Curmudgeonliness is next to Godliness

I was just looking at the blog of my youthful ukernet community friend Howlin' Hobbit, where he waxes rhapsodic on his impending entry into the curmudgeon stage of his life. Hey, pal, I've been there for a year.

My first clue was when I realized people were beginning to call me "sir" and really mean it.

By the way, I remember the first time I was called "sir." I was 16. I was with a group of friends in Pasadena on New Year's Eve, waiting to see the Rose Parade. I was walking along a dark street that lead up to the parade route, when this 13-year-old addressed me. "Sir," he said, "Can you buy me a six pack of beer?" It was dark, like I said. On that same night, right after the clock struck twelve, this woman who had to be at least 18, grabbed me by the shirt collar and said "Kiss me, sweetie!" and planted what had to be the longest, deepest kiss that I had ever had at that point in my life on my tender, quivering lips.

I should mention that I was there with a church group.

But, I digress.

These days, I find myself the occasional victim of ageism, even though 51 is not that old, by today's standards. It seems some people do assume that I represent some antiquated way of living. I have more than once been called old-fashioned.

As Bob Dylan once said, "He not busy being born is busy dying." I know more younger People than I care to count who have trapped themselves into lifestyles they can no longer see their way out of: children they didn't plan, marriages they settled for-Hell! affairs to which they are neither morally or legally bound, but can't see their way out of.

I am not always the best at "being born," but I have been more of a student of life during the past ten or so years than I ever was before. I went back to school and got my Masters at the age of 48. I took up the ukulele at the age of 49 and have started singing again-this time, the kinds of songs I want to sing. I have started writing again.

I think curmudgeoning is not a bad way of life. Look forward to it.