6.11.2004

Miss Kim has taken up the baton of the defunct Friday Five, and she's got a reflective set of questions for today:

Who is the oldest person you know? My Grandma Laly passed away 2 years ago at 83, so I've run out of older relatives, really...though her father, and my mother's grandfather too, lived to be 93 or 94, perhaps a sign of potential longevity?

Who is the wisest person you know/knew? I think my parents are both wise beyond their years; they'd have to be, to get married and have 4 kids in their early 20's and still be married 30 years later! My Constitutional Law professor, Wendy Parmet, is certainly the most erudite person I know...and then there's Jerry Remy, the wisest of all baseball commentators.

When are you "old"? Age is all in your mind -- I know plenty of world-weary teenagers and sprightly retirees who don't "act their age" much. The frustration of not being "old enough" to do things in childhood can quickly flip over to the great Baby Boomer phobia, getting "too old" to do what you like. I personally have always felt my "inner age" to be about 38, so once I catch up to that (in 8 years!) I should be all set.

Would you attend your 60th college reunion? Of course -- we had so much fun at our 5th reunion, I can only imagine how crazy it will be in 2056!

Are you scared of dying? In terms of "ceasing to exist," no. In terms of pain, suffering, decline, unexpected tragedy, polar bear attack, bioterrorism, etc., yes. I guess that's sort of semi-Zen.

1 comment:

Nathaniel Woodward said...

I'm not afraid of dying, especially if it includes sex, baseball, or choking on food..or all three?