My life so far

As I close out the first 30 years of my life I have decided to reflect back and look at the knowledge I have gained that molded me into the person I am today, on the last day of my twenties.

I’ve learned to walk. Yes most of us take this for granted. We walk to work we walk home, we walk the dog, we walk to loose weight, we walk until our feet hurt, we complain about walking. The truth is, learning how to walk has laid the foundation and certainly made most accomplishments more attainable. Where would I be today if I still had to crawl everywhere? Thanks mom and dad for teaching me how to walk. If I can keep that up for the next 30 years I will be very happy and consider myself fortunate.

I learned to use the toilet. I have to say this must have been one of my most proud moments of which I have no recollection. To think, after nearly 30 years of peeing in the toilet I still can’t manage to get every drop in the bowl. I could have mastered the art of the Chinese language in that time. I give the credit to my parents again for this achievement. Using the toilet is much more sanitary than wearing a diaper. I am pretty sure one day I will regress and have to wear diapers again, hopefully not for at least another 30 years.

I learned to talk. This must have been another one of those proud moments for me. I’ve discovered how to speak and never looked back. After 30 years I would have to say that I am proficient in the English language, except when I have been drinking. I may not speak as eloquently as some individuals on this planet but I have learned to communicate and that for me is one of the finest moments of my life. Thanks again mom and dad.

I learned that Saturday morning cartoons and cereal were two of the best things in the world at this point in my life and they belonged together. Of course cartoons are not what the used to be. I grew up on He-Man, the Ninja Turtles and Ducktales. Cartoons are scary now, they don’t make sense to me.

I have learned to teach myself things. This is where life gets interesting. At this point I imagine that I started my slow descent into individuality. I began to realize there are things in this world that I want to learn and things that I want to see. Much of my childhood was spent discovering new things whether at school or play I was always learning, always soaking up knowledge. I learned how to ride a bike, I learned what it feels like to fall, I learned how to pick myself up when I fall, I learned where the Emergency Room is and how to scare the crap out of my parents. I learned how to make the right friends and how to make the wrong friends. I learned how to roller blade, sled down a hill, play baseball, pass notes in class (before texting) knock up for friends (before cellphones) and have some good old fashioned fun. I would have to say that the fundamentals of life were learned from Kindergarten through High School. Everything after that was spent refining what I had learned.

I learned how to drive. Back at it again, thanks mom and dad (mostly dad). I can fondly remember learning to drive that old 1982 blue Honda Accord with manual transmission. I would have to say this is one of the first times I had seen my dad get really frustrated. Give it some more gas he’d say or put the friggen emergency brake on! After 15 years of driving I have mastered driving manual transmission, although Kate would disagree. I could not have done it without the help of my dad. I spent much of my youth trying to look as cool as possible and drove recklessly. I spent more money on sound systems and tinted windows and lights that I care to admit. Now that I look back I realize how stupid that was.

I learned the habit of smoking, unfortunately. Throughout high school I spent much of my time trying to fit in. When I finally felt like I did, high school was over. It was time to say goodbye to the friends I had made and enemies I had hated and move on. As I moved on some of my bad habits came with me including smoking and trying to look cool. One day I realized that the people I was trying to impress were not the people I wanted to be friends with and I put down the cigarettes. I have never looked back. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I highly encourage it.

I learned how to move out on my own. Shortly after high school ended I turned into a “bad ass” I found pot, I drank with my friends. Eventually the person who my mom was married to at the time asked me to leave. So on my 18th birthday I moved into my Grandmom’s house. I will never forget that day. This was one event that started out a terrible situation but ended up great in the end. I had the freedom I had sorely craved, I developed a better relationship with my grandmother before Alzheimer’s ravaged her mind and she eventually passed away. I was really able to be out on my own before really being out on my own.

I learned how much fun it is to work at Friendly’s. This by far was my most favorite job ever. I like to think of this as my “college” years. Since I didn’t go to a formal 4 years college I worked after high school. I worked my ass off but had a ton of fun doing so. I made lifelong friendships working at various Friendly’s restaurants. I did things while working I never thought possible. I laughed so hard I thought I might die. I went through times of extreme stress and times of severe boredom. I saw people fall on the floor I saw Dan wash dishes in his boxers. I had a knife pulled on me and a customer jump over the counter at me. We made fun of people and the mall rats that used to come in, we called the cops when there were fights and sometimes watched instead. I made enough money and the job after high school started turning into a career. Eventually I became the acting General Manager after one of our many neurotic managers left the company. The “college” years had ended and I found myself working 50-60 hours a week at a restaurant. Fatigue set in, my back hurt so bad some days from standing for so long that I could barely walk the next day. In fact I later found out when I was getting fitted for a suit many years later my left shoulder is lower than the right, I am pretty sure this was the cause. It was time for a change. I moved to another Friendly’s location as a waiter and went to college. This was the turning point in my life. I had grown up and started to think about long term goals I had.

I learned how to work on computers at a Bank on an IT Helpdesk. This was one of the worst jobs I had ever held (second only to telemarketing) and unbeknownst to me the window of opportunity that would eventually get me the career I craved. At first it seemed like a wonderful opportunity. The bank was hiring, we were busy there was potential to become something great there. But there was an uneasiness looming in the background, the economy. After a year or more at the bank the economy tanked. They began to shut down other helpdesks, they opened one in India. These were all classic signs of a company following so many others at the time moving their IT operations to a cheaper country and streamlining labor. Ignoring all the “reassuring” words from members of management who hadn’t jumped ship yet I was presented with the possibility of a job way out in Bucks County from my friend and coworker Mike. His brother was a big shot in a healthcare company and was looking for an IT person. I took the interview and got my first real IT job. This would be the job that changed my life.

I learned the in’s and out’s of buying and selling a home. Ironically years after I was evicted from the nest I turned around and purchased it. My mom and her new found husband cut me a good deal on the home I had moved out of years ago. They moved on to live with my ailing grandmother and I was left with a real fixer upper. I had many ideas and aspirations at first. I wanted to knock out walls in the kitchen and dining room, finish the basement install central air. Eventually the reality of my budget and time set in. I did end up demolishing a good portion of the house. Much of the old plaster walls came down to make a bigger bathroom, changed the closet layout, added storage, replaced fixtures, doors all the electrical and plumbing. Many months, plenty of sweat and gallons of paint later I ended up selling the house for a nice profit. I was moving on to bigger and better things and had met what would eventually be my wife. Before I sold my house Kate moved in briefly, only to move out a few months later into her parent’s house while our new home was being built. This was an experience.

I learned how to live with my future in-laws for 3 months before our house was ready. We decided to move to Gilbertsville. We both wanted something away from the city in a more rural environment. We wanted to live somewhere we could afford. Bucks County’s high taxes and lavish lifestyle was out of the question. Delaware County was too close to the city and too little house/land for your dollar. I started looking in Montgomery County and after looking at several developments and meeting some quirky realtors we settled on a new development in Gilbertsville. The houses were exactly what we were looking for. We made our selections and patiently awaited the construction of our new home. During this time Kate and I had a wonderful summer filled with great time lots of memories and laughs. I owe a lot to the Deem’s and can never thank them enough for extending their home to us. We had such a great time at the Deem’s we almost stayed, almost.


I learned how to love the most wonderful woman in the world. After changing jobs from the bank industry to mental health I met some nice people. I found new co-workers and new friends. This is where I met Kate. She had asked me to move a fax machine for her, I was very new and wasn’t sure if I should. I was shy and told her to ask her manager. I invited her to an Eagles pre-season party I was having at my “fixer upper” of a house. She came alone (even though I invited her friend Lindsay who didn’t come because she thought her husband wasn’t invited but he was). I don’t know if it was the lack of walls in the bathroom or the lack of sheets on my bed that roped her in but we hit it off. That night we ended up kissing under the street lamp, the date was 08/08/08. Since then I have never looked back, never loved anyone as much as I love her and never shared my life with anyone the way I have with Kate. She is my everything, my best friend and my life. I love her. We were married on 12/11/10 and have made a nice little life for ourselves.


Kate and I have a wonderful life with each other. We have a beautiful home full of love. We have a great dog and I couldn’t ask for anything more. If the next 30 years of my life are half as good as the first I will be a happy almost senior.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Mark McKee

Joan Cusack

I really cant stand Joan Cusack. I don't like the way she looks, the way she acts and expecially the way she talks. She really gets under my skin.