Tuesday, February 5, 2013

32 again

I found out a few days ago that I'm 32 years old.  It isn't like I never knew my age.  It's that I didn't know how old I was on my last birthday.  For some reason, when people asked me how old I was, I said 33.  Now, understand that my birthday was in September.  I had this revelation in late January.  Ya.  That happened.

So at first I was thinking, 'wow! I have a whole extra year now.  I'm so young.'  Then I rechecked the math on being born in 1980 and it currently being 2013 and not having a birthday yet in this year.  Yep.  Checks out.

Out here on the boat, I'm not the oldest guy, but I am not in the young crowd either.  My boss, Terry said to me, "Hey Corey, we're gonna try to go with one guy in the freezer hold more this season.  So let's get you in the factory for half the day (which is 8 hours around here, working 16 and a half hours) and beat up the younger guys."  I said sure.  Well, the younger guys couldn't quite hack it, so Terry asked me to get my freezer stuff on and I have been going solo in the hold since.  We just offloaded 400 or so metric tons of fish and I put a full two thirds in there.  Lotta work.  Especially for an old guy.

Well, the point is that when I discovered that I was really 32 instead of 33 I jokingly told Terry about the situation and proclaimed myself a young guy.  He laughed.  Because that's what he does when I make jokes, pointless or otherwise.

Then I laughed inwardly.  Whatever number of years I've been alive is beside the point really if I'm already forgetting my age.  I could think of a hundred analogies to illustrate the point.  Not necessary.  I forgot-or more accurately-never knew my age.   That's senility setting in any way you flip it.  Ha! 

However old I am or feel, I can say with confidence that I out worked everyone in that hold today.  Flat out.  It isn't even my job to do labor per se, but rather to make sure the operation runs smoothly during offloads.  But I had to step in and show young and old alike that I still got it.  I actually enjoyed quite a bit of it.  And I hate offload.  And I also dominated my nemesis, the boxalator.  Later.

2 comments:

David Fernandes Jr. said...

Damn bro! No way you forgot your age? You're not some Dominican refugee or some orphan that grew up to be a gun slinger in the wild west. "How old are ya kid"? "32 I reckon, not to sure though". Ya old buccaneer.

Anonymous said...

With a birthday upon me next week, I asked Sargent, "Am I going to be 39 next week", and he responded, "yes I think so, what year were you born in." And we both confirmed 39 by doing the math. After 30, its not so much senility, as it is that you stop caring as much (at least that is my personal "out" for senility).

-Kell Style