On this day, 36 years ago, I was born. That’s right, today is my birthday! 36 is a pretty insignificant birthday in the grand scheme of things, though I do find it amusing that I’ve now lived my second 18 years. Whereas it seemed like the first 18 years took absolutely forever, the last 18 years have flown by.

Here are some of my more memorable “on this date in history” items:

August 30, 1985: I became a man, according to Jewish tradition.

August 30, 1988: I got my drivers license.

August 30, 1990: I turned 18, and it was my second day of class at the University of Texas at Austin.

August 30, 1993: I turned 21, hitting the bars at 12:00 AM on August 30, until closing time. I hit the bars again right after work, as well as each night for the next week.

August 30, 2000: My first birthday as a father.

August 30, 2002: The big 3-0, which really wasn’t a big deal at all.

August 30, 2005: The one and only time I’ve had dinner with my two sons, and my Mom and Dad. It was a little awkward. (My parents have been divorced since 1995.)

So there you have it, my own personal “on this date in history.” Not very exciting, I know. If I could remember the year, then I would’ve included the birthday spent in a dive of a restaurant in Santa Fe, NM. The owner of the place gave my a plaque from the bar for White Horse Whiskey. I thought it was the greatest gift ever, but then again, I was probably somewhere between 8 and 11 years old.

One last interesting fact: on this date, 18 years ago, I weighed 180 lbs. Today I weigh 180 lbs.