Life is such a sweet insanity.

I have a habit of comparing things. "How were Ames and Hills different? How were they similar?" "What moment in my life is similar to the moment I'm experiencing right now?" I don't know why I do these things, but I do.

With my surgery all confirmed for tomorrow (bright and early, I may add), I am reminded of the last time I had the surgery. It was my senior year of high school; I believe in March 1986. With my memory not being as perfect as it used to be, I can't remember the exact details, but I think I'm pretty close. Naturally, I'm comparing the two scenarios.

Then: I was infatuated with the pop music world. I had to get the latest copy of Billboard every week. I spent money on 12-inch singles, including Animotion's "Obsession" and Shannon's "Let The Music Play."
Now: I'm infatuated with all kinds of music. I check out the music charts and keep tabs on American Idol. I spend lots of money downloading music on iTunes.

Then: Lots of hair on my head, styled damn near close to a mullet, with two hairs and a lot of blond fluff passing as a "mustache".
Now: No hair on my head, a goatee and the start of another beard.

Then: I was just winding down a "relationship" with my high school girlfriend. I knew what I wanted, I knew who I was, I had only shared it with one person and she wasn't it, in many respects. Being geeky and gangly, I lacked self confidence.
Now: I have found the love of my life. When I said "I do", I did forever. I know who I am, I know what I want, and I am damn proud of it. I have a good dose of self confidence. I like to think I turn heads.

Then: I was chatting and sending e-mail on my first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, at 300 baud using a service called GEnie.
Now: I'm chatting and sending e-mail plus a million other things, on my umpteenth computer, an Apple PowerBook G4. "Baud" no longer applies on my Adelphia Broadband cable connection.

Then: I was driving a 1976 Pontiac Astre and within a year would inherent a 1978 Chevy Impala.
Now: I drive a 2001 Chevy Impala!

Then: I had never done recreational drugs nor drank.
Now: I've never done recreational drugs (though I have told certain people that I did in a worthless effort to "fit in" in the past) and I rarely drink.

One of the things that I'm thankful for is that medical technology has progressed in leaps and bounds since my last surgery, and this time will hopefully finally fix the little problem that I've been living with since that last surgery in 1986.

I'll let you know how the bionics upgrade went tomorrow night.