Most of the time, I feel relatively young…but more and more often, I’ve had experiences that make me feel old. Really really old.

Here’s one of them.

We went out to one of our local dive bars for a drink a few weeks back and upon entering, we immediately noticed something was not right. The usual tree-hugging townies were no where in site and the bar had completely been taken over by college babies that would take pride in me classifying them as “hipsters”. You know, the kind that sport glasses with fake prescription lenses just for fun? And order PBR’s because they think it makes them look cool? We ignored the fact that we were ten years older than everyone there and went straight to the back corner to play us some Big Buck Hunter. My friend and I decided that we needed to take over the juke box (…is it even called that anymore?), and I overheard the following horrifying conversation between two little girls…

College Baby A: I love Robin Thicke. I think he looks just like his dad.
College Baby B: His dad? How do you know what his dad looks like?
College Baby A: Because he’s on this old TV show on Nick at Night.

!!!

Nick at Night? Growing Pains is on Nick at Night? What happened to Nick at Night showcasing REALLY old shows like Green Acres and Mr. Ed? I mean, I had a hard enough time admitting that The Facts of Life were old enough to be on Nick at Night, but now, Growing Pains? Kirk Cameron can’t be older than 18, and he is much too young to be thrown in the ranks of Dick Van Dyke and Patty Duke. And how does this chick not know who Alan Thicke, greatest TV dad ever, is? My heart hurt just hearing this conversation and it made me feel ancient.

Want to know what else makes me feel old? The fact that I counted how many years I’ve known Dennis after taking some headshots for him, and it was a lot! As in 12+ years, lot. We first met on a trip to NYC last millennium (now that sounds old!) when my sister was heading there with her college friends, and for some reason, decided to let me join. (I thought I was really cool, being a high schooler that was going to NYC with college kids. Looking back, I’m shocked that Dennis didn’t smack Rosanne and tell her to leave the underage sibling behind.) Dennis and my sister have maintained their friendship for years and have had the opportunity to work together a number of times, including their latest stint of directing and choreographing a show in Natick, MA this summer. Dennis is so cool. I want to be just like him when I grow up. He acts, he directs, he’s a certified gemologist (how cool is that?), and he is always game for a new adventure. After finishing directing the show this summer, he is off to be in the Broadway musical, BIG!

Shimmy shimmy cocoa pop, shimmy shimmy pow!

Dennis, you look even more handsome than Kirk Cameron in these photos.

Thanks for teaching me a thing or two about headshots, Dennis! I miss having you as a neighbor already!