Recent Musings:
Too old too fast.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
I was watching a show I liked last night and was a bit disappointed when one of the sisters was scorned for her new lifestyle. She and her boyfriend of six years had split and her response was to start dating someone younger, staying out later, drinking more on the weekends, going to concerts and just generally living it up. By the end of the show she had realized that she was "acting like a child" and was not acting her age; she apologized to her sisters for her behavior.
I started thinking about this and I didn't like it. I didn't like it because the show was determining how she should act based upon the age she was. I'm older and I've never acted my age. What I mean is that if I had followed the age patterns society had dictated for me, I'd have been married 5-10 years ago, I'd have at least a couple children and I'd be living the adult life. I'd probably also be miserable for never having done what I wanted to do with my life.
When does age or even adult status determine how one acts? It's one thing to be immature, yes, but it's another to know your responsibilities and limits, know what you enjoy and what you don't enjoy, know what you want and don't want and then and allow yourself some pleasures in life. Part of the reason I love my dad is because the man has never "acted" his age. He's mature, learned, responsible but also likes to ride four-wheelers and go on roller-coasters. No one ever guesses him as old as he is.
I think part of me was disappointed too when I realized that I have moved into the adult life of couples and apartments and debt and early morning commitments which mean no late night activities. I miss going out dancing; I miss seeing 10 o'clock shows at the theatre; I miss doing my grocery shopping after midnight. I miss the spontaneity I had, or allowed myself, in my 20s. And I miss the people, the friends, who I lived those spontaneous days and nights with.
So to remedy, I might try to go dancing this weekend. I threw out my neck and am presently in recovery so I may be no good, but seriously, I'll just drink more coffee on Saturday morning.