Darn kids, get off my lawn!

I was talking to a friend today about age and how easy it is to get hung up on those big, round numbers. Like 30. Thirty is the next big one for me (albeit not for another couple of years). At least Paul and I are the same age -- I'm a mere four days older than him -- and when I hit 30, he's not far behind.

I make myself feel better by saying he and I haven't changed a lot since college. I mean, he's much more responsible now and I'm much more laid back. We go to bed earlier. We're both more cognizant of how we allocate our money and our time. But a lot of things haven't changed. We still play video games, though our consoles of choice are quite a bit newer. We listen to the same music (thank you, iPod). And we still have the same stupid, slightly juvenile sense of humor.

So, for the most part, I don't feel old. There are exceptions. Paul is teaching students this semester who were born in 1990. Nineteen-frickin'-ninety! They don't remember life before the Internet or cell phones.

That age gap was driven home to me Friday. I had a mystery shop on a college campus and was doing my best to blend in. I put on some jeans and a hoodie (which, you know, is how I dress most of the time anyway), tossed my stuff in a messenger bag and made my way to campus. I got there just as classes were letting out and found myself in a throng of young collegians.

Now, I'm not going to go into some "woe is me, I'm old" rant here. Because I'm not. Or maybe I am and I'm really, really in denial. But being there, surrounded by the fresh faces of carefree 18- to 22-year-olds, really put me in my place.

You know what made me feel old? Surprisingly, it wasn't catching a glimpse of my not-18- to 22-year-old face in the rear view mirror (though that certainly didn't help). Instead, it was realizing that I was the only one walking down the street who wasn't furiously typing text messages on my phone. I was actually looking where I was going instead of tripping over my own feet or bowling down other people.

Is paying attention something that comes with age? And were we that oblivious when we were young?