Jenna's House of Idiosyncrasies Version 10.0 [Focus.]

I'm way late this year on this, but as I'm fairly confident no one even reads here anymore, I'm just making sure to get it under the wire for myself. Read More »

I can't quite believe it, but measured by Retweets and Favorites, this is the most popular thing I have ever said on Twitter1.

Appealing to geeks + a solid "your mom" joke = Twitter gold!

1. 1. So far!

Today when I approached the counter at Zaxby's, there was just one older gentleman in line in front of me. He had clearly already placed his order, but was busy rambling to the teenager behind the register about football or baseball or something. The young man nodded and smiled politely, saying nothing, while I waited the 10 or 12 seconds it took for the gray haired man to finish his point and move on.

As I moved to take my place at the head of the line, I gave the teenager a smile and sort of a knowing eye roll, acknowledging to him that we are on the same team. The Old People Are Weird Team1. However, instead of giving me a subtle signal in return—something in the form of a non-verbal yeah they are or you know it—the young man gave me the same polite smile and nod as the last customer. It occurred to me in that moment that for this young man, I have crossed the adult threshold, and there is a bright line between our generations.

This of course makes sense. This month I am officially 10 years out of high school, while I would put this kid at no more than 16, so we are nowhere near peers at this point in time. Still, actually being addressed with the respect—or maybe just the indulgence—that comes with age in real time was at once depressing and exhilarating. Many things at this exact point in my life are not going quite right, but it seems I can finally be sure that not many will mistake me for a teenager, and I'm going go ahead and consider that a step in the right direction.

1. 1. No disrespect, because I hope to be one someday, but they are. Weird.