Birthday Reflections

from a man Glued to His Computer (and Longing for the Garden)

Today is my birthday, and like every year, it arrives with its own strange little dichotomies. On one hand, social media makes the day feel like a dopamine‑infused parade of greetings, emojis, and heartfelt messages from friends near and far. It’s lovely — truly. Every ping feels like a tiny sparkler being lit just for me.

And yet… the pressure to respond to every single one of those messages turns the day into a marathon of typing, clicking, and refreshing. I end up glued to my computer, afraid to miss someone, afraid to seem ungrateful, afraid to let the digital love pile up unanswered. It’s funny how something meant to connect us can so easily trap us in place.

And then — because the universe has a sense of humor — today is also World Naked Gardening Day.

As someone who has always felt more comfortable in my skin than in clothes, a naturist holiday is usually something I celebrate with a kind of quiet reverence. But after moving from Colorado Springs to Denver, condo living has made actual naked gardening… complicated. So instead, I “participate” online — posts, messages, photos from friends — which, again, pins me right back to the computer. Another connection that keeps me stationary.

It’s a reminder of something I know deeply: Connection is essential, but physical proximity is what animals truly need. We are communal creatures. We need the sound of someone’s voice, the warmth of a handshake, the grounding pressure of a full‑body hug. No amount of typed words can replace that.

Maybe that’s why I reach so eagerly toward the activities that bring me into real contact with people. Personal training, for example — I picked up two new clients this week, and every session fills me with joy. There’s something sacred about working with someone’s breath, movement, and awareness. It’s connection in its purest form.

And next week I begin teaching yoga at 12th House Yoga, which feels like another doorway into community. Yoga has always been one of the most powerful tools I know for helping people reconnect — to themselves, to their bodies, to each other. I’m excited to meet the students who show up, curious and open, ready to feel something real.

Yesterday I even met two more men who teach natural yoga, and suddenly new spaces and offerings are opening up. It feels like the universe is saying, “Yes, this way. Keep going.”

And then there’s theatre — another form of connection that has shaped my entire life. The Colorado Theatre Guild Unified Auditions are coming up this week. I’ve been preparing for months, ever since the move to Denver, and I feel ready. Excited. Honored.

And in just one week, I begin rehearsals for Phenomenomaly!, my next immersive show with Meow Wolf. Immersive theatre is connection on steroids — strangers breathing the same air, sharing the same moment, co‑creating an experience that can’t be replicated. It’s one of the few places where I feel the full spectrum of human presence.

So yes, today I feel overwhelmed by connection — the digital kind, the kind that keeps me tethered to a screen. But when I step back, I realize that connection is exactly what I desire. Exactly what I need. I just need to remember to prioritize the in‑person kind. The kind that breathes. The kind that touches. The kind that reminds me I’m alive.

Maybe that’s the real birthday lesson this year: Less scrolling. More living. Less typing. More hugging. Less virtual. More embodied.

And maybe next year, I’ll find a way to sneak in a little naked gardening too.