When Talking about Age, the Grass is Always Greener

The majority of people don't want to be the age they are. I've lost count of  how many times in the last two years I've been told, "I wish I could be your age" or "I would give anything to be back in college." When you're an adolescent you can't wait to be 16 to get your license. Once you're 16, it's all about turning 21. Then there seems to be some bizarre flip that causes us to yearn to be carded again. Before I left for college, my brother and sister (23 and 21 respectively at the time) both expressed their envy of me. I saw the glimmer in my bother's eyes as he gave voice to his wish of being able to go through 4 years of college at one school and then transfer to a new school school and re-do the whole thing all over again, freshman to senior year. Of course, I'm thrilled to be the age I am right now- old enough to make (most) of my own decisions, young enough to where my naïvité is still endearing. However, I do from time to time wish I was back in the days of my childhood. Part of the reason for this nostalgia is that I had such a great childhood I wish I could relive it and soak it all in. Another, more shameful plausible reason is that things were easier back then: less decisions, less responsibilities. I even sometimes wish could be older. Since I was 6 I knew that I wanted to move to New York when I was "grown up." Part of me wants to just skip to that part of my life that I've been looking forward to since my first trip to the city as a 6 year old. If you think about this phenomenon, it really isn't rational. We spend our time wanting to be another age, all the while a few years from now we'll wish we could be the age we currently are. But we're not even fully enjoying it now because we're living in the past (or future).  I always thought my grandmother was crazy for refusing to tell her age. Now, I think she might be on to something. Maybe we should listen to the saying "age is just a number" since it only distracts us from enjoying the moment.