Thoughts about Life and Birthdays

So every year when my birthday rolls around, I always remember the Milton poem   Sonnet VII On His Being Arrived at the Age of 23

Now, here I am, just having had my 27th birthday, and I've realized nothing really turns out how you plan it to. My life certainly hasn't. We all remember that high school paper about where you saw yourself in so many years.  I'm not any of those things. I'm not even remotely close to any of those things.  Sometimes I think 17 year-old me had it more together than 27 year old me.  My life has had so many twists and turns. It's like a labyrinth complete with booby traps and false paths. And now, being 27 I have no clear vision of my future. I don't really know where it is that I'm going any more.  I mean, sure, I know some things. Like I'm going to work tomorrow. I'm going on a trip in November. I know things, but I don't have any big picture ideas. Nothing earth shattering or life altering. Just more of trying not to fall in the booby traps and avoiding dead end paths. I think those are the worst. The dead ends. Booby traps aren't too terrible, but a dead end path means you have to walk all the way back to the beginning and start again. Ok, I can't be utterly depressing. I've picked up a few life lessons along the way. And, for being a single 27 year old, I think I'm doing all right.  I've moved out of one career for something else. It's not what I want to do for the rest of my life, but I'm no longer working in call centers.  Still though.  Nothing earth shattering.  Now don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my birthday. It was a great day filled with family and birthday happies. To me birthdays are kind of like a Christmas of sorts. You eat a lot of food with family, get some presents, and have a good time.  Anyway, this has no real point, just me rambling to myself about the way things went. Would I change it.  Yeah.  I'd change a lot. So when someone invents a time machine, let me know first so I can go back and fix some things.  Anyway, here's what I always try to bear in mind.