Thursday, March 24, 2011

Old vs. Young

Twenty nine years old is an odd age. You are acutely aware that you aren't as young as you used to be. Yet, you're not old in the least.

I'm old: I just realized that all of the Knicks and Bills jerseys I own feature players who retired 10 to 15 years ago.
I'm young: I can wear a jersey and it's not sad.

I'm old: I recently went to a Talib Kweli concert and realized that most of the other concert-goers were like 10 years old when I first saw him live.
I'm young: I can still go to concerts where there are no chairs and I don't get tired. Also, my presence there isn't yet sad.

I'm old: For the past three years, I limp around when I first wake up in the morning about 50% of the time.
I'm young: That limping usually goes away within five minutes.

I'm old: I have to stretch before engaging in athletic pursuits.
I'm young: I can still engage in athletic pursuits.

I'm old: I've gained weight.
I'm young: I can still eat whatever I want without being fat or unhealthy.

I'm old: My chest hair is lush.
I'm young: My back is devoid of hair save the occasional random wisp.

I'm old: Five years ago, I had a teenaged student who had never heard of the Oklahoma City bombing. More recently, I've had students who only had a vague knowledge of the attacks on September 11. Both are events that I remember vividly.
I'm young: Going to the bathroom is still an incidental part of my day.

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