If your numbers are identical, e.g., 33 or 66, add or multiply for today's experiment, using whichever younger age feels more vivid in your memory. Those of you on the cusp of a decade, e.g., 40 or 50, can't multiply unless you want the experiment to be science fiction. Other options = skip the exercise, pretend you're a year older or younger, or dig really deep and pull some stuff from early childhood.
At 47, I was in the middle of my master's program, doing adult education, mostly in the social justice field. Because my work and degree required it, my reading diet at the time was almost exclusively non-fiction. One memorable book from that era: Two Nations by Andrew Hacker. I'd recently dissolved what would turn out to be my last band, returning to solo gigs. My listening diet was shifting a bit, as jazz supplanted other genres and guitarists like Jim Hall took center stage. I was fully involved in the life of my daughter who was then in grammar school. Many movies of the time I enjoyed were ones I could watch with her, e.g., The Little Mermaid.
Your turn.
Well, this is fun! I'm 96 years old, probably wishing I could go back to being 69. I'm probably enjoying hearing (if I can still hear) about my grandson's accomplishments and relationships...maybe about his new baby on the way. I'm astonished that I made it past the middle of the 21st century. I'll be able to visit Ali and Matthew and travel all over the world by beaming myself up (or at least via a driverless car), which will be convenient since no one will want me to still be driving.
ReplyDeleteWait, there's a grandson? Is he on his way or just a figment of his grandmother's imagination? I'm 78 so my reverse, like yours, takes me into the future. Number one, I'm still alive. Number two, Elizabeth is still alive as well and we are happily ensconced at our CCRC where I am the minor celebrity resident/author on the cusp of publishing his fifth book. Number three, I'm still riding my bike, albeit much more slowly. Number four, we are planning yet another Road Scholar trip--this one to...North Korea, where the new regime has completed its first five-year plan, opening the country to foreign visitors just as the new leaders of Russia and Iran have been doing, eschewing all their old, saber-rattling nonsense and learning to promote global peace. Our first choice actually was Palestine, but it still doesn't exist and the conflict in that tiny part of the world is as ugly as ever.
DeleteJim; The grandson is indeed on his way, a piece of info we didn't share with anyone in Africa, per our daughter's wishes. Thanks for joining the fun here by providing a peek into your active and rich future and especially for an imaginative and hopeful conjecture re North Korea, Iran, & Russia. Appreciate the thought you put into this exercise.
DeleteSuper congrats on the grandchild. So exciting. I have a pal who likes to say, "Being a grandparent is the only thing in life that isn't over-rated." I couldn't agree more. My only advice is, Let yourself be ridiculously silly to make the little fellow laugh (I'm one of those grandfathers who puts socks on his ears), and don't give advice to his parents about anything and tread lightly even if they ask.
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