I try not to think about my actual age. Most days I feel 20 years younger and mentally I’ve always been in the lower percentile on the maturity scale.

This week I was forced to realize that I’m as old as my birth certificate says I am, during the inauguration of our 44th President. You’d think that after years of campaigning and being privy to all news pertaining to Mr. Obama that I’d have paid a little more attention to his age. I knew how old John McCain was. He was old. But for whatever reason I never gave a thought to Mr. President’s age-47. For the first time in my life, a president is younger than I am!

I’ve always felt comforted knowing that the leader of our nation has been years older and therefore, wise and experienced. Stable, well adjusted, erudite and mature are all words I would associate with my president. Mr. Obama probably has all of those afore-mentioned attributes, it’s just that the actual swearing in ceremony made me suddenly aware that I was definitely lacking in the youth department.

My physician is way younger than me. Eight people work in the same office that I do and seven are younger than me (thanks Kathy for taking the lead on the age thing). Even good old Corky is younger.

I expect that from now on words like whipper-snapper, young punk, and well in my day, will be peppering most of my conversations. If you can’t commiserate with my acute age awareness syndrome it must be because you’re still wet behind the ears. You need to go around the block a few times and then when you least expect it Doogie Howser M.D. will be asking you questions about your memory. See how you like it you whipper-snappers you!

Corky wishes Kathi a happy birthday on Jan. 27.