Shit... I'm Growing old.

I don't know why, but for some reason it just hit me that I'm growing old.

I remember the time I went to visit my old school in Bahrain last year. By any objective standards, and I think everyone will agree, the school I went to is the best in Bahrain. Bahrain school, St Christopher's, Bayan; they're all a bit crappy compared to it, and I think even people who went to those schools will concur :) I don't even need to mention Al Hekma, Naseem, or Sacred Heart.

Anyway, I digress. I remember going to the school, and for starters, I couldn't recognize anyone there (I've only graduated four years ago!). I know some people because they were the cousin of one of my friends, or their brother, but I did not personally know a single person.

Not only that, but I couldn't relate to the graduating class in anyway whatsoever. I mean, were we really that materialistic and tacky? All they talked about was Britney Spears, when were they going to get their license, and girls (obviously the girls takled about guys), plus a bit about the exams and homework they had. They also now have a private parking space (imagine that!) for the graduating class!

They all also had a pretty thick American accent when talking English. Some even thought I was some posh English dude from my accent (even though English people do not think I have an English accent). Did I ever really talk with that weird American-Bahrain private school accent? The Horror.. The Horror...

This is not to mention the antics students are up to nowadays. Apparently it's not that uncommon to find students doing drugs (weed) nowadays, even on school campus! We never did that! I remember that if we smoked a cigarrette in school, or skipped class, we would be considered rebels. Were we really such goody-goody kids, and are the new generation really that bad?

I also took a quick browse through the school's latest yearbook, and particularly the graduating class's dedication section. (Nearly) Everyone was writing in English. Have we become that Americanized? Not only that, but it was filled with these silly abbreviations:
luv 2 c u soon
tc and kit!
etc... etc... etc...

Our class couldn't have been that bad, could it?

So I looked through our year's yearbook. I haven't done that in a long time. I couldn't believe it. We, and particularly me, were just as bad (my picture was just awful).

I started reading through what I had written down, and it was honestly like reading someone else's stuff. I mean, I knew all the people I had written the stuff to, and the events I was talking about were still vaguely familiar, but I just couldn't understand the mentality of the writer! Why the hell would he use that style of language? That couldn't possible be me!!

I then started digressing and thinking about philosophical theories of personal identity, and particularly Derek Parfet's theories of connectedness and connectivity (based on Locke's theories). Does a person A now have the same personal identity as person A five years ago, even if he does not share any of the thoughts and memories that person A shared 5 years ago?

Just in time however, I hit my head against a wall, and told myself, "get back to reality you ediot. No one gives a toss about such ideas."

¶ 6:25 AM