BIRTHDAY FOOLISHNESS

Ever since I discovered, many years ago, that the basic definition for the word “immature” is “still growing, still developing,” I have hoped that I will remain immature until the moment of my death, and I am pleased to say that yesterday I celebrated my 72nd birthday in a totally immature way. Since I am still growing – still changing, still advancing, still learning – it seems fitting that I behaved in a completely boyish manner. What was wonderful was that I was with one of my favorite boys, my grandson Josh, which made it easy to have fun in a thoroughly unsophisticated and fresh-faced way. I was also with Delycia, who is more spry and sprightly than many teens I’ve known, and so the three of us formed a team of totally foolish friends. We were at Chuck E. Cheese’s for pizza and game-playing, and we played our hearts out. We raced cars, boats, and planes; we threw small balls and basketballs; we even shot monsters of all sorts. (Delycia was our best shooter, by far.) We raced from game to game like the silliest of kids. We were giddy and scatterbrained, but oh so happy. Delycia and I were in the springtime of our lives, a couple of immature teens taking pleasure in being young with a boy who does it beautifully.