Fall in New York

Seriously, where did it go? It's so cold, I am waiting for snow. I can't take this chill-your-bones rain. I'd rather it just snow and get it over with. Today is cloudy, and a perfect day for some light housecleaning, candle burning, and wine. Yes, bring on the vino! After a week of not going anywhere, I finally went out on Wednesday night. Disaster (Mom, cover your ears). Tonight, I am actually going for some decent conversation with one of my friends who reads. I'd say our conversations are more than decent, and even though we are both fairly intelligent people, inevitably we will have to gossip about something, and here's where we get creative.

I hope everyone has some friends who read in their stock of friends, and I also hope everyone has a friend who's a total lovable nut. For many of my friends, I'm sure I fill both categories.

I think the older you get, the pickier you become about who you actually spend time with. Everyone is so busy, and yet, how many of us do nothing at all? There's "obligation" hangouts--hangouts you have to commit a few hours to just let the other friend know you still adore the friendship. But then there's "your boys". Or "your girls". These are people you would take to Vegas on a whim if you ever were a millionaire. These are the people who can make you laugh until you snort, cry, or pee your pants, or all three. You don't need to be intoxicated for this to happen, either, because these friends of yours are just that good.

My favorite type of friend. Everyone needs a few of these hanging around.

A few of us (in our 20's) were discussing which age(s) in the 20's sucked the most. I said 26 was awful. So awful, I started to tell people I was 27 three months before my actual birthday. 27 couldn't come fast enough. Someone mentioned how 25 wasn't all that great for them, either, so I believe that 25, 26, is just not awesome. You feel like a screw up. You have a mid-twenties crisis, you hate your job, and you start to question why you spent four or five years in school for a degree you haven't used yet. But 28--so far 28 has been a beautiful age. The crisis factor is gone, and you don't even care that you are close to 30. So what if you don't have it all figured out? So what? You also start to see friendships and relationships as they truly are, instead of what you would like them to be, or what would be ideal--for you. You have come to terms with the fact that you are not going to change anyone just because you're awesome, so you'd rather be awesome with and around people who recognize your awesomeness, and to hell with mediocre relationships. You just don't care enough to worry about them.

At least, this has all been true for me, since I turned 28 (which I'm sure you guessed even though I was using 2nd person narrative).

I've been an Old Soul most of my life. I've always imagined living to be 90 years old, because I've felt I have been 90 my entire life. I was affectionately nicknamed "Old Woman" in college by a few close friends, and people who share this Old Soul quality with me agree on this--Old Souls call each other out on their Old Soulness all the time. Old Souls say, "Why, you're an Old Soul!" Yes, this actually happens. It has happened to me while I was bartending in a neighborhood bar on the Upper West Side, and it's happened to me with friends I know I'll always be friends with. But for the first time in my life, I don't feel 90. I don't feel old at all. I actually feel...younger. And it feels wonderful.

But enough about me. It's time to return to my light housecleaning.