How Old Are You.... Really?

Is age just a number? Sure it is...In theory.

     We live in a world where sixty-five year old's are having kids, grown men dress up in diapers and demand to be treated like babies, and beauty pageant children play adult dress up to fulfill the twisted obsessions of their mom's.

    I spent a lonely, and lazy Saturday playing one of the most manly, violent, crude and yet enjoyable video games. The game is "Gears of War." It is celebrated and criticized for it's vulgar and bloody presentation but also celebrated for the same reasons. The age range of "Gears" players is said to be 18-40, but most of us who play online know this is incorrect.

    I have had the sometimes horrific yet astounding privilege to play Xbox games online with a headset. I have played alongside 8 year old kids, sixty year old dads, young married couples and college students. I've even played "Gears" with four people from Mexico.

    One of my online acquaintances and I were involved in a game when he had to stop because "The Cops are Outside." I also had to listen to a 14 year old tell me what fooling around sexually with a woman is like. The ESRB says that Online interactions are not rated for content. No kidding.

    Today almost anyone has access to the internet and can go online with their phones, computers, and game consoles. We are more interconnected then ever, right? Online interaction has opened up a can of worms. Now there are almost no barriers between people of different social class, nationality and most importantly age.  

Just playing a single game like "Gears" and being exposed to the online world has made me realize that age is just a number. The important thing is maturity, regardless of age.

    Maturity is defined by: How a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner and being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act appropriately, according to the situation and the culture of the society one lives in.
    An online world who's environment is ever changing blended with a melting pot of cultures and societies makes defining what is mature very difficult. Maturity by itself is not the solution.

    True Maturity comes down to listening and understanding. No matter what age we are or what our culture is, we need to listen. We also need to accept the things that make the other person different. We need to accept that what another person says may be wrong to us. It may be immature in our circles. Having respect for someone is not the same as agreeing with them. We can; as my mom used to say, "Play Nice."
 
    As online, family and interpersonal communities. We finally have a chance to join together as a global community. We can be connected with anyone anywhere. Let's not waste this opportunity!





 

Stuffed!

I am taking out the newspapers for recycle and sitting in the recycle dumpster in boxes were various stuffed animals. There were at least 50 of them. They ranged in size from little bears as big as my thumb, to a two and a half feet tall "Cat in The Hat."

I found a Hello Kitty, 6 care bears, 3 ponies, a knuckles plush from sonic the hedgehog, an Eeyore and a Minny Mouse, a pink gorilla, and a praying bear among them.

I will be donating them to a Charity for our Military Veterans and their families.

The more Valuable ones I will sell to make some extra cash, and the rest are up for grabs until Wednesday.

I will be keeping the pink seahorse.