Showing One's Age

memories are a funny thing

today...during a conversation with Kelly
I had to admit out loud that I'm going to be 50 in July
I joke around all the time
about "how the hell did that happen?"
and
"where the hell was I when that happened?"

but the truth is
I'm kinda proud of it

there were times when I was positive
that I wasn't ever going to make it
just as
there were times when my health
was bad enough that I didn't want to make it

one of the things that aided me thru the years
is my ability to submerse myself in a book
I've always been able to read
and lose myself enough
that I could step away
from the reality of the day to day
for a while

I've read a lot of crap
and
I've read a lot of good stuff

a lot of people suggest that TV
was the downfall of reading
but I don't think so
I feel like it's a sort of adendum to reading...
just like movies

that being said
if a movie is based on a book you've read
don't expect the story to be the same
...but I digress

today I was flippin channels
while waiting for my supper to cook
and on PBS I stumble across an old Lawrence Welk show

the Lennon Sisters

and all of a sudden I am transported back
to being young
and curling up with one of my first hard covered books
the thrill of reading a Janet Lennon story.
(here's where showing my age comes in)
remember those books?
Dale Evans, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys...

the kids now days would read those stories
and laugh at how "sad" they are
wouldn't you rather that your kids
and grandkids
read them
instead of learning about Britney's pregnancy
from People magazine?

yup
I'm gettin old