In approximately 43 days I will reach the not-so-glamorous age of 29.
It's an odd number that's not sexy at all, but the significance of turning 29 is obvious. That's because the number that comes after it is 30. It's the age that many people in their twenties dread because it reeks of that horrible odor called "maturity."
At thirty we should be moving towards establishing something resembling a "career" and maybe even *gasp* getting married, starting a family. Theoretically our partying days are supposed to be over and the days of becoming an upstanding member of society are in our faces.
Whether or not any of this is actually true is of little consequence. The fact of the matter is each of us should be moving along at whatever pace feels natural for us. Forcing the action, I think, is ridiculous and perhaps even dangerous. However, at thirty you have reached a significant milestone from the standpoint that there's a whole lot for us to reflect back on. Thirty years of memories should be enough to turn a boy into a man and a gal into a woman.
Ryan Adams says his last of three albums he released in 2005 titled simply 29 is about those years between ages 19 and 30 in which we both embrace and shed our innocence. The album consists of 9 songs, one for each year of his twenties but if you listen to it you hear it isn't especially autobiographical. I believe what Adams is attempting to do is not just write songs that are about a specific year in his own life but rather songs about other people that take place during each year of his twenties. If that makes sense.
Whatever. The bottom line is that by the end of the album you do feel a level of maturity has been reached. When I saw Adams in Baltimore he stopped the show mid-concert, grabbed a stool and his guitar, hopped off the stage and strode to the middle of the floor of the Meyerhoff Opera House turning it into an impromptu unplugged show. This was probably not the ideal venue to perform such a stunt since there were too many people there to be able to hear him (it never occurred to the lad to bring a mic with him) but the effect was chilling. It forced everyone who wanted to hear to lean in, shut up and listen closely. That's what 29 does. After the full band bonanzas of Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights, 29 is stripped down, emotional, raw and (much like JCN) very introspective.
There's an air of reflection that permeates through all three of his '05 albums that only popped its head up every once and a while in his earlier stuff. Quite frankly it's the sound of a man growing up. It's a man staring his future right in the eye, no matter what that future may hold, and saying "I'm ready for whatever you've got...or at least I hope so."
andrew [email] said at 9:08 AM 01-11-2006: i'm not sure what to make of ryan adams. on an airplane i saw his documentary about going to jamaica and learning reggae. he's an interesting guy but also kind of a primadonna. i hope things go well for him.
carla [email] said at 9:29 AM 01-11-2006: Yeah, there is no question about the fact that Ryan Adams is arrogant, obsessed with what people think of him, and pretty much downright nutty- but he's still a pretty damn good song writer and I think he has an awesome voice.
reggie [email] said at 12:00 PM 01-11-2006: I was gonna respond to Andrew but you pretty much hit the nail on the proverbial head. The key to that, though, is that while he may be obsessed with what people say and/or write about him he never ever tries to mold his self-image to fit some pre-conceived notion of who he thinks the rest of the world wants him to be. So if people see him as a jerk then that's probably because he is a jerk. But at the same time people will see him as this goofy weirdo with great songs and a great voice and find it appealing. I'm one of the latter.
I'm also grateful that he's not a huge megastar but is popular enough that the Universal will allow him to follow his id no matter where it takes him.
For all the signs of growth shown in his 2005 output it's not completely out of the question to think that his next album may be as big a mess as Rock N Roll and I find that intriguing.
(Rumor has it he's working on a collaborative album with Willie Nelson this year.)
Oona said at 9:55 AM 01-11-2006: I thought 30 was the new 20. Any way, astrologically speaking 28/29 is when one goes through their first Saturn return. Saturn is the planet that rules serious things, work, stuff like that. So it really is no coincidence that at this age people start to take stock of their lives and many become more 'adult'. This IS the time that sets the pace for the next 30 years or so, so those who F up their 1st Saturn return with poor decisions usually struggle for some time. The second return happens around the age of 58, which is another big time of lifechanges. Numerologically speaking at about 29 (give or take) one enters a new cycle that will last 9 years that's part of a bigger 27 year cycle. In your case, Reggie, 43 days from today is Feb 23? Then your 27 year cycle is actually going to be quite fun, with an emphasis on travel and trying different things. If that's not the date, then the dynamic will be something else.
I has spoken.
reggie [email] said at 11:46 AM 01-11-2006: Yaaayy Oona! Seriously tho' yeah the 23rd IS my b-day. I hope you're right 'cuz year 29 looks (on paper at least) like it's going to be a doozy.
By the way, I gave that soap I got from ya to my mom for Christmas. She sends her thanks to the Carpios.
Oona said at 12:24 PM 01-11-2006: I hope she likes it. Well then if it's the 23rd, your adult life period is going to be very interesting, travel will be in there, and a desire to taste, touch, hear, see and feel everything. But 29 probably will be a doozy, remember you are in the beginning of a new cycle, it's infancy, do not expect to see full manifestion of things at all, but try to enjoy the journey, as new people, ideas, and opportunities will be coming and going almost too much. This is a transformative time both within and without, especially now, as one cycle ends and another begins But don't let it stress you, just try to ride with it and see where it's taking you. And give it Tiiimmmme, we are talking about things unfolding over the next 27 years!
Oona said at 2:16 PM 01-11-2006: ok, what's the digits? Write me at duinea01@yahoo.com and give me your birthdate. I don't want to mess up Reggie's stream of consciousness here
reggie [email] said at 5:22 PM 01-11-2006: If I had known that being a beast on the astrology tip would get hotties screaming the phrase, "do me, do me!" I'd pay much more attention to it...
Oona said at 5:53 PM 01-11-2006: Hello Myriam. This is just a mini but You are smack dab (now there's an expression you don't hear much) in the middle of a cycle. You probably don't have many questions right now, for good or bad, you kinda know where you are. You may want other things to commence and solidify but now is not really the time, and inside you are aware of this, although it would be nice to know where you are heading. Generally 2006 will be kind of routine, but in a satisfying way. 2007 and 2008 should be happy years. This period will end in 2009. Around this time things will rapidly start to change, and it will be a very hectic even confusing time, and you will feel restless and maybe confused as you begin a new cycle you have not a clue what it's about. It's not about good or bad, it's just new. If you look back over the past 6 years, you can see what your current cycle is about -- be it concentrating on school, or career, or whatever else was consuming your life. Just like the decades have 'themes' (Hippie 60s, Disco 70s, War Time 40s, Nuclear 50s etc.), so do we. When the new cycle starts -- that doesn't mean everything else will go away, it won't, just your life will be 'about' something new. Unfortunately you won't have clarity on that for another 7 years or so. Sorry. But on the interesting side, coincidently, like Reggie, and actually Carla as well, you all have a 27 year middle cycle of activity, high energy and action. You all will need to find partners who are as active as you are, or you will have to be fly solo, no couch potatoes. This is just coincidence (or not), that you three will be in a matching numerical cycle. That is not to say you will be doing the same things, it will just have that same kind of dynamic. I has spoken.
