What have I become?!?

I have fond memories from a time around my Junior/Senior year in high school shortly after my grandfathers passed away when, for a couple of months, my Uncle Ric -- a super-cool, super-funny, sarcastic hippy who normally resides in Pennsylvania and with whom until that time I had spent most of my "visiting" on the phone -- lived in Clanton helping Munner adjust to life without Grandad and helping us fix-up my other Grandad's house so we could live in it. (He's a carpenter by trade.)

When he was at "our house", he replaced a wall of windows and a window seat with beautiful French doors and windows that lead out onto a deck that he built for us. The deck was perfectly built to our specifications with a place built for a grill (with a hole underneath for ashes), "tables" for mother's planters and our drinks, and benches built to my height specifications for "laying out". I found his work fascinating -- learning about levels, chalk lines, and the like. More importantly, I found HIM fascinating. This was one of the first times when I spend QUALITY one-on-one time with him since I was old enough to appreciate one-on-one time with adults. He knew so much and was so funny and I found myself spending much time with him listening to his stories and learning about "handyman" kind of things. The one thing about those days that stands out the most is listening to his "Classic Rock" station with him while he worked.

Now, I was raised on oldies -- it's almost all we listened to in my house -- and I still love them, but we never listened to "classic rock". My parents were more into the animal groups -- you know, the Beatles and Monkeys -- than the Stones and Hendrix. Uncle Ric opened a new world of music to my ears, and though I didn't like it all since I couldn't sing along, I still associate MANY of those songs to Uncle Ric when I hear them. They entered into my memory box of sounds and smells so that when I hear them, I want to think of some supremely witty comment and call my Uncle Ric so he can remember how "cool" I am. :-) ha! They are part of my "cool hippy uncle" descriptors.

Fast forward, now, to last week. I was (and you'll excuse the confession, but it's relevant to the story) in the shower trying to find a station on my "shower radio" which is pretty complicated. (Reception isn't so grand in there.) The only station I could pick-up was a "classic rock" station. I immediately thought of Uncle Ric as "Give me Three Steps" came on. I drifted into a world of memories of time with my cool hippy uncle who listened to this OLD music. "Give me three steps. Give me three steps, mister. Give me three steps towards the door."

However, I was in for a rude awakening when the VERY NEXT SONG was a "rock" song from when I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL!!! I almost fainted. When did I become "CLASSIC"? How is it possible that MY MUSIC is now in the same category as Uncle Ric's? What has come of me? When did I become this "classic" person grouped with hippies and oldies? Where did my young, cool self go? Who knew one could so quickly become OLD?!? So Sad!!!

Henceforth, if any of you needs me, you can find me thumbing through the adds for retirement villages and nursing homes. I might as well! The time can't be TOO FAR off. :-D ha!!!