It’s a simple enough title, but what an impact on a person’s life. This is me, at 30, and looking back at being 21. 21 meant no kids, no wife, no passion, no purpose. 30 means quite a lot more. This is a look at the lighter side of that.

10.  Hanging with my kid at Chucky Cheese is way better than Clubbin’

I turned 21 in college, Lindenwood University, and my fellow members of the renowned “Dirtywood” clubbed and partied every weekend, from the Monastery in East St. Louis to throwing our own bashes in the trailer park (yes, my college had a trailer park). But, I have to say, my daughter is a pretty rad kid and the fun we have hanging out easily trumps the trailer park madness. We go to playgrounds, parks and with her, I always have an excuse to get on slide if I feel the need. It’s awesome.

9. People Call Me Sir (It’s kinda cool).

When I go to the bank they always say, “Yes sir, have a great day Mr. Campbell.” I dig it.

8. I don’t have to wait for Santa (or anyone else) to bring me a 50 in flat screen, I can go get my own.

Certainly beats watching TV on a 20 inch screen and eating Jack in The Box in college.

7. 5 more years and I can be president.

Just sayin’.

6. Getting carded makes me smile

I actually kind of look forward to it. I roll up to the check out line with my bottle of Cab and just wait. Mind you, if they don’t card me I instantly go home,  shave, do some push ups and put on my old Volcom hoodie. Which brings me to the next point…

5. My sense of style is more GQ than Hip Hop.

When I look back at pictures of myself when I was 21, what jumps out is the choice of clothes. “Bad” does not describe my style with the proper repugnance. At 21, “dressed to the nines” would usually include a furry kangol with matching pair of Air Force Ones, and a Tampa Bay Bucs jersey. Glad my dad had style and taught me something as I got older.

4. I am a generally happier person.

Being 21 meant everything was exponentially bigger. When my wife watches her beloved MTV shows, I remember what it was like to make something as silly as what someone said about you suddenly become the most important thing in the world. Now that I think about it, 21 didn’t make things bigger, but made the truly important things smaller. Now, I have perspective. I can sit back and realize that I am a tiny, tiny organism on a tiny, tiny rock floating in a tiny, tiny solar system in a tiny, tiny galaxy in a universe that is infinitely larger than I have the capacity to process. With that in mind, what someone said about me doesn’t seem that serious.

3. All the life lessons I learned at 21 by screwing up so often, I can now apply to my life. (And my wife is hot).

Being 21 taught me a great deal. I remember waging war with myself trying to figure out the world. Every mistake, every decision, every relationship–every aspect of being 21 taught me how to be 30. One of best things to come out of all the lessons was the ability to recognize a good thing when it presented itself. I have known my wife since we were teenagers and it took every bit of what I learned as a 21 year old to realize her awesomeness and to appreciate everyday. And, did I mention, she was hot?

2. I’m much, MUCH, smarter.

The common phrase, “if I knew then what I know now,” applied to the 21 year old me. I was an idiot, a dashing, charming idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. At 30, I am smarter, better and more cognizant of the world and the people around me. I consciously try to be considerate and thoughtful and, in all aspects of my life, try to grow.

1. I have stopped trying to find myself and started creating myself.

At 21 we all try to figure out who we are, what we want to be, how we are going to change the world and generally how to become contributing members of society. For some of us, we have a bucket list of all the world-beating things we want to do by the time we reach 30. I had a list and all except one thing I have accomplished. At 30, I have a family, own a business, have a home and every technological gadget I desire. I’ve been to Disneyland, Las Vegas and have even hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Everyday I write and try to contribute to the world in small way. I have made many friends along the way tried to show them all that good people exist. I couldn’t be happier to be 30. As as for the last thing on my 21 year old bucket list…Michael Jordan, I do not care that you are almost 50. I want my game of 1 0n 1 and I will crush you. BELIEVE IT!

EDIT: Looking up at 40 is equally as terrifying as looking up at 30 when I was 21.