I know it now

I went to the post office this afternoon to set up a P.O. box for me and Kate.

I knew my address, I understood the need for various forms of I.D., I chatted with Pam-the-postmistress about this and that. I remembered that she’s got twins who will be going to college in a year. I admired another customer’s John Kerry t-shirt and talked with him about some details of the recent convention. (Balloons, Barrack Obama, the perfidy of big oil.)

Driving home, I realized how much I can stay on top of, right now. I dealt with the logistics of our move, I’m hungry to learn new technological tricks, I have a sense of current slang and kid-jargon. New concepts? Bring’em on.

And yet, my grandmother can do nearly none of these things any more. Current slang? Not a chance. New technologies? Nope. The logistics of her recent move into assisted living? Not her problem.

But at one time, she was like me – eager, capable, together. On top of things. And at some later time, I’m going to be like her – slowing, at the mercy of younger family members, and content to be so.

I just can’t quite imagine what happens between Here and There. I suppose we all find out eventually.