"The Power of the Mind" - Time Out #40

How old are you in your mind?

This strange question was posed to me by my sweet wife several years ago, completely out of the blue.

The query caught me totally off guard, so I was forced to pause, scratch my head and go into deep thought for a recently issued, card-carrying, Medicare citizen

"Forty, I guess" ,quickly realizing that number sounded like a huge disconnect with the age printed on my driver's license.

"Me, too" she immediately fired back.

Since she didn't mince words with her answer, I thought I needed much more from her; mainly, why did she ask that super strange question in the first place?

Before I answer that, dear folks, let me tell you our family has always been the inquisitive type, certainly continuing with your loyal scribe, who has always been known to ask 20 questions.

So, the tradition has been carried on from my father to me, from me to my wife, and on to our 3 children.

Thus, her probe of my brain.

But, again, the truth is the truth is the truth.

In the deep recesses of my head, I felt 40 at the time.

Guess what? I still feel 40!

Or.......maybe 41, since it has been a few years since she asked that question.

Not exactly sure why I gave that response, but please think along with me fellow readers.

Just in my lifetime, American society has gone from live, local telephone operators when one picked up the non-dial telephone in the early 1950's to today's personal devices. Now you are able to carry them anywhere in one hand, and see and talk to someone in India,. However, you could choose to talk with someone else in Madagascar. Or, instead of locating the World Book encyclopedia in your home, you merely have to ask your "Best Friend Forever" (BFF), Siri, just

"Which horse won the 1971 Kentucky Derby?" Of course, she is able to tell you the correct answer in several languages. Or, how about the television aspect of a black and white model, complete with rabbit ears on the top of the massive console taking up a sizeable portion of your 1950's living room in Stillwater, America? It might have received 4 channels, but probably not always clearly. Really, now;;;;;;;hundreds of channels , including first-run movies, devices to start, pause, record and almost scratch your back if you press the correct button on the remote control. Remember, that is the same remote control you had to take a college level course to learn how to operate. And, of the five remotes laying around, you better choose the correct one or you'll have maximum frustration!

All these simpler (?) ways of life and a zillion other modern changes have forced me to keep forever young in my mind's eye.

Not to be forgotten, We live in a major university town where the lots of our people are under 25. The last time I checked, young people think young, and that has a huge spillover effect to those of us that totally qualify for the reduced rental car rates because we are over 25.

Well, I guess my well-kept secret is out of the bag.

I wouldn't trade my youthful mind and living in Our Town for anything.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.