“That’s you?”
“Yup.”
“That isn’t you.” (peals of laughter)
Young people have a sometimes heartless way of being completely truthful.
It’s a good thing. I think.
In this case, the 12-year-old in our home was looking at a calendar.
For a fun Christmas present for his mother, I’d had a calendar made, including shots of pets, past and present and random shots of family members.
Included (I believe I was Mr. July) is the shot you can see to your right of some young guy who may or may not have been me a couple of years (OK, decades) back.
As the boy was sifting through the calendar, correctly remembering every dog and cat, he stopped on that particular month and wondered who the person was.
Looks at photo. Looks at me. Looks back and photo. Looks back at me. Then, hilarity ensues.
Ouch.
I thought of the calendar and in particular, this photo, the other day.
I realized that in almost all of my dreams (the ones I can recall when I wake up), I am seeing myself from a detached perspective and I’m almost always a younger version of myself.
Sometimes as a boy, but almost always as a young adult.
And always, always doing something athletic. Running, jumping, playing sports.
If there’s any dream analysts out there, hit me up.
My own layman’s view is that it’s because, thanks to some unwanted surgery, I can’t do much of that anymore.
And since it was a primary focus for most of my life, I miss it. So I think my subconscious tries to help me out.
But probing a little deeper, I wonder just how differently we see ourselves throughout our adult lives.
Now, I’m used to my current self, but at least once a week I scare myself getting out of the shower.
“Who the hell is that?”
“Oh, damn. That’s where we’re at now? Dang.”
Then I chuckle at myself.
Reminds me of the time I was getting fitted for a new suit before my son’s wedding.
Suit guy brings a couple of jackets for me to try on, then starts measuring me up.
“Wow, you’re pretty big through the shoulders,” he said.
“You got that right, Skippy,” went my inner monologue.
“Did you used to work out?”
Another ouch moment.
Similar to when I drive to work, and the 1980s hair band tunes are playing and I’m still younger me, then I step out of the vehicle and the ‘snap, crackle and pop’ brings me back to reality, and I’m not having cereal.
It even happened just minutes ago.
One of my colleagues noticed the photo and said “that’s a strapping young lad.”
“Yes, yes it is,” I said.
“Almost didn’t recognize you.”
Oof.
At this point, you just have to laugh. Happens to everyone.
And it’s never an issue if I can avoid the mirror first thing in the morning.
But am I curious to see how others see themselves internally, or when you’re dreaming.
Is it current you? Long-ago you? A mixture of both?
Let me know, I’d be fascinated to hear from you.
PQB News/Vancouver Island Free Daily editor Philip Wolf welcomes your questions, comments and story ideas. He can be reached at 250-905-0029 or via email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca.
