Friday, October 24, 2008

I'm getting old

I know this is gonna be a dumb statement to my parents, but I really feel like I'm beginning to see major things in my life change, or become obselete. Isn't that something that makes you feel old? I mean, when fashion styles you had when you were young begin to reappear and seem popular again, doesn't that make you old? Or when some major things or infrastructure changes contrary to what I was used to or raised with. Does that sound weird? Let me expound.

Fashion. I'm not a fashionable person by any means, but I do follow the trends and try to not look like a dweeb. But it's been strange to see fashions that I followed in the 80's begin to come back, watching my sister and her friends in high school. It's strange to see fashions roll back around and come back in style. Not all of them, mind you (sorry Madonna), but the skinny legged jeans, the color palette, the earrings, the longer hair, etc. Not that I think it's bad or anything (au contraire) but it's odd to see these coming back. And it makes me feel old.

Missionary work. Now, here's where I feel weird. Monday, in Family Home Evening, we were talking about nothing really for a few minutes, and I happened to mention the flip charts that I used when I was a missionary in Costa Rica (somehow it applied to a humurous line in our conversation). I was chuckling at my own joke (I do that a lot) when one of the girls said, in reference to missionaries having flip charts, "Yeah, if you were in like the 70's!". I was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out what she was trying to say under the seemingly nonsensical statement. I gave up eventually after a couple seconds and asked her what she meant. "Well, you know, the flip charts missionaries from the 70's used."

"From the 70's?" I inquired, still confused.

"Yeah, you know, those ones with the First Vision, the Plan of Salvation, that stuff, that they discontinued a while ago." She began reciprocating my confused look, throwing it back at me.

"They discontinued them?!?" I said in shock. "The purple flip charts?!?"

Others began to be drawn into the conversation, seeing my obvious level of distress and shock.

"Yeah," others chimed in. "The missionaries haven't used those in a while. Preach My Gospel doesn't use flip charts."

My heart sank. No flip charts? First no Discussions, then no Missionary Guide (aka, Purple Dragon), now no Flip charts? I felt like a small part of the meaning of life was stripped away, like when I learned that Santa and the tooth fairy were nothing more than a guise continued by my parents (though I loved it, don't get me wrong).

Upon returning home I quickly pulled out my missionary stuff and just began flipping through the pictures, reminiscing, getting misty eyed. It kind of felt like holding an old friend, now decrepid and near the end of his life, being nostalgic and chatting of old friends and funny stories. It was a sad moment.

Either way, I'm feeling older than before. Granted, I am older than before, and later I'll be older than I am now, but...you know. It's an old moment.


3 comments:

Jess said...

Ant--I know how you feel and would love to offer some consolation...but I'm not quite yet as old as you, so I can't. :D Cheer up. Being old has it's virtues...I mean, as a missionary, you couldn't get married...

Devan said...

..that guy's hot. enough said. lol.

Jenny said...

That is probably the ugliest cat picture I have ever seen. Wow. And you're not old. If you're old, that mean I'm older. And Carric is wayyyy old.