Wait. That would be a real bad idea. I just miss being a kid for some reason. Weird. I've been thumbing through the archives (i.e., Facebook) and reminiscing about my youth. So, enjoy a photo of me from 20 years ago. When I was cool, and I was the one doing the mocking. Make note young people, you'll be standing around one day, scratching your head and trying to figure out when you stopped being awesome.
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| Before I discovered beer and tacos |
11 comments:
I think I actually have this one figured out Rusty. I read a study put out by Harvard regarding the Anthony Weiner scandal and how men seem more likely to become involved in political sex scandal than women.
The conclusion of the study is that men go into politics in order to "be somebody" while women go into politics in order to fix a situation that has gone bad. The very notion of "being somebody" leaves the door open for scandal because his whole reson for being there is all wrong--he's there to hog the spotlight...to absorb the adulation and worship of others.
The same Harvard study also said that this is the way men look at life in general. They go into careers, adopt religion, and choose their spouses all out of a need to be somebody. The cruel trick of the world is that when a man feels that he isn't somebody, it opens up despair. It can cause divorces (a man feels that his wife no longer gives him the respect that he feels is due to him from his peers), can cause a man to cheat (an affair makes him feel that he is somebody and boosts his esteem), and can be the source of depression when he feels that he (essentially) no one recognizes him for the somebody that he believes that he is deep inside.
It's an interesting phenomenon and results in these things we call "the mid-life crisis" where you see a man go out and blow his money on a sports car and plastic surgery and try to get a younger woman.
I guess my point is that the Harvard study can show us that being somebody is extremely important for a man. Knowing this, if you are unhappy or feel that you aren't somebody, you can take a look at your life analytically and see if there are aspects that cause this feeling of malaise, identify them, and be honest with them. Share with your loved ones that you want to "be somebody" and see what you can do that will restore this feeling that you miss when you were "cool" as you would say.
Wow. You had long hair...
Michael - Wow. Without doubting the validity of the Harvard study. I think I just don't like being reminded that I'm aging. Not just because I felt better when I was a kid, but also because I didn't have a care in the world back then. Also because I made some boneheaded decisions in life too.
Danette - It was pretty long, before I cut it all off it was near my waist. I could do an awesome swirl thing with it while I played the guitar. It sounds really stupid when I try to type it, but trust me, it was cool.
Ah, yeah... There was a time when I had a pony tail... heh. My kids don't believe me.
@Michael--I read that same study. It was interesting.
But, yeah, I can identify with the aging thing. Not that I actually getting older, but I hate that I can't do things like stay up all night anymore. Well, I can, but I feel it the next day, now. Big time. And I used to just... live that way. All the time. >sigh<
*actually mind getting*
My kids and I were discussing what we would do with the mythical advance that I'll get when a publisher signs me. We decided to go to Disney World. They started talking about all the cool rides and roller coasters. I volunteered to babysit the grandkids back at the pool in the motel.
I remember I loved roller coasters. I even went on one when I was pregnant.
*sighs*
.......dhole
You win! My hair was never that long. And no, I'm not posting pictures of my mullet. Some things are better left in the past.
And I saw the cover you did for another author's book - awesome work, man!
Just wanted to say congrats on your sales from the previous post.
At least you were cool at one time..lol. I don't think I ever was. Although I had more energy back then. :)
Getting old sucks, but there are positives too. Like you don't have to keep up with fashion trends or tech trends or any of that because that's all designed for 20something hipsters.
I'm not sure what is more awesome, the hair or the white tux. Please tell me that was prom for you, because anything else will not do it justice. I want to be me twenty years ago every day. I constantly berate myself over dumb things I did and "what might have been", like if I wouldn't have dated dudes with mullets (I don't think it was Alex, but it was a long time ago) or if I would have been a theater major like I wanted to be instead of being talked into doing pre-med by an advisor that looked suspiciously like Beetlejuice. I think that's normal, and frankly sometimes it's nice to re-infuse your life with that youthful crazy optimism and blinded confidence. It sucks to get old and jaded. Sometimes you have to remember who you were to get an idea of who you are.
Andrew - I think every male should have long hair at some point in their life. I hate to think I'm the only guy that knows the plight of getting my hair shut in a car door. And I do feel much more crappy after a late night or hard day, I mean, much, much more crappy.
Donna - Uh, yeah, your advance money celebration sounds a little less than epic, but I can sympathize. I'd spend a huge advance putting a new deck on my house.
Alex - Don't post mullet pics yet, but in a couple of years they'll be back in style and you can proudly show them. Everyone will laud you for being ahead of your time.
Cindy - Honestly, I was only cool in my own mind. I'm pretty sure everyone else thought I was special, but not in a good way.
Rogue - True enough, I do enjoy mocking the young for their stupid sense of fashion. Which of course they find ironic given how poorly I dress. But still, I find I don't care what they think, which is quite freeing.
Julie - Prom? Phhht. More like mowing the lawn, I always wanted to look my best. No, I actually think it was a wedding. I remember if so well because perhaps the funniest thing I think I ever heard was said to me right before that wedding. I don't want to talk academic decisions, biggest mistake of my life there.
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