Grumpy Ole Men

Hi. My name is Hayden. I am almost 43 years old. Recently I have scoffed at the neighborhood kids for not knowing what a skelly court is. I yelled at the ice cream man for coming down the block too late at night. I told our neighborhood kids to stop throwing the rocks from my front yard at each other (the urban equivalent of "get offa mah lawn").  I fuss with my daughter when she doesn't finish her dinner. Somewhere, out of nowhere ( at least in MY eyes), I became a grumpy ole man! How da hell did this happen?

I came to terms with my age a long time ago. I was ready to put my youth behind me a decade ago. I had a great youth and I had no desire to try to recapture it or to finally do "all those things that I missed out on". I get it: I am a man of a 'certain age' and I'm perfectly fine with that (even though my students insist on calling old and the grey hair in my beard doesn't help). In fact, I actually welcome the trapping of my age: being able to afford better trips, fatherhood, meaningful relationships, better cars, better dates. When you accept it, being middle aged is fun...even IF those young whippersnappers think that you're an old fogey.

What I did not count on was becoming grumpy. I didn't see that one coming. I consider myself to be a laid back, fun loving person. That is the antithesis of grumpy!! Lately, I have found myself tightly wound and ready to scold people! Who is this guy!?? Do we all get to this point because the ranks of Grumpy Ole Men (GOM) are thinning due to death and they need replacements? Is there something that our mates are putting in our food that makes you angry at small children and frozen treat vendors? I hope not.

My wife told me to go take a nap this weekend because I was being a particularly annoying GOM. That's all I needed to right my ship! That is the last time someone will call me a GOM until I am actually old enough to draw social security (that's if it EXIST when I get to 65!) and legitimately consider myself old. In my mind, I'm not old until I'm paying half price at the movie theatre! But 'grumpy' stops now!

...right after I get these kids to stop playing my yard....

These are my thoughts...what are yours?