"Is This Some Kind of Retirement Party?" - And Crandall (Class of 1990) Hit That Mile-Mark of OLD

Chitunga and I ventured out to hear a Prince tribute band, The Beatiful Ones, at a local bar by the water, meeting our friends (and his) for a Friday night of unwinding. Inevitably, our crowds separated as the young people wanted their space and the only people simply wanted to talk over a few drinks.

The music was okay, but singing along was great. At about 11, the band broke for a break and proceeded to play a series of songs from 1988 - 1990, which of course got the adults excited and we began dancing. For me, it was like I was 18 again.

While this happened, more and more of Chitunga's friends showed up, and my friends and I just danced. It was hilarious and I couldn't help but think I was dancing at my prom.

Soon, however, the older folks decided they needed to leave, so I told Chitunga and his friends they could come back to the house to finish out the party. One of the boys asked, "Dr. Crandall, was this some sort of retirement party we were just at?"

Reality check. These boys were born 5 years after I graduated high school. They were 10 years old when I was teaching in Kentucky in 2005. They don't necessarily know Prince or any of the music from the 1980s but that "stuff my parents listen to."

Meanwhile, I get a text from a student, class of 1998, sending me a photo from after she graduated University of Kentucky. She was thinking of me and the time that we went to a Prince concert at Staples Stadium in Los Angeles, but also the time that her classmates and her raided my house in their senior year of college while I lived in Kentucky.

She sent this photograph from sometime around 2001 when I was probably grading papers and they invaded my home - hilarious that it came while watching a Prince impersonator, especially because her passion for Prince (and Stevie Wonder) were absolutely insane.

I'm looking at them knowing they are adults now, and listening to the boys in my kitchen who are 22 right now making memories of craziness for their own youth.

Eavesdropping on them sharing stories has me hysterical as I type in the other room. Ah, but I'm sort of sad, too. It flies by.

Today is my nephew's graduation party, age 19, and he will be heading to the Army in July. He's on my mind, too, because it seems he was just born. I'm hoping my family has a great celebration and I am able to finish a project by the time their party begins (fingers crossed).

Not sure what to do with this post, other than cherish the beauty of the pace of life.