“You never feel your middle age so long as you have a mother… The word “Mama” alone is enough to preserve your youth and bloom.” ~ Yusuf Ma’ati (b. 1963) – An Egyptian humor author

I recently listened to a 15 minute talk about how 30 is NOT the new 20. The speaker was fantastic! In under 15 minutes, she literally gave 20 somethings back their Mojo. She spoke of how they were not being challenged in their 20’s but had been giving a ‘kitchen pass’ to skate through 20 without a plan to arrive at 30, unprepared.
As the wise old and fed up Baby Boomer that I am…I challenged all of my little Trailer Park “boomerangs” to listen to her in a public Facebook post and then went behind the scenes and encouraged them again to listen to the 14 minute 50 second spiel.

You can listen to Ms. Meg Jay here… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhhgI4tSMwc

Ok…so enter, Nadine, at 52 ½, but feeling like 30 ½. Why the ½? I’m glad you asked.

Ever since a 6-year-old Dramamine reported to the lady at the Gibson’s Department Store, just one day after her 6th birthday, that she was then 6 ½…. I have added a “ ½” to my age when asked.

My logic and rationale is simple. First, by adding that ½ to my age, I am always ever hopeful to make it to that next year. Second, the ½ gives me a half a year running head start on the rest of ya’ll. Always longing to be older and wiser than I presently am, that ½ a year gives me a mental edge far better than any self-improvement seminar or book ever could. And third, people usually gasp in utter amazement by saying “No! You can’t be that old!”

Beats the heck out of them saying…”What? I guessed you to be much older.”

As far as birthday’s go…like most of us, I’ve had the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Of the good are many memories of swim parties at the local public cement pond with all of my girlfriends and one girl in particular who shared the same birthdate. As pee-wee cheerleaders together, our Mother’s deemed it smart to invite ALL of the same girls to one party and split the cost. Pretty smart Mommas if you ask me. Plus, we loved it and we learned at a very young age to share the spotlight. It was a lesson of great importance, learned early to be carried on in life.

I know I can’t always be the Queen Bee of the Trailer Park, but must, on occasion, share the lime light…ergo, we’re all Queens! Let the lime light shine.

Of the bad, are mixed memories and blacked out periods of fraternity parties, after work parties and family gatherings where the ‘less than sober’ participants mixed and mingled with ‘most’ of their clothing still intact at the local watering holes. There’s something about being born under the zodiac sign of Cancer and water that continues to have a recurring theme here.

Of the ugly….well, there was that one year when I turned 25.

As far as my family was concerned…I was an Old Maid.

I wasn’t married. No husband, no children, no trailer house to speak of, no dogs, no permanence.

Little did ‘they’ know…I was living the dream!

Little did I know either.

Because I rushed into a marriage only to have it begin to turn south less than 6 months later…Still no husband, no children, no trailer house, no dogs, no permanence.

Incredibly it was one (of many to follow) of the ultimate times of my life! Because I realized then that age was irrelevant! At the ripe old age of 25! Imagine my shock.

And since age is irrelevant, then it doesn’t matter at all if 50 is the new 30, or 20…cause my Mojo is still intact. From age 25. I feel the same as I did back then…only smarter and wiser and a whole lot more fun!

So, on this birthday (as on every birthday the Good Lord has graced me with thus far) color me ever grateful to celebrate another. Considering the options…I’ll take every last birthday he wants to give me.

Respectfully submitted by your very best friend in the whole entire world,

Nadine Bodine

Aka/Malika Nadine of the Happy Family Danat Resort Trailer Park in the Sandbox