The Secret of Never Aging!

Sometimes we can easily forget that everyone grows and gets older. But the image of a child may always remain with you, especially if the child had a huge impact on you somehow. We can easily forget how fast they grow. For instance an old neighbour of ours remembers me and my brother as little kids (especially my brother, especially one time when he was about 4 he told her to put a paper bag on her head because she was ugly!!) But then over 20 years later my mother bumped into her and told her that I am married with kids and that my brother's wife just had a baby. The neighbour wasn't overly shocked to hear that I had kids but she was EXTREMELY shocked to hear about my brother being married and having a child of his own. She even said to my mom she can't imagine him being older than that 4 year old who insulted her!

I have a hard time not doing this with my neices and nephews who live far away from us. I used to hate it when relatives that we didn't see very often would visit and they would treat me and talk to me as if I was still a little girl. calling me by my childhood nickname,etc. but now I find myself having to stop myself from doing this to my younger relatives when I see or talk to them. "what do you mean your getting married your just a little girl" LOL I also have to stop myself from constantly telling stories of the cute or dumb things they did as babies/kids. Because even though its a great memory for me I know I used to hate it when my older relatives would do it to me. "remember when she drank from the dog dish HAHAHA" As the youngest of seven I have a lot of personal experience with this so feel free to think of your friend as a little boy, but when you see him try not to treat him that way LOL

Aww "sweet toes" lol. That's cute. Well you never know, he might be impressive enough in the flesh to wipe all memories of him as a little boy from your mind. 6 foot 1 - I like tall men so that would get my interest from the start! You're right though when you say people stay unchanged in your mind if you don't see them for a long time. I joined Friends Reunited and got back in touch with a few people I was at school with. Hadn't seen most of them since I was 16 and couldn't get over how flipping old they all looked lol. Of course they would think the same about me. Last time most of them saw me I had blue hair and a ring through my nose! Anyway hope it goes well on Saturday.

It's strange that your perception of people never changes, especially if you haven't seen them for a long time. at 14 the age gap with a 10 year old is massive, however once you are in your 20's or 30's, that gap really isn't a gap at all. I remember that when I was around 12 or 13 anyone older than 25 was ancient, and never even thought that I would ever be that age, (go do with being 25 again), now I think of people aged 65 being fairly young. Darren sounds like he still hasn't grown up completely yet even if he is over 6ft tall.

That image likely won't leave, even once you see him as he is now. I've been through that with most of the "boys" who are now "men" from my school years. I have girl friends who have seen the ones in my friends list and say, "OH Karen! Your friends are HAWT!". Yet I have a hard time seeing that... I can only picture the weaselly freckle faced jerk that was in my grade 4 class, or the guy who made a bad joke about giving himself a bj in grade 7, or the one who called me "Cabbage Patch", etc. Maybe that's why it's so rare to hear about people who knew each other as little kids marrying? :P

My eldest lad is 16 now, I am 5ft 2 and he towers me. The last time I saw some of his classmates they were about 10 years old, Just lately when I have been out with my son he has pointed some of them out to me, in my mind I still see them as I last saw them, and to see them now all grown up and taller than me, and young men it is quite shocking. It is also strange how you remember them as you last saw them and to see them grown up is weird, it also makes me feel quite old!!

A lot of my friends growing up have younger siblings as well. I haven't seen them in years either, so when I talk to my friends and hear they are getting married and having children.. I just can't wrap my brain around it! My own sister and brother are the same way for my friends. My sister is married with 4 children. My brother is married with 2 children, a college degree and is serving in Iraq with the Army. They still remember them as little kids. Funny thing is, the people I grew up with are unchanged in my mind as well. In my head (unless of course we still see each other a lot) I remember how we all USED to be, not how much older we are now.

For some relationships that is the case. But you may be surprised. You never know. Keep an open mind, and try not to think of him as a little kid. If you have to declare a do over in your mind. Like you were meeting a new person. You may find conversation easier that way.