It’s funny, or maybe not so funny, just how age has this way of sneaking up on you. I don’t feel like I’m middle aged, but I guess that’s what you’d call me. I really think that label needs some modifying, something like “the age of perfection.” I can hear myself saying, “Yes, I’ve finally reached the age of perfection, and it feels great. I bet you can’t wait to get there.”
When I was a kid the thought of being middle-aged seemed downright ancient. Well, as a kid I guess everybody’s parents seemed pretty ancient. But, the fact is most of our parents were pretty young. I don’t even think many of them were even close to reaching the “age of perfection.”
I think about the fact that my mom had me when she was 23 and I had my daughter when I was 38. So, by the time my mom reached my age of today I was finished with college and in the workforce. Wow! When my daughter is finished with college and has entered the workforce I may be about ready to enter the old home force.
Again, I certainly don’t feel old. I can still hula hoop, do a cartwheel (okay, I feel the strains in my back), teach my daughter double dutch, play a mean game of Go Fish and swing oh so high in the swing. But, whoa I don’t remember feeling so queezy after swinging. Now my stomach sort of bottoms out and after five or six swings I’m good for the day, week and month.
I guess things definitely shift and change a bit, even though I’m still going to continue my belief that age really is just a number. But, lately I’ve been thinking about all the indicators of just how fast time flies and how much change we experience in our lives. Now these are the kinds of things that really date us and will definitely date me. Here goes:
-When I was a kid my sister and I stood up in the backseat. In fact, we wrestled, fought, made forts, fought… pretty much did anything we wanted because if seat belts even existed, we had no clue.
-When I was a kid on the rare occasions we stayed in a hotel/motel you could make the beds vibrate by putting quarters in the little slot on the headboard. Now, those were some classy hotel rooms! I’m telling you though, as kids we loved those vibrating beds. I will say no more.
-I remember eight track tapes. In fact, I think we probably had a few.
-I earned my drivers’ licence at 14. We lived in Idaho and the old law was still on the books that I believe stemmed back to years past when kids needed to be able to drive to help on the farm. Well, I didn’t help much on our small farm, but my sister and I did share a ’68 Mustang. It served us well.
-When I started college the drinking age in Idaho was still 19. I guess there were perks to living in Idaho at the time.
-I loved the Flash Dance era – torn sweatshirts, off the shoulder – very hot.
-I typed all my undergrad papers on a Selectric typewriter and used whiteout tape to cover up mistakes, sometimes I even used the whiteout in the bottle.
-I took my first computer class as a freshman or sophomore in college, but it was all about learning code from a textbook, which I retained absolutely nothing. As a senior, I took a class where I believed we learned Lotus. I couldn’t even tell you what that was today.
-My first cell phone was probably closer to one of those brick versions you hear people laugh about.
-I owned parachute pants in college.
-I had a spiral perm in my long, really big hair. I’m telling you though, it was the in thing in the 80s. God, it’s hideous when I look at old photos.
I could go on and on, bringing back all kinds of memories, good and bad, which I guess is what life is all about. We’re always building on what came before, continuing to grow and blossom. Yes, I guess I’ve embraced what I call the “age of perfection” and I’m loving it. I don’t need a red Mazarati (I probably would prefer a red Prius) to make me feel young or some major face/body lift (although I probably wouldn’t turn that down), I just need the here and now, along with my family and friends. Now that’s living!
