Coming of Age

This post is somewhat of a departure from the norm here, but a subject that intrigues me none the less. Today there is a lull [all be it rare] in my life. Tomorrow is a national holiday, and rather than work as I usually do, I woke up in an introspective mood… and now you are all stuck with the results.

I have a mental image of myself. I have always been a child at heart; playful, a prankster and stayed current on trends and technology. That mental image is sometimes contradicted by the reflection in the mirror. I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror except to shave…it’s always a good idea to watch what you are doing when you have a razor in your hand. I really don’t enjoy looking at myself if I don’t have to. It is what it is. I went shopping recently with a friend at an art store. It was fun and I was helping her pick materials for art projects she is working on. At one point we came to a section in an aisle that had large plates of mirrored glass. She stopped to look because she has plans for a piece of art using shards of mirrored glass.

In that moment I could not avoid seeing myself in a full length mirror and I was taken aback a bit. For an instant I could not help notice the stark difference in her youth and my…”postured experience”. Was it a reality or a hallucination? I prefer the latter.

So now, today I think about age. I am by genetic engineering still firmly planted in the second trimester of my life…so I have that going for me. With few exceptions, my family history is at or near centenarian.

I started to think about the stereotypical signs of age (usually presented by youthful know-nothings) and came up with a point-counterpoint list.

1. Gray hair.

a. I don’t have a single gray hair on my body. My hair is white! Pure white! I have had white hair since I was in my thirties. It’s genetic, not age related.

2. Deteriorating senses such as hearing.

a. Beethoven and Peter Townsend were completely deaf by their twenties and still maintained successful careers.

3. Becoming a grandparent.

a. With patience, planning and discipline we can choose at which age we become parents. We have ZERO control at which age we become grandparents.

b. My father was 38 when I was born.

c. I have an aunt who was 30 when she became a grandmother…so that poo-poos that whole idea.

Things I was born before:
1. The beginning and end of the cold war with Russia.

2. Color television.

3. Space travel.

4. Personal computers, calculators, PDAs, Smart [ass} phones, etc.

Does any of that make me feel old? Nope. Nope. Nope. It makes me grateful that I lived in an age to see them all come to fruition, and be able to share those experiences with others.

There will surely be more on this subject later. Please stay tuned.

I’m just saying.