Children Are Forever Teenagers

It happened to me, probably you too. After I became an adult, my parents would often treat me as if I was still seventeen. Now that I'm grown old and have grown children of my own, I often treat them as if they are still seventeen. It must be a natural thing. Is it that we parents are subconciously afraid of loosing our power base? I can deal with someone of my sons age as equals (nearly so anyway) but I have trouble acknowledging that Kevin and Steve are real men.

The reason I bring this philosophical question to mind is that we've been included in an email listing of many of our companions headed to Romania this May. A web site bulletin board has been set up and many of the folks have sent in short bios to share. So far, the oldest Peace Corps volunteer, besides Nancy and myself, is 31. We had been told that many older folks, couples and singles both, are usually included in these country groups. Perhaps it is that the older volunteers haven't figured out the internet yet and thus haven't posted their history, but I doubt that. Perhaps it is that the older dudes have all gone to bed without bothering to let the rest of us know about them.

It is human nature to both look for new, interesting, dynamic, energetic people of a different age to share ideas and laughter with, but also to find comfort with folks that share a sense of history and maturity. None of the dyanmic and energetic young people headed to Romania were born, not even close, when President Kennedy formed the Peace Corps. Nancy and I, old and decrepted, were.

I'd hate to be going overseas with nothing but a retirement community as co-travelers, but still, hopefully, we'll find someone that remembers having milk home delivered or knows what a 33 1/3 record was.