Old Fart

I'm starting to realize how old I am, and it sucks.

First of all, I officially have a sibling in her 40s. Said sibling has a daughter old enough to be driving, and a son old enough to have a learner's permit.

My 2nd oldest sibling is having his 20 year high school reunion this year. That shouldn't make me feel all that old except for the fact that I completely remember his hotter-than-the-fires-of-Hell graduation. I was plenty old enough to remember that. It was the year that "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was on the radio non-stop.

I get antsy when I stay up late at night. I used to LOVE staying up late every night and sleeping in every morning, but now I feel like I'm wasting half my day when I get up past 10. (Stupid early morning classes last semester...) For the last year or so, when cast members have invited me out after shows, I've turned them down almost every single time. I'm starting to stress when I'm out after 11. If you really know me, you should know how alarming this is...

I'm less than 3 years from 30. I'm older than the title characters of Friends were for the first few seasons. I'm older than my dad was when he got married (which seemed old to me when I was growing up. I'm older than two of my siblings were when they had kids. In fact, by the time they were my age, one had 2 and one had 3. Only one other sibling has kids, and he was only about a year older than I am now when his first were born.

When I actually have a free night, I have so many options of people to see and things to do that I just shut down. If somebody else doesn't invite me to do something, I usually end up just hanging out with myself. This is actually kind of good, because I and myself have a lot in common. And when I hang out with myself, I don't have to worry about any of the following: being guilted for not hanging out more, being bugged about my religious beliefs, being pressured to watch movies/plays that I don't want to see, having to pay for two people for dinner, etc.

There are at least 5 former piano students of mine in my current ward. This wouldn't be as alarming if it weren't for the fact that almost all of them were my students before they had left elementary school.

Speaking of my ward, the average age there right now is about 19-20. Most of these kids have probably never even HEARD "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - let alone remember it.

*Sigh*