Aging: The Meeting of Two Ages...

​One of the things I enjoy as I get older (and maybe it’s a little odd but so be it) is seeing something and imagining, "What would my younger self would think?"

Let me elaborate. Recently, my husband and I were out dining with some friends at a restaurant, and the waiter distributed scented hand wipes at the end of the meal. You can see from the photo what a charming little gift it was: the tiny box with it's pen and ink couple that is reminiscent of an Al Hirschfeld sketch. Open it up, and nestled inside there is a trio of scented wipes: amber, wild fig, and pink grapefruit.

Okay, so it was pretty stinkin cute. And I said it was cute as I took it from the waiter’s hand. But then something just welled up inside of me and brought a big smile to my brain (if it's possible for brains to smile). I couldn’t help but think, “What if I had been given this as a little girl?” I would have been thrilled with such a treasure.

First off, I imagine I would have energized the pin and ink drawing. It was just screaming for some color. The crayons or markers would have come out. Second, I would have examined each “refreshing towel” packet and then agonized over which one to open first. Intense questions would have been asked such as, “Should I open and use the scent that intrigues me the most?” Or “Should I not even consider the fragrance, but perhaps focus on packaging? I could open the least pretty one, saving the others for a more special occasion." (Yes, I used words like "least pretty.")
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No doubt heavy decisions for my small self to chew on, but it would have to be done.

It’s moments such as this one that I had in the restaurant, freebie towelettes in hand, that I find myself doubly enjoying. I believe it’s because I can look at a situation with two sets of eyes – eyes from years ago and current eyes. With the towelettes, I found delight in not just seeing them, but realizing how "little me" would have reacted years ago. It makes the younger “me” not seem so distant. And I find this important, because I’m a conglomeration of all my ages. And for a brief moment in life, it’s like two time periods meet together, and I live out the moment with twice the appreciation. 

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