Getting Older

Back when I was younger, I had a tendency to lie about my age - a lot.  I always made sure to add another year to my real age.  It all started in 4th grade or so.  Being older, in  my mind, was synonymous with maturity, and I wanted so much to be a mature responsible kid.   I learned to round my age up because I've never been particularly good at lying.  Nine and a half became ten.  Later, sixteen became seventeen. Needless to say, I no longer tack on that extra year.  I've run about half the race.

This picture is about thirty-five years old, give a couple years.  My family lived in Latham, NY, a suburb just outside of Albany.  As I look at the photo, I want to ask my younger self questions because I've forgotten so much of what I liked and disliked when I was seven.  What are your favorite TV shows besides Sesame Street, Mr. Rodgers, and the Electric Company? What do you do with your spare time?  How much money did you get for the tooth? What do you want to be when you grow up?  A teacher? A scientist?  I think back then I wanted to be a firefighter.  My youth is all very hazy.

Lately, I've become more aware of aging.  For example, I'll go to a mall and look around and realize that I'm now older than most of the people browsing in the stores and milling about.  The really old folks sometimes seem that they're from another world. I combat the aging process by working on maintaining a "young" brain, and I owe this ability to working around teenagers all day. I let their vigor and optimism rub off on me.

"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes..."  Ecclesiates 11:9