Getting Old

So for the past couple of days, I've been completely incapacitated because of what is generally considered to be one of the tougher ordeals a young man or woman can go through - and I'm not talking about teen pregnancy or concentration camps. That's right folks - I've had my wisdom teeth out (gasps of shock and horror.)

So, to be honest, it's got me thinking about a topic that has been on my mind for a while - age. I recently talked with somebody who knows a thing or two about getting old, and he said that the way I described being sedated was a lot like what it is to be old. You don't want to get up. You don't want to do things. You don't feel like being nice. And you want EVERYTHING to be the way you want it to.

But here's something I've been thinking about lately. I'm sure you're familiar with the idea of "embracing our inner child" or some nonsense like that. The idea that if we just act like ourself, and let childhood stay with us, we can be really happy. If you ask me, that's kind of a load of bull. Consider the following. Children, especially "terrible twos" are, as a rule, loud, grumpy, lazy, and want everything their way. They complain when they don't get what they want. They're generally angry that they can't control everything. I don't know about you, but those traits sound awfully familiar. People start out as little boxes of aspirant godhood - they want to be worshiped and adored, and they want their every whim catered to.

Maybe what we need to do is actually embrace our inner geezer. When people get older, and they get over the idea that "everything needs to go my way," they seem to be generally a lot happier. They realize that they're pretty small in a world that's really big, and really young in a world that is really, really old. Realizing that our tiny part of the story of history is just that - a thread in a bigger tapestry - can really make us a lot happier. Our lives aren't always going to be dramatic, or exciting, or even all that fun, and let's be honest - they're aren't going to even be that most of the time. But that's okay. It's better to know that God in heaven is looking down, and saying "your part in that story is more important than you think, even if you can't see it right now, or even control it."

So this is the Social Heretic, signing off for now. Embrace your inner geezer!