It was 2:00 p.m, sunny and 70. Work was a little slow (one of the only lulls I've had in the past four years). And it was my birthday. So I blew out of the office yesterday and drove home, heading down Walker Avenue with Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal" blaring out of my speakers.
I kinda shook my head. I'm 41. When does a person start feeling middle aged? When does a person feel his age, period? The last time I felt my age, I was probably in the 17-22 range. When I was 23, I didn't feel 23. I remember seeing attractive 18 year-old girls and my friends and I would joke, "Remember when we heard about a 23-year-old guy dating an 18-year-old and thinking that the guy must be a pervert?" At 23, we didn't feel that much older than an 18-year-old. Twenty-three years later, and I still don't, at least much of the time.
I talked with my parents yesterday, both in the early seventies. They both said they still don't feel their age.
On first blush, it feels like a curse, but I'm going to try to view it as a blessing. I made up my mind yesterday morning that I wouldn't dread birthdays. They're the days that commemorate my coming into existence. They can't be lamented (you all can lament my birthdays, but I can't). Similarly, I'm going to view that inexplicable youthful feeling--even as I battle my weight, lose my hair, and prepare to have my gall bladder removed next week--as a good thing. It might take me awhile to figure out why it's a blessing, but for now, I'm merely going to adjust my general attitude toward it.
Of course, I'll try not to let the attitude adjustment lead me to this 41-year-old's antics: Police here say a man charged with drug possession had an unusual place to store his stash: his 6-year-old daughter's jacket pocket.
I've been running across a lot of neat lists lately. The 25 Greatest American Black Pop Culture Characters. Shaft is Number 8, Fred Sanford 6, Buckwheat 3.
Want to learn more about Thermopylae and 300? This site comes recommended by a reliable source.
