The Laughing Wolf

I Feel Old, Yet

I also feel so very good and young too. :)

Yesterday, I got to go visit some friends I have not seen in far too long. There is a small literary SF convention in Chattanooga each summer, and one of the reasons I like to go is that quite often many friends from around the nation attend it. I rarely get to programming, as what I am doing is visiting with friends and catching up.

Because the job for NASA required a lot of time and travel, I have not gotten to do a lot of fun things in the last few years, this among them. My original plan was to attend the entire convention, but business intruded and I had to scrap that plan. What did work out was for me to sneak up for part of the day, which turned into the day and a large part of the night.

My feeling old comes from finding out that one young lady I used to be able to literally hold in one hand is now above my waist, and her older sister is getting married in three weeks. Another friend took great delight in telling me all about her two-year-old grandchild by her youngest, who I still tend to think of as being in middle school or junior high. She took great delight in rubbing this in, as she wanted to share the feelings.

The young comes from several things, but includes getting to spend time with the babies. Some good friends who adopted were there with their little boy, whom I had not met, and I was impressed with his bright eyes and how happy he was despite teething. He would chomp away on toys, fingers, or anything else he could get, all with a huge smile on his face as he took everything in. Some other good friends were there with their natural and adopted children, and by the time I finished dinner with them and their entourage I was melted into a helpless pile of goo. The twin girls walk around very well, thank you, and even melted the teenage boys at the next table without even trying hard. You have really got it if at that age you can totally captivate and control teenage boys. Their younger brother is already their big brother, and I will be surprised if he is not well over six feet tall when grown. Takes after his daddy, he does, but with his mom's grin. Another happy baby despite teething. What is up with that? Not that I am complaining, mind you, but I want to take notes for the day I get to deal with such.

It was also a time to meet up with adult friends, and I appreciate very much the time that several people gave me. It has been literally years in a few cases, and there was not enough time to catch up with one and all as should be done. Yet, it was so much fun that my planned departure time came and went without even a token wave. Yes, I did drive back home quite late, and didn't mind a bit. There were a number of people I did not get to see and spend time with, but that is okay as well.

For there will be other times. There will be chances to talk, write, and meet. This was a day of reunions, but it was also a day of new meetings. I did meet the future yesterday, and I think it is a good one, and off to a delightfully happy and positive start for quite a few of the next generation. What more can anyone ask?

LW