February 17, 2005

[Ponine]

It's odd, but when I think of myself when not giving much detail to the thoughts, I tend to forget that I am indeed a mere month away from 36.
I still see myself as the youngest one in the office, though I am, and since my coworkers feel compelled to refer to me as a youngster or little girl, it keeps me thinking that I am still about 25.

Never mind the fact that a great many people dont believe that I am my age. And in fact believe the myth , and perpetuate it, that I am in fact and under 30 person.
And now that I am on the weight loss kick, if I do in fact lose weight, althought that would be wonderful, it would only increase the misconceptions.

I dont feel like an adult. However I do tend to act like an adult. To steady and calm for the young set, too set in my ways.
But I dont refer to myself as an adult.....
How odd that stikes me now. And how odd that I dont seem to be alone in this thought.

(But as a side note, I love electronic billing)

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Ponine

(But as a side note, I love electronic billing)

Trust me, I'm looking into it!

I do get what your saying, and I know age is entirely subjective. With the added years to our life span (thanks, medicine! **** you, medicine?!), we can mature slower, I guess. But I've long struggled with the concept of adulthood. Is it thrust upon us at 18? Or is it a gradual building up of something? It seems like we're treated like kids for FAR too long. Like we're excused from maturing into rational, adult people. I think I prefer the idea that children be treated as if they are people. That's not to say that they can't have fun, of course, but I think Americans tend to infantalize young adults. It leaves them (ME) a bit unprepared for the world at large.

Then again, I know plenty of people my age who seem to balance being resposible while maintaint their youthful vigor and sense of fun, soooooo....

I have no idea what I'm talking about, really.

[Ponine]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

I do get what your saying, and I know age is entirely subjective. With the added years to our life span (thanks, medicine! **** you, medicine?!), we can mature slower, I guess. But I've long struggled with the concept of adulthood. Is it thrust upon us at 18? Or is it a gradual building up of something?

Is it subjective? I wonder.. I just forget. I have to stop and do math to remember half the time.
When the people all around me have birthdays that start with 4, I forget that I'm not all that far away from that myself.
I think we're adults at 24. Yeah, I know you're legal at 21.. but come on. Most , or at least more than a few, are still at home after 18.

[€uroMeinke]

I’m looking swanky today. Black chords, lavender turtle neck, and my charcoal cashmere jacket. The jacket of course makes the outfit and defines my swankyness. It subdues the lavender which otherwise would be a bit too loud for the conservativeness of the workplace. Of course, I’m wearing it because I’ve been cold all week and I haven’t done laundry and was faced with a lavender turtleneck.

Of course, it’s raining now. I recall that was supposed to happen yesterday, and since it didn’t I never imagined that it might do that today. My cars a long way off. Now to find that umbrella with my department’s logo on it, so I can amble humiliated, yet dry and swanky back to my car where I can go home to enjoy the early starting weekend.

You’ll notice, I haven’t mentioned anything about work. It’s because I haven’t done any. We’ll I took a few phone calls, caught up with my colleague in Chicago, read my email, read LoT, various Live Journals, and traded a few IMs. I just want to go home right now. Because tomorrow, I took a vacation day and I want my vacation to start as soon as possible.

Age – These dang 28 year olds, those are playful years when the body still accommodates. Try 43, and age of no real meaning, other than, “He’s in his 40’s.” I’ve entered the realm where all that really matter of my age is what decade. Years, they pass all too quickly. Still, I resist being in my 40’s – I still want to play, to discover, to indulge – and somehow have managed to do so (as has, most thankfully, my wife)

More important still, today is my mother’s birthday. Seventy-seven years ago today she was born in a small town in Germany. Born scandalously soon after her parents marriage, she witnessed first hand the horrors of WWII as friends were murdered before her and whole neighborhoods were burned in liberation.

She was 17 when the war ended, and took a job assisting a lesbian couple’s photography business, where she learned to touch up boudoir pics, drink cognac, and smoke cigarettes. These are the times she thinks of with fondness and no regrets.

At 28, My mother had immigrated to Canada, where for a time she lived like a pioneer as my father worked the Alaskan Highway, her only company, a record player and a group of silent Indian women who would come sit next to her on her porch. But by 28, she was in cosmopolitan Vancouver, hanging with artists, writers, and self-proclaimed entrepreneurs who would never become successful.

At 43, she had immigrated again, now to America – and more importantly, California. Her husband, finally successful ( A Disney subcontractor mind you), making good money, completely unaware of the tumor, slowly growing, that would change their lives forever.

And I am her ungrateful son. Today she’ll not be fussed over, for she hates that so. But she’ll get a phone call, a chat, an ambiguously promised visit. No doubt, she’ll spend the day on her play station, driving that taxi, or watching a favorite film, like Quills. For she too still like to play, though her body now is much less forgiving than mine.

[dsnylndmom]

That was such a wonderful post €uroMeinke and Happy Birthday to your mom.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Of course, I’m wearing it because I’ve been cold all week and I haven’t done laundry and was faced with a lavender turtleneck.

That made me laugh.

Love, LOVELY stuff about your mother. At 17, she was already the girl I hope to be at 40. Tres interesting life she's lived. And what good taste she has (Quills!).

Thank you for the read.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

And what good taste she has (Quills!).

Heh heh, she always had a thing for the naughty Marquise