Age in Perspective

One thing that never ceases to amaze any parent is the perspective of age when seen through the eyes of a child.

This morning I was eating my microwave oatmeal and watching CNN.  A story came on about the latest revelation of John F Kennedy's affairs.   Nearly 50 years since his death we still learn tales of his voracious sexual appetite.  Oh those were the days for a president.  The male club that surrounded him was sure to keep all his indiscretions close to their belts as most were engaged in similar ones.  Of course it is a phenomenon  not unique to males as Eleanor Roosevelt had her own lesbian and or bisexual lover.  Something about JFK entrances us though.  He was so damn good looking.  I commented to my son how much JFK did love the ladies.  He in turn asked me if I remembered JFK's presidency?

"Son, I wasn't even born." I answered.  "His brother was assassinated when I was gurgling and blowing boogers out of my nose at the tender age of one."

My son is already in high school and has reviewed these important historical events in his history classes yet they still don't seem to find their place on the historical time line that makes up all our lives.  Parents are simply, "old" and they go with everything else old.  Especially when what is being considered appears in black and white. 

Recently a result of my son's encouragement, I began reading a text last opened in high school, To Kill a Mockingbird.  It's Harper Lees masterpiece that defines racism and provides a window into southern life in the 1920's and 30's.  He told me that Atticus Finch reminds him of me.  Interwoven with the southern drawl are frequent observations by the young girl Scout about how old her father Atticus is.  In her eyes, he has assumed an aged and withered form.  Ahem, you know, like a man in his fifties.  I should however be honored by his admiration of Atticus whom is a courageous, intelligent and principled counter weight to southern racism.  My son has pronounced his desire to name his son Atticus Patrick Bauer.  Honestly its not bad, has a nice ring to it.

I think the whole phenomenon might have something to do with simple perspective that comes with age.  When you are 14 and have walked the planet for as many years it is difficult to comprehend the passage of time.  When you are 45 and have viewed the passage of four and a half decades, life yields a different perspective.  I shudder to think how insignificant a year must seem from the point of view of my 95 year old grandmother.  Of course if you reach that point in life I suppose you know your time is coming rapidly to an end.  For her a day must seem so short indeed. 

I guess the cruel reality of life is that I will never escape being old in my son's eyes and relative to him, I suppose I am.  Rodney Dangerfield famously said once, "If you want to look thin, have fat friends."  Maybe I should start hanging out with my grandmother more.  Compared to her with my bald head and pudgy complexion I look positively like a baby.