A Bowl of Rice Krispies
Crows’ Feet Writing Prompt #33: Feeling Your Age
As the joke goes: When I was young I used to enjoy a bowl of Rice Krispies for breakfast, now I just sound like one.
When I was young, I took on a lot of responsibility uncommon for kids, trying in my seven-year-old brain to make up for the absence of my father who had died five years previously.
I took on chores, maintained the yard, cleaned, and helped as much as my young body would allow. I envied the kids playing and having circles of friends, but knew I couldn’t allow myself to participate.
I felt old for my age and never really connected with people. My few friends were either similarly situated with early responsibility or carried a deep disdain for frivolity.
Launching into the work world at the first opportunity, I landed a job that required Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The bosses loved me because I was unusually reliable for a teen. I avoided the party and friend- making times of the teen years, keeping me feeling older than those around me.
My post-college 20’s were simply me waiting with bated breath for my 30s to arrive, hoping that no one else would tell me “Oh, you are just too young to know better; wait a while.” I yearned for another decade under my belt to be taken seriously.
