I have been on this wonderful thing we call Earth for a little over 28 years. I like to consider myself a pretty gregarious type of individual. I am amused when I overhear people close to my age ramble on about being too old for this and that. To be perfectly honest ladies and gentlemen, I feel as young as I have ever felt. I feel I have more vigor as a young man than I did as a young lad. I will never forget one thing my grandmother told me when I was a pup that has been implanted in my mind since she said the statement. My grandmother said to me, “I might look, and act, like an elderly woman, but I feel as youthful as I did when I was a teenager. You’re only as old as you feel.” I have never forgotten that statement because I have discovered my grandmother was 110 percent correct.
Occasionally, I sit back and ponder what life will be like for me as an old man. Will kids look at me with indifference like I viewed elderly people way back when? The simple answer is yes, the kids will look at me with irreverence because the kids will feel I do not understand anything about being young. I am not sure if I am bothered by that or not, but I like to think of myself as an adult that the kids want to hang out with. In reality, I am probably viewed as an aging geezer.
I do not think this reality hit me until the other day when I went to my son’s meet the teacher night this past Thursday evening. My wife, son, and I went into my son’s new classroom to meet his new fourth grade teacher. The teacher appeared to me to be a little older than the average elementary school teacher. However, I thought nothing of my opinion at the time. The teacher seemed both kind and intelligent. After speaking with the new teacher a few minutes, I approved of her having the prerogative to teach a human being with the last name Dietz.
Later on that evening, my wife had a conversation with her mother about my son’s new teacher. I heard my wife mention to her mother my son’s new teacher was about my age. Now, I was a little flummoxed by that statement to say the least because I was of the opinion his new teacher looked older than I. Am I beginning to look older? How could this be? I cannot even grow a beard many high school kids would be envious of. How has life passed me by? I mean, I am still a college student myself.
Another event happened that particular evening which bothered me a little. While my wife and I were chit chatting with the new teacher, a former classmate of my sons’ came in to the room to say hi to the teacher. I am assuming the teacher once had this girl’s brother or sister in a class. I recognized the little girl from my son’s class last year because I had volunteered for a few school events. I specifically remembered the little girl because she sat near my son. I believe I spoke with her a couple of times. So, I said, “Hello, you were in my son’s class last year. Do you remember me? I am Preston’s dad.” Well, the girl gave me the classic ‘Do not speak to me old man’ look. She appeared as if speaking to me was as uncool as proving to your classmates you have a bit of intelligence.
These two events have helped me realize I will be the unhip guy wearing high socks with shorts one day. I just have to face it. We all become square one day. I now sympathize with all the parents before me whom have had apathetic little dream killers. I apologize to both of my parents for my behavior as a child. I wish could give other kids the belief he or she is proud to have the parents he does. However, this will never be a reality. Even Socrates wrote about how disrespectful children were in his era, and Socrates died more than two thousand years ago. Let’s face us parents, things will never change. As difficult as the daunting task of accepting the embarrassment our children feel about us is, accepting the embarrassment is a duty we have to accept.
So, as all of you parents drop your little ones off for his or her first day of school, remember to not say a word to your child and act as if you do not love them. Kids seem to prefer that type of treatment for some reason.
Dustin Dietz
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