I’ve been thinking a lot about this blog and the other blogs I read, and how various blogs will occasionally irritate me, while others make me pause and think I should be writing more personal stuff in my own blog. All that is just a preface to the discovery that my nephews and niece are growing up.
I went to my MySpace profile (to delete it, actually) when I naturally started to take a look at my friends profiles before leaving. During this perusal, I discovered that my nephew has a blog. I think I’d noticed that in the past, but I took a look at his last couple of posts and was mildly surprised to find out that he’s a really funny guy! I thoroughly enjoyed his dry, matter-of-fact humor; something I’d never really had the chance to notice before never having any access to his writing style, and basically spending most of my time with him at family gatherings where there isn’t a huge amount of time to converse meaningfully.
Now, my nephew was born the summer between my high school graduation and my first year of college. A time when you’re just starting to feel like an adult. The fact that my nephew is now 27 years old, and he didn’t even exist until after I was already an adult (well, at age 18, I could vote at least) is a curious sensation. He was a child for such a long time in my adult life, it’s an interesting experience to now keep reminding myself that he’s an adult. In fact, I have friends who are younger than him! I need to hang out with my nephew more. By the way, his myspace profile with that amusing blog are over here.
Then there’s my niece, and she really shook things up in the child/adult continuum earlier this year by getting married. The first of that generation to do so. Huh? I was just babysitting for her the other day! And coaching her middle-school basketball team! Now she’s married? And teaching developmentally disable kids? Okay, I knew she was going to turn out pretty special one day… she was a pretty special little kid… but to have that day here, a beautiful young woman getting married to a beautiful young man… well, it’s a little surreal. Next thing you know, there’s going to be another generation of Colfords showing up, and that will be a real adjustment.
There are a couple more nephews in the family… and thank god, they’re still in school. Of course the older of the two is now in high school, and he’s my godson, so that’s a little odd. And he’s one of those interesting and cool high schoolers, pulling out of that sullen, leave-me-alone middle school phases. The younger… the youngest in our extended family, just entered middle school, and thank god he still acts like a kid. At least the whole world hasn’t shifted yet.
So what does this all mean? I’m getting older? Well sure, I know that, and I’m even okay with it for the most part. It is a little unusual that I’m experiencing, albeit to a much lesser degree, what parents must feel as they watch their kids grow up. I just find it so interesting that as an an individual, I don’t really feel any different as I age compared to when I was a teenager. When I am relating to a friend who is 10 years younger than me… even 15 years younger than me, I often forget we are different ages. (Granted, when I am talking to a friend who is nearly 20 years younger than me, I do notice the difference.) So, here’s to getting older! In so many ways, people really do get more interesting the more time they spend on this planet.
Anyway, I didn’t end up deleting my MySpace profile. What do you think? I know MySpace is passe. If you’re not checking your profile anymore, should you delete it? Just ignore it? Stop by once a month or so just to see what’s going on? I’d love to hear what you think…