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Growing
older doesn’t mean the end of fun Remember when birthdays used to be the highlight of the year? My birthday is this weekend, the big 2-0 that precedes the even bigger 2-1. Somehow, no matter how many people I remind of/annoy about this wonderful event, or how many plans I make to have a blast, the joy that once filled me everyyear in early March seems to be running low. I’ve figured out the source of the problem. Things move too fast now, the anticipation of turning a year older is gone. I remember my last birthday like it was yesterday, even though an entire year has passed. A year ago I broke things off with the high school boyfriend, received some cute little presents from my parents, a call from my brother the next day (thanks for remembering) and went to a theme party as a crackwhore (it was funny, I swear). Even when I consider all the things that have changed, it seems to have moved by so fast, too fast. My mom says this happens more when you get older. I’m ready to take a knee for the team. It seems I’m asking, why have birthdays lost their magic, and why do we now dread getting older? Remember the fanfare that accompanied your childhood parties? The party regalia, celebrated with 30 of your closest playmates, was unforgettable. Now those cheesy cards reminding us that another year has passed are beginning to have a little more significance. No wonder Hallmark has banked in on the greeting card industry. I already find myself as a sophomore regaling our sorority pledges with tales of lore from the past. “Watch out for that punch. Boy, don’t I have more than a few stories about punch,” and “You think these bathrooms are bad? Back in my day, we didn’t have bathrooms at parties, we had bushes,” precede my stories. My friends and I have tried to relive our past days as high school sports heroes (our memories are a little fuzzy, but hey). We bought a soccer ball and played in intramurals. After wheezing asthmatically up and down half a field for about five minutes and eating more than our share of grass, we were ready to call it quits. Complaints of knee injuries and lower back pain filled the walk home. Another friend suggested that the older people at parties be roped off into their own area, complete with rocking chairs and pipes to smoke. The finishing touch would be a plaque in front of us with our name and a date of establishment (Lauren Cates est. 1982). This is not comforting. What people seem to be forgetting is that college is not about dreading getting older. We are not on some kind of limited time span of immaturity that suddenly ends and takes the fun out of all theme parties and other major outings. I’m revolting against getting older. There’s still so much to do, things get better every year. Before I know it, I’m going to be 25 and able to drive a rental car. Turning 65 and being eligible for social security is another high point awaiting me around the bend. Anyone who is an avid “Sex and the City” or “Friends” fan knows that life does not end when you get your diploma. This year is going to be different. This year on my birthday I’ll be in Panama City, Fla. with 11 of my sorority sisters in two rooms. Eleven girls in a confined living space should be just great. There will be fights, minor injuries, photo ops and don’t forget the “beer tears” that are always inevitable. And don’t worry, I am reinstating the birthday regalia and fanfare of my past. Lauren
Cates is a sophomore advertising/public relations major from Houston. |
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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