Age

"Age is just a number, baby." Not really. Age has a varying degree of significance with people. Some look at age as an important factor in deciding all sorts of stuff. Others disregard it in favor of experience and knowledge. I probably fall in with the latter school of though. Beyond that, age is a number of different things.

It's another measurement of time and the slow crawl towards the inevitable. It is to be expected, however, "slow" becomes "Damn! Time just flew! What the hell!?" We have reminders of it but its becomes this sort of phantom that just lurks around. Or that weird friend that tends to sneak up behind you to try to scare you. Time is a ghost? Sort of.

And when the fear strikes correctly, you miss deadlines or appointments and all that.

But regarding age. It is some sort of painting on the wall that has weird eyes that follow you everywhere. It's there but nobody really notices it until someone else points it out:

"Wow! You really grew (insert noun/adjective/word here)!"
"How long has it been [since we last spent time]?"
"I haven't seen you in [time]!"

And similar questions irritate because they provide a lazy attempt at concern/attention or whatever you want to call it. Only if there is no follow-up. Other times, it's just insulting to hear what is tantamount to "You're old!" Ah the eternal specter (not to be confused with SPECTRE.) that haunts people (as specters are wont to do).

I don't really mind it anymore even if it's that time of year again.

Have a good one, reader(s?)