i got the invitation in the mail the other day.
would i like to join aarp? lots of benefits. it’s not expensive. you really should.
they must be kidding. i’m only 42.
a caveat is in order. i’m convinced that they got their mailing lists crossed somehow. the solicitation was sent to “ms. jamie howard” and at my work address.
so clearly, even though there’s no female or otherwise alternate jamie howard here where i work, they must have me mixed up with some semi-elderly jamie howard in some alternate universe.
because i am clearly too young and vibrant to belong to such an organization. how many 42 year old people maintain their own blog–and i mean maintain it code and all, not just sign up for blogster or whatever? not too many, that’s who.
i was in a lunchtime seminar a few weeks ago. it was given by some buzz marketers who had a methodology for finding out who the trend-setting cutting-edge types were, as they relied on people like that for their marketing. they asked a roomful of about 50 marketers, including me, some questions to see if we would qualify to help them.
keep in mind that i probably had 10 years on the next oldest person in the room.
first question–what’s a slingbox? i knew. do you? they are great, though not useful to me, so i don’t own one.
two other people in the room knew what a slingbox was.
second question–do you watch wonder showzen? i was the only person in the room who knew what wonder showzen was. i’ve only blogged about it about 100 times, for chrissake.
question three–do you have a blog? well, you know the answer to that.
one woman raised her hand. i didn’t raise mine, because frankly i didn’t want to look like the teacher’s pet.
there were a couple of other questions i knew the answer to, but you get the idea. it was actually an eye-opening experience for me. i like to stay current on things, but since i do it (and always have) i just assume that everyone else pays as much attention as well. it was truly shocking to me that no one had a clue about some of this stuff.
so i guess that someday, i will join aarp, because i am cheap and i want the discounts.
but mentally, i’ll never be a member of that class. know what i mean? i fully intend to stay fully informed and fully current, as long as possible.
and i really think that, given my history, i will. in a sensible, age-appropriate way, of course. i’m not going to be that 50-year-old guy trying to dress young and talk and act like i’m 20.
but mentally, i’m always going to be young, i think.
by the way, i got stinky cheese and wasabi peas for valentine’s day. i’m a very lucky man who is loved by a man who knows exactly what to get his husband for valentine’s day.