Today is my last day to be 40.

I have a friend who’s just two weeks younger than I am. Much smarter though.

She argues 40 shouldn’t be different from any other year. Every year we ought to live with no holds barred.

Maybe I’m a late bloomer, but 40 was different for me. It all started around 38 when I began using the two-letter word NO.

No, I will not do what you want me to do if it’s not right for me. No, I will not let you walk all over me. No, I will not play silly, little reindeer games. No, you are not the queen of the universe.

At 38, NO squeaked out as an anxiety-filled whisper. By 39, I could say it out loud with less hesitation, but the timing was all wrong. Now at 40, I can say it plainly, thoughtfully, and without much hand wringing.

The timing is better too. I’ve said NO this year to several people and things that weren’t right for me before I tried to find a way to accommodate them.

A polite, well-placed NO is liberating and gets easier with practice. It frees up time for YES.

Yes, I would like to try a blog. Yes, I will make mistakes, but that’s okay because I’m learning. Yes, I will have fun doing it. Yes, I will write with no holds barred.

Several years back, there was this commercial. I’ve combed the web and cannot find the actual spot. You web crawler people, let me know if you find it so I can post a link.

In the ad, a stodgy professor tells a writing class that none of them will likely ever be published. Editors sift through thousands of manuscripts. The best they could expect was a writing career at the top of the slush pile rather than the bottom.

Then, from within the masses of the lecture hall, a student’s hand pops up. Much to his professor’s chagrin and his fellow students’ triumph, he announces he’s already been published. Online.

That far-fetched dream is coming to fruition in my lifetime and yours. Imagine the possibilities. David McRaney did.

McRaney’s blog You Are Not So Smart was recently expanded into a book by the same title. Behold the free market.

“This is an amazing and revolutionary time for writers,” said McRaney in a WordPress interview. 

“The barriers to entry are so low, and the platforms like WordPress.com are so well made, anyone with a voice can start shouting and be heard.”

A voice with which to be heard. That’s a gift. That’s a YES.

Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. from James 5:12 The Message

It’s almost my birthday. I can dance if I want to. Jejune Stars by Bright Eyes.