Movin` on up there

It seems like every where I turn I'm reminded of just how old I am. Not that I think 31 is OLD, but I am quickly remined how young 31 isn't.

•On September 11th, I was trying to explain to my students why we remember that day when one of my students raised her hand and informed me that none of them were even alive "way back then".  What!  I was in college and had a job during the 9/11 attacks.  How is it that I am teaching students who hadn't even been thought of yet.

I used to be the youngest teacher on our campus.  I taught with teachers that I had while I was growing up. Teachers who occasionally would slip and call me by my maiden name. All of those sweet teachers are quickly retiring and being replaced with teachers way younger than I am.  My current teaching partner is 21 years old.  I'm middle aged.

One of the joys of being a school teacher is that you are still forced to take a "yearbook photo" every year, and for being a good little teacher, they reward you with a free 5X7 of the lovely visual that will forever haunt you in that dreaded year book.  I got my school pictures today.  Who is that lady staring back at me with the parentheses around her mouth and the thought lines accenting her forehead?

Metabolism, not just slowing down but screeching to a halt!

My nephew, Owen, asked me today if they had phones when I was a kid.  Seriously!  How old does he think I am?  I rolled my eyes (after I slapped him up side the head) and replied that we just sent smoke signals back in my day.  He giggled and laughed like a 13 year old girl then tried to explain that he meant did they have phones that texted back in the day.  This got me.  I really had to think about it.  I'm sure that there were phones that texted way back then but not everyone had one.  I surely didn't.  Does this really mean that texting has just come about since I've been out of high school?

I guess aging is better than the alternative, but I had hoped I would do it more gracefully...