You know how on some of those sites like MySpace that require you to put your age, how sometimes people will put down “99 years old,” just to fill up the space. I guess I understand the impulse to do that, but I always figure that if you just tell the truth it can’t bite you in the ass later. Not that I always take my own advice. Hell, I lie and shade the truth as much as anyone. But age is one thing I can deal with. I’m 44. Yeah, I’m getting older and the body inevitably fades, but that’s just how it is. Avoiding revealing the truth isn’t going to change anything. Besides, I was miserable in my twenties and thirties and am much happier now than I’ve ever been.

In the scheme of things my life’s actually pretty good and fairly easy compared to the lot of so many people in this insane world, where just basic nourishment and shelter is an ongoing struggle. Somehow this awareness of how much worse things could be plays into my desire to try to be more honest about who I am, including not hiding my age. I’ve noticed how occasionally for no reason at all I’ll avoid telling the truth on some inconsequential thing and then later ask myself, “Hmm, I wonder why I did that?” Not that it’s wrong, it’s just a funny tendency we all have.

So I say, state your age proudly and let it go. I could say I’m 37 but the gods would know otherwise.