Adjusting to the new world order

The new world order being impending fatherhood.

As we go through life we all learn to make adjustments and concessions, while adapting to our new environments.  We learn to meet others on common ground and negotiate mutually agreeable solutions rather than issue lonely ultimatums.  We learn to grow and change.  There will be a lot less of this in my future:

Or we can rage against the world and watch it pass us by from the corner of our bar stool or solitary bike ride to the middle of nowhere.  

Life is a beautiful thing, but it is short and the choices we make are the cause of our pain or pleasure.  Make good decisions and you can enjoy everything life has to offer and witness the growth of your friends, family, and community; use poor judgement or allow others to make decisions for you and you can quickly find yourself painted into a corner, with no easy way out.

Try to juggle multiple commitments, or relationships, or lose sight of your priorities; follow bad decisions through the downward spiral and find yourself where you don't want to be.

 (been there, done that)

I have thoroughly enjoyed most of my life and plan to enjoy the 2nd half as much as the first.  Being a good endurance athlete has been fun, but it has also taken a great deal of time and energy. 

So, what I'm saying is, beyond the "get your priorities in order" gestalt of this post, if I get a little slower and a little pudgier over the next few years, I'm not going to sweat it.  Thirty years of slugging it out has been fun.  I'm not going to be an absentee parent.  I will be the happiest slow pudgy guy you know.  My beautiful lady Bri gets to train and race as much as she wants for the foreseeable future since she is the better athlete anyway.

I will be happy to stand around and tell people to swim faster.