Shawn’s 50th Birthday

Last night was extraordinary. I had the immense joy of celebrating my 50th birthday surrounded by amazing friends and family. 

Turning 50 feels like a significant milestone—not just because of the number, but because of the experiences and people that have shaped my life thus far. This celebration was a perfect representation of that journey.

I want to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who attended and to those who sent their well-wishes from afar. Your love and support mean the world to me!

This was my speech:

“Good evening everyone. 

50 years old. Wow.   I'm thrilled to have all of you here to celebrate this milestone with me.

First off, to my incredible parents— John and Sherry Helms - Thank you for 50 years of love and support.  I could not have asked for better parents or role models. 

Misty - thank you for putting up with me for so many years.  You are a wonderful partner in all things both adventurous and mundane.  Thank you for always supporting my dreams and putting up with all the long hours of work.  You make my days brighter and every burden a bit lighter.

A special thank you to Brittany and my other children that works so hard to pull all this together.  You all are the thing I am truly most proud of in my life.  

To the rest of my amazing family and friends, your presence makes this milestone truly special. 

A special shout-out to those who traveled from California, New York, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Colorado just for this two-hour party. You might be a bit crazy—or maybe  just really love free alcohol —but I'm so happy you're here!

As I look back on half a century, I'm reminded that life's true wealth is measured not in years, but in the relationships we build and the moments we share. Thank you all for contributing to the richness of my journey.

So let's raise a glass—to the past that brought us here, the present that binds us together, and the future that's full of possibilities.

50th Birthday Trivia

More to come but for now here is the trivia and answers.

Answers

The Time Warp: From Endless Summers to Fleeting Moments

Our perception of time is a curious thing.  Remember when you were a kid and summer seemed to last forever?  You got out of school and you had an entire 3 months to do whatever you wanted.  Three months felt like forever when you were in the 5th grade.  But, when you are in your 50s, summer goes by in a blink.  

I have never seen a study on this, but I have always had a theory that people individually perceive time as a percentage of their age and experiences.  Therefore, when you are 2 years old, 3 months seems like a long time.  Well, it is 12.5% of your life.  That is a long time!  Over the next 3 months you will experience 12.5% more life.  You will also likely learn lots of new things and have many new experiences.  Those are distinct markers in your life that make a lasting impression.  

But, for a 45 year old, 3 months is only 0.5% of their life.  In addition, a 45 year old person will likely not experience anything “new” over the course of 3 months.  They have already had 540 months of experiences by age 45.  Therefore, of course 3 months seems to go by fast.

We are all experiencing an exponential decay of time the older we get.  Of course time is not "speeding up."  But, it sure seems like it is.  So, when you hear things like, "Appreciate every moment because they go by fast," I think that is real and this could be an explanation of that perceived phenomenon.

ChatGPT Copyright Chaos - Barron's Article

 Yesterday, Barron's (the weekly sister publication to the Wall Street Journal) published an opinion piece Jason and I co-authored on the copyright implications of ChatGPT. title "ChatGPT Will Unleash Copyright Chaos"

Then today I noticed something.  If you Google “ChatGPT copyright” the first hit is our Barron’s article.  I am pumped!  I have never had something be the first listing on Google.   

6 Terrabella Lane

Misty and I have been looking at a particular piece of land on Lake Ray Hubbard for about 15 years.  It is about 1.4 acres right on the lake.  I have honestly stood on this piece of land maybe 100 times over the years.  In my opinion, it has the most incredible view of the lake.  We have considered purchasing it several times, but it was just too much.  

Well, the land recently went back on the market and Misty and I decided to take a run at it.  On August 29th, Misty and I closed on 6 Terrabella Lane and we are looking forward to building our dream home over the next couple of years.