Thirty Five

The face of 35
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Rollman.

Yesterday I turned 35. My mom asked if I knew how old that made her feel. I thought to myself, "I'm 35, I already feel old."

Truth is I don't feel that old. Oh sure my mortal coil rebels once in a while, taking me on week long trips through minor aches and pains, and each morning my joints sound like bags of stale Cheetos, but it's not how I feel inside. I don't know if it's denial or genuine youthful outlook. I would still rather play games, watch cartoons and buy Lego than study investment trends, watch artsy movies and buy real estate.

And it's not about being a "grown up." I've had more than a few people tell me it's immaturity - I disagree. I've been an adult for 17 years now and I can honestly say I don't like doing traditional adult things. And it's not about shirking your responsibilities, it's just the difference in what you do in between. You can pay your bills, fix your car, renew your car tags and shop for better insurance without having to lose that desire to watch Spongebob or play Guitar Hero. The only downside to believing you're a child at heart is the constant feeling you're doing something wrong. Every day I feel I'm forgetting something or I'm not doing something I should be, like a haze of guilt just beyond imagination.

But not yesterday. Yesterday I took a half a day off work, played my newly gifted Rock Band with my little girl, ate a calzone and drank ciders. Ms. A and I worked on moving the kids into one room and then her into another. We played cards and made cupcakes. It was a nice day.

And now I'm back at work. One thing I will say about birthdays as you get older, they lose their spectacle. Unless you get that once in every couple years surprise party or your SO sends you to a spa or sky diving, most of us will spend our birthday's getting lollipops from HR or phone calls from family. I'd like to be rolling in the disposable cash for one year so I could take myself on one of those trips where spontaneity is the only rule and money is no object. Where you don't pack because you'll buy all your clothes wherever you land.

Sorry tangent.

Finally, have a read. I found this quite amusing...because it's true.

Carry on.