Signs That You're Growing Old, Or: What Was That On The Radio?!

Over time, or more accurately, because of time, you realize that you're getting older. Not necessarily old, but older. It starts with the little things, like perhaps watching half of a movie before realizing that you saw it once when you were 14. Although, those movie days were spent more sitting in the back than anything else. So maybe "seeing" the movie is just a technical term. But there's other things too. And one of the most obvious is finding yourself very set in your ways. What tv shows you'll watch. What radio stations you'll listen to. Discovering that you somehow morphed into a respectful, law-abiding driver (although I continue to believe that this last one is the result of living on a tropical island where there is no real need to drive fast or crazy). But the one that gets me is the "that was HOW long ago?"

I'm not talking about stuff like when the Magna Carta was signed (1297 A.D.). I'm talking about current stuff that just melts in with everything else and then you suddenly realize that Brett Favre won his only Super Bowl 11 years ago. I was talking with my good friend Steve this week, and the topic of some college football game came up. I can't even remember the teams. But Steve, who is but 22 years old, said that the game was from 1992 or 1993, while I was confident that it was 1996. And that's when I realized, man, time has just flown by! Obviously it hasn't, as I've piled on lots of experiences since 1996 (or especially 1992), but the rear view mirror has that distorting effect.

Why is this important? Well, my brother and his wife just welcomed their brand new son to the world this week. The delivery went well but then, a day after birth, young Brody developed a breathing problem and had to be rushed to the ICU. It seems now, several days later, that it was simply that his lungs hadn't cleared enough amniotic fluids (there were fears it was heart-related) and the latest report says that he's off oxygen now and they're hoping to take him off the IV today. It was a trying week for the whole family. My mom was completely strung out and I had difficulty staying focused in class, my mind returning often to thoughts of Brody and his parents and sisters. And that's when you realize what's important, and why, in the large view, who won the 1997 Rose Bowl, pales in comparison. And why I'm happy listening to my classic rock and reggae instead of trying to keep up with whoever Hollywood is trying to force down my throat. Brody doesn't need that stuff either. I like that simple world view. And it's one that I wish more people would embrace.

Random notes: Much thanks to my friend Ian for forwarding me my Celebrity Look-Alike. A brief explanation: my original look-alike worked pretty good, when you use a normal-looking photo of myself. Though I didn't get Tom Cruise (I've heard that resemblance from time to time over the years), I did get a few other guys who I looked a bit like, AND there weren't any girls. But I do have that winner of a picture from my time at Yale (I don't need to explain the black eye, only that I'm quite proud of earning it), and I couldn't help but find out how the program examined that one. Anne McCaffrey AND The Notorious B.I.G.? Excellent!

My Celebrity Look-Alikes, Or: How I'm Both an Old White Lady and The Notorious B.I.G.