Moot Thoughts & Musings

I've mentioned before that I'm teaching one class one evening a week at a university just a couple of miles from where I live in NOLA. I've spent a lot of time preparing, and we meet for the first time on Thursday evening. I still have to put a few finishing touches on the syllabus, and make up their handouts and "primary source exercises". (It's a one semester music history survey.)

I'm aware that at 26 years old I may be one of the younger ones in the classroom, which was part of the reason I went to the bother of getting the short haircut. I think it makes me look older, at least older than a teeny-bopper pony-tail. But I don't think it worked. Last week I came in to turn in my contract, and the secretary, upon finding out my business, laughed, introduced herself warmly and said, "I had thought you were one of the students." This morning I came in to fill out my W2 form. The secretary smiled and said, "I thought you were one of the students." I was walking along the sidewalk on my way to the library this evening, and as I passed someone whom I presumed was a professor, he smiled at me and said, "Welcome back." From this evidence I deduce that my haircut hasn't worked.

Now in each case I could see why I could be mistaken as a student not for the haircut but for another article of paraphenalia: the backpack. I haven't been carrying around a grown-up looking purse, because the only purse I have is like a suitcase, and I hate carrying it around. Besides, I can't put my laptop and seven library books in it. (Okay, it's not that much like a suitcase, but it is somewhat unwieldy for everyday use, though to its defense it's perfect for traveling.) The backpack could make me look more undergrad-y.

Except the reason I'm carrying a backpack should is because I feel older. I have a normal briefcase-y bag with a laptop pouch and everything. In fact, it's a pretty darn good bag. It has all the perfect compartments for pens, cell phone, business cards, etc. I really like it. But when I start throwing the computer and all the books I carry around, it puts a lot of strain on the one shoulder it's slung around, and the trek from the parking lot is greater everyday (I can't wait 'til people start skipping class). So Chris has this bookbag lying around. Even though it doesn't have a laptop pouch, I throw everything in there anyway. It's a whole lot easier to carry my stuff around evenly distributed by two padded straps. I'm feeling older.

I realized recently that I probably have already hit the peak of my body's prime. My metabolism isn't working as well (i.e. it's easier to put on than take off nowadays); my joints get creaky from sitting too long; I go to the bathroom in the night more often; I often leave the house with a little toothpaste stuck in the corner of my mouth. All these are signs that the Prime of my Youth may be starting to wane for the first time in my life.

But! My solace is that I at least look like one of the students.