So ... this is 40?

Doing inventory on my life at a milestone moment

Today is a milestone birthday for me. At the time this column is published, I’ll officially be 40 years old.

It’s a time where people really start taking stock in their life, the decisions they’ve made and think about what they’ve accomplished thus far.

Everyone wants to know if they’ve made a difference. If I died tomorrow, would I have mattered? What would my obituary look like? I took a crack at it.

“I was born Aug. 19, 1985, at St. Charles Hospital in Oregon to Marv and Cynthia Hemminger.

I was survived by my mother; my sister, Denise (Justin) Avery; my brother, JC (Jennifer) Hemminger, three nieces and two nephews. I was preceded in death by my father.

I graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 2004. I attended Ohio State University seeking a degree in architecture, then chemical engineering, then computer science engineering; and I also attended the University of Toledo.

I got involved in journalism in 2009, writing at various websites before joining The Daily Chief-Union newspaper in Upper Sandusky in 2017. I was named city editor in 2021 and started writing a weekly column in early 2022 that many people have said they enjoyed.

I was an avid sports fan, regularly cheering on the Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Ohio State Buckeyes, and I attended many music concerts and festivals. I enjoyed playing card games with friends and family, singing karaoke and traveling the country on my quest to see the Guardians play in all 32 Major League Baseball stadiums.

I was known as someone who was easy to talk to, was relatable, friendly, and tried to help and inspire as many people through my work as I could, whether through an article that told someone’s story, or through sharing my own struggles with weight loss and self doubt in my column. I also did my best to keep people informed.

In the end, I hoped people cared that I existed, that my memory will live on through my words, my deeds and my stories.”

That was morbid, I know, but it’s an important exercise people should try. It really makes you think.

Reading through my obituary, it’s not half bad — but it’s incomplete. I want to be a homeowner. I want to find true love. I want to finish my weight loss journey. I want to finally finish my first book and get it published — and I want it to have a lasting impact when people read it.

Am I being overly optimistic? Possibly. But I’d rather shoot for the stars than temper the expectations I have for myself.

I know my dad made a difference in his 38 years.

Going back to Oregon Clay High School this past week for a ribbon cutting ceremony/open house was eye opening. I got to see the many changes that the agriculture building has undergone in the past 29 years. I got to see the expansion of the school’s agriculture program. I got to meet the tremendous teachers who have carried my father’s torch in sharing their love for agriculture with their students.

Perhaps what warmed my heart most of all was seeing all the new blue and gold banners for state championships and state placers in all the nature, wildlife and other career development competitions that the FFA program has participated in since dad left us in 1996. There were so many of them that they ran out of space on the walls. It was amazing.

The students and staff had kept his memory alive through their many achievements.

I think most of all, when I’m gone, I’d like to inspire greatness in others. It may not happen in the classroom like my dad, but perhaps it could be through the written word, mentorship or public speaking.

I’d like to think I’ve done a lot in my first 40 years, but there’s plenty of my story that I have yet to write.

I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store in the next chapter.