On Being Old
Last week I went out to see a concert and discovered that I’m old. And I’m OK with it.
The catalyst for this shocking discovery was that the headlining band didn’t come on until 12:15 AM. Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, that was when I started the night. Now that’s when I want to be in bed, fast asleep. (Mercifully, the band – a Danish funk/R&B outfit called Asteroid Galaxy Tour – was quite good.) A mere decade ago, it felt edgy and illicit to stay in a bar until 4 AM. Now, edgy means sleeping in past 9. Pretty soon I’ll be eating raisin bran and watching Matlock and talking about when a gallon of gas cost $2.
The great part is that this evolution takes away one of my big fears around marriage. Generally, I had the impression that a wedding was also a funeral for your social life. Everything you did from then on had to be a wholesome, bland activity, acceptable to your party-adverse spouse. You would be doomed to gamely feigning excitement about microwaved leftovers followed by an evening of playing Scrabble, while your friends rage at a nightclub and have the greatest time ever known.
However…
- Jaime is fun – much more so than me, in fact,
- I no longer equate alcohol with automatic entertainment, because it can also lead to narcolepsy and hangovers.
- I don’t really want to rage until 2 AM because I actually like walking the streets of San Francisco before the hipsters get up.
- I know more words than dance moves.
I know that after the wedding, Jaime and I will still go to concerts, clubs, and parties. But I also know that some Saturday nights I’ll be pulling out the Scrabble board and trying to score a bingo with M-A-T-L-O-C-K.
Tags: marriage makes you old, wedding anxiety, wedding wisdom
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It always annoys me when people say I’m old because I’ve gotten married. Hello! I still watch the Real World and go out on Thursdays for happy hour. Of course, that might just make me kinda lame
Oh Chris- you know we fight about this all the time. Getting married does not make you old- and I was watching Matlock at the age of four, thanks to my mom. But… and I mean this in the nicest way possible, you knowing more words than dance moves wasn’t that difficult of a task… hehehehehe.
Hey, Scrabble is awesome, no matter how old you are! Matlock, on the other hand…
The swipe at Matlock was completely unnecessary. Take away the 80s attire and you have a timeless crime drama. The next time you need to make an allusion to 80s bad pop culture try Falcon Crest or Facts of Life.
Jaime IS more fun than you. But more to the point, the funeral for your social life is always held on your first child’s birthday, not the day of your wedding. (It’s tradition.)
I’ll make sure to get the Scrabble board ready for your next visit!