Hi everybody! Mr. Matt here. What an incredible weekend! I am officially 27-years old. Crazy, no? On Saturday I played a wonderful birthday party in Battery Park, NYC (by the Freedom Tower) for a wonderful young boy named Jude who turned five. He was exceptionally well behaved, curious about my instruments and so polite. And a great older brother to his little sister. I love young kids who have a good attitude like his. There is nothing like a little kid with a good head on his or head shoulders.
On Sunday I turned 27. September 21st, 1987 is my birthday. I traveled with my girlfriend Maggie to Lambertville, NJ. What an incredible little town. I love LOVE small towns in New Jersey. I grew up in New Jersey (hence the "got bruce" bumpersticker up above this blog). My girlfriend and I were walking around the antique stores and I walk into this one antique store. There's a guy with a beard and he says, "Do I know you?" I had no idea who this person was. He said, "Did you go to Lake Greeley sleep away camp?" and I was like, "Oh my goodness! Ben!" And this guy Ben runs this amazing clothing store and furniture store with his father called Bucks County Dry Goods. We caught up for two hours - I haven't seen this character from my childhood since I was 13 or 14. He told me about college, how he is starting to build his own house and teaching himself about plumbing, etc. I was so amazed. How he went to FIT in NYC. I mean - we drove two hours away and this is a person who I never knew that I would see again. I call it a "holy coincidence" because it is not "holy" enough to be religious but more special than something that is merely a "coincidence". I love when things like that happen in life. I love meeting people and hearing their stories. I just happened to walk into this store and he remembered me - otherwise I never would have remembered him. I love life experiences like that. It so good to run into people, to know that they are doing well and to see other people having success in their lives and to be able to tell other people that you are having success in your own life.
So I loved that. Lambertville was great. Go there. So awesome. Also - I finished the night with a little ice cream at Owowcow Ice Cream. I got free rainbow sprinkles because it was my birthday. So awesome. Loved it. Met a guy who was applying to college and he said, "Once I get in, then I'm done." And I was like, "Listen, buddy - life is like constantly applying to college. Once you get in - then you're applying for something else. Just keep going." If I could tell a younger version of myself some advice I would say "Don't stop working during your Senior year in high school. Keep working. Keep learning." Learning is freedom. The more you learn the happier you will be. My graduate degree in Autism Intervention and Early Childhood Development changed my life. I love going to school now. School is like a gift instead of a burden - and I absolutely love that.
On Sunday I turned 27. September 21st, 1987 is my birthday. I traveled with my girlfriend Maggie to Lambertville, NJ. What an incredible little town. I love LOVE small towns in New Jersey. I grew up in New Jersey (hence the "got bruce" bumpersticker up above this blog). My girlfriend and I were walking around the antique stores and I walk into this one antique store. There's a guy with a beard and he says, "Do I know you?" I had no idea who this person was. He said, "Did you go to Lake Greeley sleep away camp?" and I was like, "Oh my goodness! Ben!" And this guy Ben runs this amazing clothing store and furniture store with his father called Bucks County Dry Goods. We caught up for two hours - I haven't seen this character from my childhood since I was 13 or 14. He told me about college, how he is starting to build his own house and teaching himself about plumbing, etc. I was so amazed. How he went to FIT in NYC. I mean - we drove two hours away and this is a person who I never knew that I would see again. I call it a "holy coincidence" because it is not "holy" enough to be religious but more special than something that is merely a "coincidence". I love when things like that happen in life. I love meeting people and hearing their stories. I just happened to walk into this store and he remembered me - otherwise I never would have remembered him. I love life experiences like that. It so good to run into people, to know that they are doing well and to see other people having success in their lives and to be able to tell other people that you are having success in your own life.
So I loved that. Lambertville was great. Go there. So awesome. Also - I finished the night with a little ice cream at Owowcow Ice Cream. I got free rainbow sprinkles because it was my birthday. So awesome. Loved it. Met a guy who was applying to college and he said, "Once I get in, then I'm done." And I was like, "Listen, buddy - life is like constantly applying to college. Once you get in - then you're applying for something else. Just keep going." If I could tell a younger version of myself some advice I would say "Don't stop working during your Senior year in high school. Keep working. Keep learning." Learning is freedom. The more you learn the happier you will be. My graduate degree in Autism Intervention and Early Childhood Development changed my life. I love going to school now. School is like a gift instead of a burden - and I absolutely love that.