Old at 38?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how kids have such great manners down here in South Carolina. Everything is "Yes ma'am", "No sir", etc. The kids are brought up to have such respect for adults. It's really a great thing.

Until you get "ma'amed" by someone you don't think of as a kid.

There is a college student in the neighborhood who has a landscaping business. We've hired him to handle our mowing. Nice guy. He even spent his Spring Break on a Fellowship of Christian Athletes mission trip to Chicago.

Whenever I go out to pay him, he answers all of my questions with "Yes ma'am" or "No ma'am". Boy does that make me feel old!

I mean, wasn't it just yesterday I was in college myself? Okay, as long as it took me to finish, my parents might think it was just yesterday! But in reality, it's been 21 years since I started college. Oh man, the current college rising seniors weren't even born when I started college!

Now I really feel old.

So I guess it's time I just give in to the inevitable. Stop trying to hide all those grey hairs. (By the way dad, you were right. Having kids does cause grey hair!) And accept that to a college-aged young man, I am "ma'am".

I guess it's not so bad. Here I am lamenting about how a college kid is being too polite to me! At least I'm not complaining about wild, drunken college parties in my neighborhood!

And hey, I still have 559 days left until I turn 40...