03.10.01
When I was 19, I met this really cool woman named Karen. She was only a few years older than I, but she seemed so smart and together. She used to say that I reminded her of how she was when she was my age, and we used to laugh about it.
God, I was such a dumb kid then. Every little thing that happened seemed like a major trauma, and somehow Karen would always manage to put things in perspective. I really respected her advice, and I hoped I'd grow up to be more like her.
At her 30th birthday party a few years ago, we went to the Deadwood and took topless photos of ourselves in one of those photo booths. We had a blast.
The closer I get to 30, the more I think about how little my life has changed since I was 19. Hell, Karen's life hasn't changed that much either. We're both still screwed up and shiftless - she's working at a co-op selling deli goods, and I'm doing hair. Neither of us has a degree or any other trappings of the American Dream. We both have goals and ideals that have gone unfulfilled, and not so surprisingly, I have grown up to be a lot like her.
