Just Older

Hey, man, it's been a while
Do you remember me?
When I hit the streets I was 17
A little wild, a little green
I've been up and down and in between
After all these years
Can you believe I'm still chasing that dream
But I ain't looking over my shoulder
"Just Older"- Bon Jovi

I had a epiphany that has been been brewing for a few months. A family friend was injured a few months ago, and his family created a myspace profile to keep everyone updated on the latest. So one night I checked it out, and after reading about his progress, I looked at all of his "friends", some were people that I knew, around the same age as me, some parents of these people my age. As I looked at the list and some of the current faces of people long ago, it made me pause to think about what has happened 11 years since I left home and that world to enter the real world. Would me 11 years ago recognize me today? And if we were to meet in some time warp, what would 18 year old me ask 29 year old me? And would I believe it?

It's funny how much of the world and opportunities you don't know about when you are 18 and looking down that highway leading out of town. As for opportunities, it's all about Smiles, Cries, and Regrets (an improvement from the line in Training Day). I guess part of life is leaving physical locations and the people within them to enter new ones, and things in those left worlds keep plowing along (not that I didn't think they didn't). It's just interesting to take a step back and think how everything has changed as we all get older and grow up (well, some of us).

This whole train of thought made me realize that there is still that highway that is leading to new worlds more things I cannot imagine, but will experience. Well, here's to the next 11 and 29 years (hopefully).