42/52 – 70-ish
A few years ago, I came across this video from 1988 – Great Moments in Sex Education – and posted it on Facebook (here - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/TJKF5PyRGVkX6RpD/).
It starts by discussing the merits of bread in a healthy diet – a worthwhile topic, clearly the correct amount is "a lot" – but quickly changes focus. I love the expression on my father-in-law's face as Joey shares some newly discovered insights about the difference between male and female anatomy. You would have to have known my father-in-law to know how uncomfortable he would have been with the conversation. Given that, I love that he just rolls with the punches.
I have always loved this video. It is a helpful video to trot out as Joey approaches 40. Forty. I remember when I turned 40. I asked my mom for perspective and compassion about this previously inconceivable milestone. Her response: "Well, how the hell do you think it feels to have a 40-year-old son?"
I am approaching an even more inconceivable milestone in January. Only a few months are left to make off-color jokes about my current age. As I've been thinking about this, the Sex Education video came to mind, so I went to Facebook to track it.
Most of my mental pictures of Price are as an older man and then an elderly one. When this video was taken, how old was Price? Wait. He was born in 1918, which means when this video was taken in 1988, he was…
Holy moly.
How could this be? While Price wasn’t elderly when this video was made, we considered him old. Or at least "older."
So, what is it they say? 70 is the new 80? No, that's not right, although it feels like that, given the past week's events.
70 is the new 60? No, that doesn't seem right either, much as I wish it were so.
I guess that 70 is the new 70. And the old 70. Whatever. It’s better than the alternative.
I consider myself a half-full person. On the positive side, next month, I will be able to console our oldest with, "Well, how the hell do you think it feels to have a 40-year-old son?”
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Some other posts that might be of interest…
