a study in perspectives on time, memory, and experience, part 1

On Monday I was talking with some of the undergraduates who go to my Bible study. One of them made some reference to how he was in high school and how he was different now. Now understand that this guy is a freshman, possibly a sophomore, in college. I sat there listening, slightly dumbfounded, by how he referred to high school as if it were the major point against which he defined himself. And as I listened, I began to feel very old. Now pause before you jump to leave some comment about how I'm not really old and please note that I'm not talking about being old but about feeling old. There is a difference.

I can't remember the last time I made reference to high school as the significant moment in my past. High school is more of a blurry memory at this point. Some days I feel like I've lived several entire lifetimes in the last 7 years. No joke. I get a slight of twinge of sadness when I hear people talk like this guy was talking. Not for myself, but for them. I guess I feel sad that they've had so little time to experience life and that they don't even know what they don't know. Perhaps I should feel happy for them for those very same reasons, but I don't. Knowledge will do that to you sometimes.