Sunday, January 29, 2006

34 years + 1 day

Though I suppose I am now technically in my mid-thirties, I refuse to acknowledge that until I turn thirty-five ... at which point I will be in my mid-thirties until I turn forty.

Thirty-four still counts as early thirties, right?

I unfortunately find myself in a profession in which admitting to only twenty-nine has its drawbacks, seeing as how a certain amount of experience is assumed, and that makes a too-young professor a bit suspect. So I'm thinking if I'm going to freeze my age, thirty-one might be the best bet.

Thirty-four. Get outta here. I can't have been around that long. Of course, when I interact with my students, that's a generation gap that invariably makes me feel old. I get very amused when speaking to former students, now in the last year of their degree or just finished, who speak in exasperated tones about how "young" the first-years they meet seem to them.

Ha. I'm not that far away from being, reasonably speaking, old enough to be my students' father. I think when that realization seeps through you can find me down at a local pub well into my seventh pint.

Not yet though. Still only early thirties.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy B-day. Now if you really want to feel old, check out the following stats showing the age distribution of bloggers. Only 4.4% of bloggers are ages 30 to 39, and I am sure the vast majority of that 4.4% is 31 years old.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Chris. What sometimes makes me feel a bit old (and I'm a good few months younger than you, you old bastard) is the knowledge that a few of the people I went to school with (those who left school, went forth and multiplied at the first opportunity) will likely be grandparents within the next three or four years. Family patterns tend to repeat themselves, after all. BTW (and to make up for the above), 34 IS still "early" thirties. Definitely.

Anonymous said...

Interesting choice of number for that "bit suspect" category...

MF

Lesley said...

34 is still in the "spring chicken" category. The great part about being in your thirties is that you have that added wisdom that you didn't in your 20's but are still considered young. At least, that's what I'm told anyways. But I'll agree with the how did I get this old statement. It's some sort of trick, we're young and having fun and enjoying ourselves and boom, suddenly we're in our thirties and people are calling us old!

Happy Birthday old man!

alex said...

happy birthday!

and yes, i'd say 34 is still mid-thirties.. it'll be 37 that makes you "late."

have a good one!!

The Cooking Photographer said...

Happy birthday!!!

Stephen Eli Harris said...

Happy Birthday! You're only as old as you want to me my friend.

I have a gift for ya. I added your blog to an all Newfoundland and Labrador Blog roll to help link us all together. If you want to diplay the list on your site, get the code here:
http://nlblogroll.blogspot.com/

Take care,
Stephen

b said...

happy birthday.

a long ways from 40...
it seems more like a milestone than anything else...
i dont know if that helps, but it was meant with good intentions