Last week was my birthday and besides hearing the “old man” jokes as I turned 42 I also got asked by a few of my friends when I was going to grow up. Now for some that might seem to be an insult but the question wasn’t asked in that matter. Now physically there are times that I feel older but mentally I don’t think of myself as being 42. I’m not quite a baby boomer but I’m not quite Gen-X either. I’m the guy in my circle of friends that still listens to hard rock and heavy metal (turn it up!) instead of country music or easy listening as most now do. I still go to concerts, am active in karate, always exploring new gadgets, still trying to learn new things and not afraid to embrace change. When my friends have a question about mp3s, how to use their new camera, et cetera I am the one they turn to. To my friends I’m still a kid at heart and that makes them feel old at times. When I deal with some of the teenagers at the karate dojo they are shocked that someone my age listens to the kind of music that I do or that I enjoy watching cartoons on adult swim. They don’t expect someone “old” like me to do that stuff. But why shouldn’t I enjoy those things because I’m 42?

Now I don’t want to fall into the trap that I am seeing many of my peers doing because of our age. I refuse to get old. Now physically I can’t stop that from happening but mentally I’m going to put up a fight. Refuse to be old and you never will be.

Tags: age, birthdays, music