I’ve become
It seems without even noticing it I’ve become an old fart.
The other day one of my best buddies and I got together for an afternoon of lumber planing. He cut the wood from his bush and we were going to plane it so he could lay it on his house floor. We’ve shared a lot over the years and when I arrived he asked me about my shoulder (blew it out playing squash) and I checked with him. Halfway through this conversation we looked at each other in horror and realized we were two guys of a certain age talking about our health. Something we had previously sworn we’d never do. Quickly, we shut up, got down to work and and three hours later we celebrated with our regular brews.
It also seems I need reminding. I posted a note yesterday on my Facebook page about cleaning up the office because it was a disaster. Shawna of Gardening Nude – decided I needed reminding to recycle as much as possible. I’ve been in the environmental movement for over 30 years. I was one of the first to build a commercial sized solar greenhouse – 1978 – (they’re still handing out grants to prove these things work) 
I’ve been recycling for years and I live with the Empress of recycling. But this sweet young thing decided I needed a reminder. So it would appear my old age is becoming evident to others – particularly those of a certain age much younger than my own. It doesn’t matter that I run the largest single-author gardening website Internet operation with a million pages delivered a month, I need reminding to recycle. 
I uploaded a video the other day about plant division. I thought it was a decent video but one of the readers on my seminar system told me I had gained weight. (but that I looked happy). So now I’m a fat old fart that needs reminding. (For the record, I’ve actually lost 15 pounds from last year)
And I’m getting grumpy and I’ve stopped being nice to people who are doing really stupid things. This reader got on the rant because she picked poison ivy and wanted folks to know it was the government’s fault. You got to be kidding me! I’m now an old, fat, forgetful curmudgeon of an old fart.
This past week has really played havoc with my self-image. I’m drowning in the sense of old fartness and I think I need something to cheer me up.
I’m taking suggestions but you’ll have to speak up…
You’re not an old fart, you are a wise and experienced gardener. As someone who has grown up with gardening, I recognize that a lot of what I still have to learn will only come through life experience, which you have
You should work in on office or business where you’re surrounded by people who are younger than you. You’d have realized it much sooner!
It’s funny — no one ever feels “old” — so it’s funny (and humbling) when someone who doesn’t have a clue about you (and all those “credentials” you’ve spent years building up) just sees an older person and makes assumptions.
I had my own awakening last week when a college student gave me her seat on the subway because I was standing. Yikes! I really must’ve been looking like I’d had a bad day.
Well, I don’t think of you as an old fart at all. I do think of you as an awesome mentor, someone I’ve learned an unbelievable amount from over the past few years (both gardening-related and otherwise!)
But you do know that you’ve opened the door for those of us on Twitter and Facebook to start referring to you as an old fart now, right?
@Colleen Vanderlinden -
As for being called an “old fart” – my guess is that most folks will have to say it to my back as I’m on the way by. 
But they can try. LOL
Colleen – thanks for the very kind words
@Judy Lowe/Diggin’ It -
Yeah – when we raised some walls on the garage last summer, da boyz doing the work made sure I had help with my end of the wall (the huge local blacksmith who tosses around chunks of iron all day)
@Matt -
I’ve written that down in my journal to remind myself about that (mostly before the coffee sinks in)
Ahhh, “wise and experienced” I like that.
Old fart? Never. You have more energy, curiosity and humor than half the twenty-somethings I know. Go have a six pack and get over it!
@Marie -
Best prescription I’ve heard today. 
It could be worse–you could be an old fart with alzheimer’s, but then you wouldn’t care
…I think Marie has the best advise…crack open a 6 pack, sit back, and forget all about these young whippersnappers who think they know more.
You know you’re getting to be an old gardener when you drive by trees you planted years ago to see how big they’ve gotten.
Have you ever listened to kids in their 20s complain about life? I have. I have two of them. If you only heard the words but didn’t see the faces they came out of you’d think “old farts.” It’s my opinion that the only way to not be an old fart is to somehow make yourself not think of yourself as an old fart. And to rarely if ever talk about the past as in “I remember when…” One last thought: I’m married to a self-proclaimed old fart and I think he wears his old fartiness as a badge of honor. Quite annoying.
Old farts rule!
@Sid Raisch -
Or see how *big* they really are now.
@Jenny B -
Yeah, the Alzheimer’s thing is something I deal with – my mom has it and I actually write a website about it to report and track recent research. It’s being transferred and rebuilt as we speak but another few weeks should see it all rebuilt and then renewed and updated. But that advice with the 6-pack seems to be resonating – maybe I should start anti-old-fart treatments tonight.
@Lydia Plunk -
Good – there’s hope for me yet.
@Pam J. -
Hmm, a bad case of hardening of the attitudes. Give him a 6-pack.
Hummm… thing I noticed was the ‘you look happy’ part. I think that’s the part to celebrate.
@Maren -
And we both know who’s responsible for that don’t we?
@Doug – Alzheimers is a scary disease and is something that runs in my family too. As long as you continue to stay active (especially your mind) and do things like garden and write for this blog, you greatly reduce your risk. Keep up the great work and no reason to get down on yourself.
@Anonymous -
And the Alz is something that I do take seriously – read “The Brain That Changes Itself” if you want serious insight into how to prevent this problem.
Not down on myself at all – I think writing tongue-in-cheek is something I need more work on obviously.