Friday, September 01, 2006

twenty-two years of wisdom are in this entry

Does anyone ever feel their age? Please let me know if you are one of those people who magically think on your birthday, “A ha!! I do feel older.” Because I don’t. Yesterday I turned twenty-two, and I don’t feel much older than I did when I was eleven. Still, it’s impressive--halfway to forty-four!! And one-third the way to sixty-six, a birthday that I’m planning to spend in Paris. (Actually, a year that I’m planning to spend in Paris...)

Dad and his somewhat sleepy-looking birthday girl, at a St. Louis bistro

Mom and I spent yesterday in St. Charles, Missouri, which isn’t too far from home. We browsed through the historical district (I found a gorgeous old map of Italy that I plan to tack up in my room), and then found our way to New Town, an amazing new community. It’s an intentional town that is trying to form a real sense of community… kind of like, KE for families! But really, everyone was out walking dogs or pushing strollers, and the houses and apartments were so inviting. Everything was colorful and new, and Mom and I noticed a strong European influence…

It could be the Thames… it could be the Seine… (well, minus the fountains). Mom and I sipped coffee and watched clouds go by on one of these benches.

This is almost too much. But I was really delighted… a British phone booth is like an old friend.

The streets around the Books & Café building were closed… for Shakespeare in the Park. Too bad we couldn’t stay!

Anyway, it was a wonderful day, and so passes another August 31. (I tell everyone I was born on a national holiday: Coupon Expiration Day.) Now it’s back to business! The writing life is a difficult one to organize, and I’m trying to strip everything else away right now. I’m missing all those syllabi that I used to get at this time of year: You will write this and read that and do these things with that group… At least it made things less complicated! --jl

Posted by Jenn Langefeld on 09/01 at 12:06 PM
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