The Cool Kids

Do you remember thinking someone was cooler than you, especially as you were growing up? If you ask my children, just about everyone is cooler than I am. But seriously, weren't there always some older kids that you were pretty sure knew what questions to ask, had all the answers, and didn't care what the world thought about them because they were just so darn cool.

My first memory of a cool kid was going to a birthday party when I was in fourth or fifth grade. I was really nervous about going. I still don't really like going to parties because I never know what to say, and I'm always afraid of looking like a fool. But none the less I went, because secretly, I was thrilled to have been asked. As I was going down the stairs, the birthday girl's sister was headed up, and I mistakenly said "hi" to her, thinking she was the girl who was having the birthday. Of course, I was horribly embarrassed, but I was also stunned by how grown up she was, and how cool that made her.

Another time, I was with my dad, and we went to someone's house where there were several young men in their late teens or early twenties. I don't remember anything about why we were there, but I remember watching one of the guys drinking out of the faucet. That was just about the coolest thing I could imagine. It seemed so forbidden, so in your face. And even though it is a habit I have adopted to this day, but no one has ever commented on how cool I am.

Several years ago as an adult, I discovered that the even adults who were slightly older than me could still edge me out with their cool. One evening, a group of us went to a bar to celebrate a performance of which we had just been a part. I had known the woman who had organized the event for some time. I admired her greatly, and she was one of the people along the way who helped me discover my inner "musician."

That particular night we were all sitting around, and there she was, perched on a bar stool, sipping a cocktail, and smoking a little cigar. Wow! I had no idea this woman had the capacity for so much cool. She has since passed on at far too young an age, but I still think how much she gave the world around her, and how cool she could be in the process.

By now, you are probably wondering why I've taken this trip down memory lane, and if there is any purpose behind all this meandering. So let me clue you in.

At the retirement community where I work, we host a "90 and Over Party" each year. The evening is intended to be spectacular, and it never disappoints. This year's theme, "Passport to the Orient," meant that everything was bathed in the richness of the orient. The decorations transformed the dinning room into a pagoda. It was a feast for the eyes. Everything was fabulous, and a good time was had by all.

But what I didn't expect was the crowd of younger kids (in their 70s and 80s) who were trying to get a glimpse of what was going on inside. They were so cute, peering through windows, peeking around doors, chatting with each other, and hoping that when they were "old enough," their party would be equally splendid.

I never dreamt that even as we age, there will always be "cool kids" who have earned special privileges before the rest of us. Imagine! The world can still hold suprises, no matter what your age. It makes me think that maybe I will still have my chance to be cool, even if it takes me 37 more years to get there!