When I was at the cusp of my teens I used to picture myself at 16. My face would be clear of acne, my hair lush and flowing, and I would walk around with my lips pursed just to be ready for the many kisses of my admirers. I would smell good all the time, not just when I showered. These changes really did occur the day I turned 16, as if my fairy godmother had waved her wand over the crown of my sparkling head. From the roots down, my hair turned luminous and glossy; my eyes expanded to the size of Disney princess', my feet were hairless and delicate; my body was lithe like the aspen tree. Did I mention my flawless peaches and cream complexion? Yes, all my expectations were indeed met at 16. (Weren't yours?) It was truly the sweetest of years, and from then all was downhill and decline.
I thank my lucky stars that though my lithe body is now marked with the passage of two children, I still have a handsome prince charming:
And two beautiful, though delicate children:
I myself have reached a sage stage in my life and will concentrate in future--since I only have one last year until thirty--on the more serious things, starting with Plato and working upwards toward Nietzsche.
By thirty I dare say I will be unable to crack a smile, and this is the way things should be.
5 comments:
happy birthday (albeit a weekend belated!) thanks so much for your generous comments on entelechy. they have more than made my day(s). i hope your last pre-tridecade year is full of grinning and laughter in preparation of imminent sagehood. And of course many, many illustrative stories of the adventures of Elephant and Baby Dear. here's to a good year!
Maria, I can feel myself becoming wiser by the day. Thanks for the birthday wishes--I do enjoy entelechy & of course will keep all posted on Baby Dear who suffers much at the hands of Elephant. Thanks for reading from so far away. When does spring come to Alaska, anyway?
As far as I'm concerned, Spring is Here! There is still lots of snow on the ground, but temperatures are above freezing for the first time since October. From what I hear (this is our first Interior Winter) once the snow melts, there will be a week of Brown and then everything will explode. We already have about 16 1/2 hours of sunlight, so it doesn't take much for the plants to catch on and shoot up.
In regards to Animal Encounters: I thought I'd rather run into a 'coon than a Moose ... until I heard the story about the Rabid Bandit on This American Life (06 Halloween special.)
Maria,
Martin & I have two questions:
1. What precisely is an 'interior winter?'
2. Is 16.5 hours of sunlight as paradisical as it sounds to us, or do you start wishing for the darkness of a Pennsylvania night?
(Maria here, signing in different to direct you to our Alaskan Rambles if you hadn't stumbled on them yet.)
1. An Interior Winter is an Alaskan Winter that takes place North of the Alaska Range and South of the Brooks Range (Fairbanks, Ester, Nenana, Delta Junction, Tok, etc.) It is marked by minimal snow/rain, maximal temperature ranges (-60 to 90F) and 7 - 8 month long winters. Alaskan Costal Winters (Anchorage, Seward, Juneau, Homer) are much milder. Chicago/Wheaton winters were much worse than Homer's, I was delighted to find.
2. 16.5 hours is nice. There is still dark to sleep in, and stars. When it gets up to 20-24 hours of usable daylight (not long now) its a little crazy-making. I have heard that it is even more crazy-making for parents whose light-addled children do not appreciate being put to bed with the sun still beckoning from the windows.
I talked to Kara today - you guys should all put together a trip to come up. :) We're always looking for folks who aren't too squeamish about Outhouses and pitching in to haul water.
.m. (flying_mango [at] hotmail)
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