I am not sure how old I am. When asked, I have to do the math to calculate the correct answer. That assumes I know the correct year we are currently in. I have given an incorrect answer a few times, only to be corrected by my wife or friends.
I know this sounds ridiculous to many of you, but I am not alone. If we are all being honest, we would admit that some ages are really important while others are about as meaningful as those textbooks from college you continue to hang on to for some unknown reason.
Turning 13 was important, as you were no longer a kid and were now a teenager. That really didn’t mean anything to anyone else, but it was important to most 13-year-olds. Age 14 was significant, as you could then legally drive an automobile. Sure, you needed an adult with you, but that newfound freedom was a game-changer. Being 14 also meant you could legally drive a moped, which, although I never owned one, it was another of those great freedoms.
In a short two years, that moped was pushed aside, along with other uncool things like roller skating or being seen with your parents. Age 16 brought a real freedom with an official driver’s license and the ability to drive a car alone. I am amazed how many 16-year-olds today are in no hurry to pass their tests and have a driver’s license. I begged for a ride from a friend to a nearby county to take my test as soon as I possibly could. Maybe getting from point A to point B isn’t as big of a deal today with parents willing to give endless rides, Uber-like services readily available or plenty of friends with cars. I didn’t have my own car at age 16, but I made sure I had a driver’s license.
At age 18, you may still have been a teenager, but you could suddenly vote, be drafted or get married — none of which I was in a hurry to do. I did recognize that getting in any serious trouble became much more serious at age 18. Drinking a beer legally at age 21 wasn’t the big moment I thought it would be, but having my car insurance go down at age 25 certainly was. I remember being tempted to buy a sports car at age 23 until I learned my monthly car insurance would be more than my monthly car payment.
And that, my friends, may have been the last significant birthdate for me. As I work through middle age and sneak up on age 55, I might be able to take advantage of some of those age-discriminating discounts, which will be nice. And from there, Social Security benefits are right around the corner — hopefully. In the meantime, I will continue to break out a calculator each time I am asked how old I am. And I might even offer the correct answer.
Have a marvelous Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com | 
