Nerds, newlyweds and newborns

A quick spin around MySpace reminded me that 2006 is blessed with three events: graduation, wedding and birth. No, not me — just my friends. And no, it’s not all happening at the same time to the same unlucky bastard.

(But it would be quite a hat trick, wouldn’t it?)

It’s going to be a memorable year.

Growing up in the South, I went to surprisingly few weddings. I guess that’s a result of not having any kinfolk within spittin’ distance.

Most of the weddings I’ve attended have been in my adult life. I’ve managed to avoid graduations almost entirely. And the baby boom among my local pals is beginning (my college buddies have cranked out kids for years, but I’ve only seen pictures from afar).

But I still celebrate them, each and every one. Another milestone, another date in my planner.

I live far enough in the future to know how these events can shape lives. And yet, I still look forward to a wedding someday, and a birth or two.

If you’re smart and driven, and maybe a little bit lucky, you graduate. I really don’t know the secrets to getting married or knocking up someone, though sometimes, I wish I did.

Even with the big three on this year’s agenda, the day-to-day connections matter more. Those are the moments that keep us tight, even in the years without so many blessed events.

The rest is so much filler.