The human family
Wow, how long has it been since I've written here before! :) I promise I haven't abandoned this blog-o-mine. I honestly didn't even realize I hadn't written here in such a long time until a friend of mine asked me about it, and even that was close to two months ago! Haha. There is, perhaps, a reason for my absence, but this blog has an identity crisis so I'm not sure what all I want to talk about on here. Never know who's reading these things, hehe.
Anyway, I'm writing now because I felt prompted to by a chance encounter at a grocery store today. I ran into a guy from college again that I seem to periodically run into every so often. It was the standard exchange you give someone you haven't seen in a few years: "Hey!!", "What's going on, haven't seen you in a while?", "You got married and have a daughter?!", "Say what!?"
Nothing makes you realize your age more than seeing a guy you hung around with in college spew out the phrase, "I'm a family man". Yeah, I know he didn't say that but that's what my bachelor ears heard. He looked different too, a bit more well-fed than before. When I was a kid I would've looked at him and thought, "adult", but being an adult the same age as him I just see "that guy". Very weird the tricks time and age play on you.
Truth be told I love getting older. I understand things better every day, I'm learning more, I'm becoming more comfortable in my skin, I love it really. The only downsides are looking in the mirror and seeing a not quite as youthful body as it once was. (Ahh...I really really looked good before. :)) Heh.
I feel more connected with people and the environment too as I age. I'm starting to view everyone as part of my human family. Everyone so wonderfully quirky and unique. I used to not always be like that. I used to be afraid of people, by and large. Afraid to open myself up. I still have lots of work to do in that area, but I think I'm opening up to a point where I view people differently. I no longer see a threat in everything that walks by. Now I see camaraderie, at least the potential. Everyone has their story, their explanation for how they got to where they're at right now. Isn't it so amazing how many different kinds of lives that can be lived! Simply astounding actually. I have but one path out of infinity.
I think about stuff like this when I see contrast, like seeing my college friend in a totally different life role than before and me more or less the same. Hmm. :) Life is...very...fun, and interesting.