Shipwrecked? Not Yet!

(Old age is a shipwreck. – Charles de Gaulle)

A bunch of us from college got together a few weeks ago and it was total mayhem all over again. In fact, it was so much fun that I had an extra severe case of the Monday morning blues. I must confess to age playing a teensy-weensy role in my state of 'weekend bliss'. You know, the kind of happiness that arises from belonging to the right age group every once in a while. “Why?” you ask. Well, I've been running down this tunnel that lights up my age at every bend for a while now and that weekend was a welcome break of darkness. Darkness I'm willing to light up again, so you get to peek into what I call - Kaotic's Age Ridden Tunnel of Darkness and Light!

(Kaotic's thought bubble: Quit the melodrama already!)

 

Overheard In The Office Elevator: 

A colleague and I hopped across to the elevators on the other side of the stairs after waiting forever on our side. We encountered a chatty bunch of people from the advertising company that occupies the space there; an entertaining change from the earnest finance person I run into on a daily basis (moi included!). I mean, I had a hard time keeping a straight face during the ride down to the basement. Here’s what they had to say.

Girls and Guy to colleague (aka The Others): It’s time you got married. You’re old. Like 35!

35 year old bloke: Hey, there’s no rush.

The Others: Of course, there is. Soon there'll be no women left for you. You’ll only get the ones over 40. You're still in the running for the 20-somethings if you go for it now.

35 year old bloke: The way I see it, the longer I wait the better the deal as I get the experienced ones then.

The Others: Please, those 40-somethings come with baggage!

On the one hand I was amused and on the other I was all, “kids, how presumptuous!”  And then “oh no, if the 30 something men want the 20 something/ 40 something women, where does that leave us 30 something women!?” 

Sigh, “Seat for Monk” must be a sign of things to come after all! ;-)

BBQ Time:

‘Blue Spanish Eyes’ asks another young thing (yeah, they’re 'things' now – these nasty people in their 20’s!) about his age. I’m not sure how it happened but suddenly it was all about the oldest in the room. Before I could blink, my supposed friend Poo and another fella began competing for the winners’ trophy via their respective friends.

And then, as is wont to happen when I’m in a room, everyone was ‘ordered’ to declare their year of birth. The old adage, “never ask a lady her age” obviously does not apply any more. I won by a year and you could see Poo dancing her little victory jig in her head, while I tried to figure out if I really was the winner or loser here.

Well, this sorted it out for me.

1987(aka the youngest in the room): So what does that make me? The loser?

The others:  You don’t even count!

(Kaotics though bubble: Focus on the word “winner” lass.)

An Original Thai Massage For The Ego:

Poo: KO, why don’t you pick up a pair of plain glasses? You know, just for the heck of it.

KO: Eh, okay, let’s check them out.

Spectacle seller in a mall in Thailand: Madam, your age?

*distracted silence*

Persistent Spectacle seller: Maybe 40? Maybe you look for glasses to read? You know at 40….

*walks away before insult is added to injury and sense of humour is still intact*

(Kaotics thought bubble: Good Sir, I am certainly not 40. I think you’re the one in need of those glasses or so I’d like to believe! *sniff sniff* )

Et Tu Brutus:

Diva to Poo on meeting a bunch of new people: OH. MY. GOD.  There are people older than KO.

Yes Diva, yes Poo, there really are people older than KO. SURPRISE! :p

And to think I call these sillies, friends. *world weary sigh*

Does this mean I’m going down? No way, Siree! I’ll just continue feeding myself a whole load of mumbo-jumbo (from “the 30’s are the new 20’s” to the “age is just a number” line) so I can continue looking down upon those ‘strange young things’ with a glow of 30-something pride and condescension. In the words of James Broughton, “I’m happy to report that my inner child is still ageless.” Ha!