunday, I pondered what my 15-year-old cross-country-running self (hereafter, Young Roman) would have thought. Back in those days, I could literally run a mile without breaking a sweat. It was easily the best shape of my life. Been there, done that, still got the T-shirt (one of Alli & Newey’s favorites – though I’m not sure what you call it without the sleeves – an I-shirt?). Could run a 5k in somewhere around 24-25 minutes, depending on the terrain. I’m quite sure I would have scoffed at 25-year-old Roman’s struggle to bring 7.4k home in almost exactly 60 minutes.

But, seeing as it was actually ten years ago now (friggin’ unbelievable), I reflected upon what else has changed since then. It’s true, I am no longer even remotely in shape – that’s one thing I think Young Roman will always have on me. But a lot can happen in 10 years. Warning, Memory Lane is up ahead.

I hooked the girl Young Roman nearly gave up on. And now she is my wife.

I completed high school, scooped up a BSME @ UC (despite Chemistry, Budweiser, Ghia, and Diff EQ’s best efforts) and somehow snuck into my current job.

I became a proud Hoonie, and then a member of the 2429. These guys are permanently woven into my life.

I parlayed a work assignment in the middle of a cornfield into a year-long Japan assignment, which I then parlayed into an assignment back where we belong – near the ‘Nati. I’m still not entirely sure how I pulled that off.

I have admittedly become a pretty big nerd about business & finance.

I can speak pretty bad Japanese, but it typically gets the job done.

I wrote an awful lot of pretty awful stuff for this site, and have pretty much abandoned it in the last year and change.

I have made pretty good friends who I expect to stay in touch with on at least three other continents (Europe, Australia, Asia) – can you say Couch Surfing?!

I very nearly started a business with a high school friend, only to back out at the last minute because I lost my job in SE Ohio (fortunately, after that, I got hired by my current employer). I still sort of regret not being able to do this.

I have bought a house and we’re fixing to trade it in for a “forever home”

I have been through three cars (Intrepid, Big New Yorker, Tow-rass), and drove a fourth one from the passenger’s seat in Japan. Expect number five around the end of June.

My mom got divorced and remarried.

Alli & I went through a heart-wrenching six months in late 2007, but I have become closer to Allison’s family as a result. I am also quite grateful to my employer for their support during that whole ordeal.

I have seen dozens of friends get married/have children/become actual adults. And it doesn’t make me sad for them. Whoa.

I have been (in no order):

To Philmont (in NM) for a two-week camping trek

To London, England for a week of legal, underaged debauchery

To Las Vegas for my 21st birthday AND New Year’s

To Maui for my honeymoon… along with family and friends

To the NAIAS in Detroit during the last really decent year (Feb 2008)

To Washington D.C. on a road trip with Joey-Z

To Toronto, Asheville, NC; and Starkville, MS on road trips with my lovely wife.

To the top of Mt. Fuji

To the Snow Festival in Sapporo, Japan

Alright, that’s enough. Did I miss anything big? I was really amazed at how much can happen in ten years. It may be a poor excuse for a post, but anything to break the inertia.

Hope everyone is doing well back home. Enjoy your damned BBQs and cheap beer while I continue to eat scraps of beef, rice and whole-fish-on-sticks… and drink 600-800 yen (100yen=about $1USD) beer.

Hope to see you all again in late June/early July!

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