Introspective Saturday

Things that make me feel old:

1. When I was a kid, no one owned computers. Or microwave ovens.
2. When I was a kid, there were three regular TV channels, and one public channel. There was no cable, no dvd, no vcr. (The advantage, of course, being that I could figure out that there was nothing on worth watching in a mere fraction of the time it takes me now)
3. I took typing in high school. On a typewriter. (90 words a minute, though, oh yeah)
4. I had feathered hair in junior high….and thought I looked really cool.
5. I went to my family reunion recently and got to see my cousin’s adult children…and her grandchildren.
6. I’ve decided that I am too old to wear clothes that have come back in style, if I remember wearing them the first time they were in style. And there already are some of those things. (Leggings, though—no loss. Seriously.).
7. I can remember John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino. A Sweathog.
8. I used to avoid the UA Cinemas in town because they were the most expensive—their tickets cost all of $4.
9. 20-somethings seem so young.
10. I remember when a thong was half of a pair of rubber shoes.
11. I watched Charlie’s Angels…the original series.
12. I rode my bike all day, all summer long, all over the neighborhood from the time I was 8 and never even heard of a bike helmet (no funny comments about how “that explains a lot”, what do you say?).
13. All of us kids were sent outside to play in the sun all summer so we would “get a little color”. No one even considered putting sunscreen on us..
14. I’ve been told that I look good “for my age”. (Dude…that’s so bad)
15. My doctor’s notes describe me as “a pleasant, middle-aged woman in no apparent distress”. (Yeah, well, I’m distressed NOW. And I’m not as pleasant as I was before I read that, either!)

But, my dear friend Marianne (who is seriously an angel, and not particularly “in disguise”, either) told me recently that if you argue for your limitations, you get to have them. Good point. So here’s a list of reasons why it’s actually pretty cool being this age:

1. I can stay up as late as I want, eat whatever I want, and I never have to worry about getting caught making out.
2. Mr. K. –‘nuff said. (Yeah, yeah, I know—let’s say it together: Awwwwwwwww)
3. I don’t have to be in high school EVER AGAIN. (shudder)
4. There are so many things I still get to learn, only now I really like doing it.
5. Sometimes, people actually think I’m wise (oh, quit laughing. I might have said something wise once or twice, it could happen)
6. I finally “get” that no one really cares how my hair looks
7. If I want to know if someone is mad at me, is still my friend, or thinks this outfit is stupid, I can just ask.
8. I finally understand that there is very little in life that is worth true angst.
9. I can go to a restaurant or a movie alone and it will never occur to me to wonder if other people think I'm a loser who can't get a date
10. I'm starting to think that "interesting" is a better thing to be than "pretty"
11. I realize that “now” is way more important than “was” or “will be”
12. I still do dumb things….but I can laugh at them instead of wanting to die of embarrassment.
13. I’ve had interesting things happen to me, but I’m young enough to think there are probably more coming.
14. I may be a “pleasant, middle-aged woman in no apparent distress”, but the doctor listens to what I have to say. And I know enough to find a new one if she/he won’t.
15. Now that I don’t have to worry about growing up, I can finally work on growing in.

What about you? What's cool about being whatever age you are?