Today, I will embrace my last day as a young man. Starting tomorrow, August 8th, I will no longer be able to claim the “young adult” status.
So, that means today I will embark on a journey to be foolish…to be immature…to live with reckless abandon. Because tomorrow all of that has to end. I finally have to grow up and accept my position as an old man.
Tomorrow, I will officially fall out of the “young clergy” group. In not so many words, the UMC defines young clergy as those under the age of 35. Yep, it all ends tomorrow. So, even in the work place, I will be kicked out of the “young guy” group and be one of those old fart pastors. Of course, I do work with the “youth”…so I’m not sure how mature and responsible I will have to be! And, due to the fact that I’ve always considered myself a bit of a rebel, I will have to start a revolution…one that focuses on the ageism of various institutions…Church included!
Tomorrow, I will become a crazy old man. You know, the kind of guy who wears dark socks with shorts…or socks with sandals…and wears his pants above his belly button…But, don’t get me wrong, it comes with perks. Old folks are not responsible for what they say…people just dismiss their comments by saying, “Oh, he’s just old…it’s okay.” And, even better is the fact that old folks are not responsible for the noises that come out of their bodies. People make excuses saying, “Oh, he’s just old…he can’t help it!” So, this whole getting old thing does come with some pretty sweet perks!
Of course, I have the desire to be a cool old man…The kind of old guy that still gets invited to parties…The kind of old guy that people listen to…The kind of old guy that still knows how to have a good time. I want to be the kind of old guy that young guys look at and say, “I hope I’m that hip when I’m 36!” Sadly enough, I’m only “kind of” kidding…I’m “sort of” serious!
So, while today I mourn the loss of my youth…I look forward to see what happens. What kind of old man will I be? I think I’ll ponder that question over a beverage at my all-time favorite pub in the world, the Heorot, this afternoon before I consume mass quantities of Concannon’s awesome cake!
Tuesdays with Morris 
Happy Birthday Pastor Jason! I hope your day is wonderful. I can relate to your post in a couple of ways. On my 40th birthday, it occurred to me that I was old. Most people are surprised that I made it to 40 – not because of the cancer, but because I am spontaneous. I take risks. And I am very naive about most things. So the running joke that I would repeat over and over when asked how old I was – “Yeah, I’m 40. I hope that doesn’t mean people will expect me to act like an adult.”
In my head, I think I am still about 21. I still have a tendency to act that way also. Unfortunately, you missed the whole Emily the hand puppet Sunday. I wore a puppet on my hand and made the whole sanctuary laugh. My heart is dancing with those kids on Sunday mornings. If I had a tad more energy, I would be.
Try not to mourn too much. My cancer fight has made me realize that God takes away, but he opens those other doors for you. So embrace your “OLD AGE” title and be you.
When someone calls you old, chuckle. and think, “I am one day closer to getting my senior citizen discount on coffee.”
i am 42 now.
jonnie