Old Soul

According to Urban Dictionary, an old soul is a person whom is beyond their years; people of strong emotional stability.  That is such a lovely term and I wish I could say I was an old soul.   A more accurate concept of what I would be considered is just an old person, trapped in the body of an old person, that resembles a young person. 

When I was in the fifth grade, I advanced to the Regional Science Fair for my exhibit on what juice best cleans a dirty penny.  If that wasn't nerdy enough on its own, I kicked it up a notch with my "reward."  My parents told me I could have anything I wanted.  (A side note: I am pretty sure they never told my sister she could have anything she wanted because she would have done the appropriate thing and request something lavish).  My request was to leave right then and go to the movie theatre to see Schindler's List.  My parents agreed and off we went to see the pre-teen cult classic.  The entire audience was there dressed up as characters from the movie.  Oh wait, no that isn't true.  I was probably the youngest, and only, kid in the theater.  

I remember going over to this old man's house to hear all of his World War II stories.  That was my idea of a fun Sunday afternoon.   Most of the time when a kid goes to his or her friend's house, they say "are your parents here?"  What they mean is "please tell me your parents are gone so we can break the rules."  If I were to ask that, my wish would be that the answer was yes, and I would get to chat with them a little. You know about politics or just whatever.  

Some of my earliest childhood memories are not of cartoons or childhood books.  Some of my earliest memories are scenes from Days of Our Lives.  I mean, who doesn't vividly remember a young Bo Brady, gazing into the eyes of a young Hope and saying something like , "Blah blah blah Fancy Face"?  

I was so into the OJ Simpson trial. I spent the entire summer break glued to the TV. I couldn't get enough of that crazy Kato. Marsha Clark's hair always killed me.   When school started, it was so hard to be at school knowing that the trial wasn't over.  I remember the day the verdict came out. I asked one of the teachers at lunch if she knew what happened.

It wasn't just my interests that were a bit on the old side.  My ailments also verged on being elderly.  In elementary school I had an upper gi.  I was put on an economy sized bottle of Tagamet to help with my social situation  induced/ performance anxiety. 

 I remember starting junior high hoping I would not get a bottom locker.   I was afraid it would be too hard on my knees.