blogger profile

Chris Kuhn

Editor, skirt! Tampa Bay

I'm an outspoken thirtysomething who has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1992, full of useless facts on just about every facet of pop culture. I'm passionate about vegetarianism without passing judgment. I love to laugh. If we can't talk politics, music, movies, sports, TV or current events, you'...

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Age-old Question

My husband and I share a lot in common. One of those similarities is a pet peeve for the phrase “years young.” As in this annoying reference: “Oh, Aunt Pat? She’s 75 years young.”

No, she’s not.

Let’s call it like it is. The word is “old,” people. Let’s not be afraid to use it. After all, there’s a big difference between fourteen-year-old knees and forty-year-old knees (and I would know because I’ve already achieved the latter before actually reaching the age).

I turned 38 years OLD today. I don’t feel like I’ve been around that long. But I feel that old today. Ask me about it on other days, and I’ll tell you that I still feel 28.

I miss listening to radio and completely “getting” everything. The music station I flip over to most often is geared toward 18-25 year old men and while I love the music, I generally don’t understand the mentality of its callers.

I miss being young enough to change my mind and set a new course without others questioning it on my résumé.

I miss being able to squat. I mean, really squat (due to my aforementioned  40+ age-old knees).

But with age do come some benefits. I don’t hesitate to speak my mind when I’m unhappy at a store or restaurant anymore. As I get older, I’m less inclined to worry about what others think and more concerned with justice. How noble of me, huh?

What I like best is that I have something to say now. Okay, I definitely had something to say when I got out of college, but now I wonder if it was really what I believed or just what I knew based on what others had told me.

With age comes wisdom – that’s what I’ve heard. And quite a few bumps and scratches along the way (hence those Ice Age knees again). But it also means that when I state my belief now, there’s some personal truth behind it.

To others, I still might be off my rocker, but to me, I’m being authentic.

How old are you feeling today?