Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:54 pm
To quote Emily in novice Spanish, "Tengo veintitres anos"
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deckardcanineAt 20, I was glad not to have to wonder whether to call myself a teenager, as well as to have outlived King Tut. At 21, I was glad to ditch the one awkward year when you're a twenty-something minor. At 22, I was glad not to worry as much that people would suspect I was lying about my age, even tho I never actually took advantage of being 21. I also had an iota of superstition thanks to the MTV saga title "Dead at 21."
And what's my "whew" now? In the news, there seems to be a disproportionate number of nutcases and inept criminals who are 22 years old. Last Friday, for example, a notorious woman who had spent seven years in prison for having sex with a 12-year-old married her victim; they are now 43 and 22, respectively. That's one of the more respectable examples in my mind.
It's quite likely that I'll notice just as many 23-year-old nutcases now that I have a mind to look for them, but I still feel relief mixed with my birthday joy. Next year I suppose I'll be glad not to associate my age with the immature narrator of that cruddy Blink 182 song or the ditzes in Dick. ("How old are you?" "Twenty-three!" "Is that your combined age?") I only wonder when the relief will give way to frets -- 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, never?
As testament to my sustained youthfulness, half my gifts are video/computer games -- one for each console I own. Last night felt much like old times as my SNES threatened to keep me up into the wee hours.
And what's my "whew" now? In the news, there seems to be a disproportionate number of nutcases and inept criminals who are 22 years old. Last Friday, for example, a notorious woman who had spent seven years in prison for having sex with a 12-year-old married her victim; they are now 43 and 22, respectively. That's one of the more respectable examples in my mind.
It's quite likely that I'll notice just as many 23-year-old nutcases now that I have a mind to look for them, but I still feel relief mixed with my birthday joy. Next year I suppose I'll be glad not to associate my age with the immature narrator of that cruddy Blink 182 song or the ditzes in Dick. ("How old are you?" "Twenty-three!" "Is that your combined age?") I only wonder when the relief will give way to frets -- 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, never?
As testament to my sustained youthfulness, half my gifts are video/computer games -- one for each console I own. Last night felt much like old times as my SNES threatened to keep me up into the wee hours.
