Being an old gaffer who had to type his papers in college, I am amazed at the information that you can find on the Internet without even trying. For example, I frequently read a sports page to see how horrible the Pirates are doing among other things. For some time, I noticed a spot on the side that said “Floridians enraged at new road rule.” Personally, I had not been enraged, but perhaps I wasn’t paying attention. I looked closer at the picture accompanying the verbiage. It showed somebody putting a 2024 Nevada sticker over the 2023 on his license plate. I thought wow, some Floridians must be really enraged if they are moving to Nevada to escape the new road rule. So, with some trepidation, I clicked to learn about the new rule. Immediately, a bunch of words and photos showed up none of which had anything to do with a road rule. Amazingly, it was a car insurance ad!
It seems that if you live in certain zip code areas your insurance is lower.
Well, I already knew that, therefore I decided not to be enraged and went on to other matters. Birthdays for example. Some folks do get cranky when they have one, because they do not think it is fair that they are getting older. Most people, however, just accept them. There is not much else one can do if the subject is looked at rationally. I do recall many years ago reading a science fiction story where this stalwart lad lands on a new planet. Amazingly enough he quickly meets the girl of his dreams. Being astute he soon notices that everyone walks backwards when they aren’t eating, talking etc. He further discovers that everyone is living backwards. That is, they start with their death and work to their birth where they in effect disappear. No birthdays for them! Perhaps, they had death days! The whole matter is rather strange, but I didn’t write the story, I am just recollecting it. In any case, the lad decides he had better do something before she disappears. In short, he talks her into leaving the planet. They blast off and once they zoom past the planet’s atmosphere, she reverts to the correct way to live your life, and they lived happily ever after. (I am assuming that happens in science fiction stories as well as fairy tales).
Now to return to today’s world. One of our lovely granddaughters just had a birthday. The Blonde in the House and I wished her the best. I did mention that birthdays can be turned against you? I noted that when I was young, some people were teased because they had been born before the turn of the century just as she had been with this century. My mother had four brothers and two sisters. Two of the brothers were born before 1900. However, one of the sisters felt she had the worst of it. She was born in 1900. That meant that when she had a birthday all of her friends and relatives knew exactly how old she was. She was not a happy birthday person. Some folks just do not like people to know their age. The Blonde in the House, for example, got very mad at one of our sons when he was in kindergarten because he told his teacher how old she was. She even addressed him by his first and middle name when he came home! By the way, she was 28!
Personally, I would readily accept 28 right now!
Barry Evans is a columnist for Villages-News.com.