non-linear history

It's the office junior's 18th birthday on Monday. Our office is quite big on birthday's, and this is a big birthday so we've been gearing up on and off all day.

I feel very old:-0

At college on Wednesday we mentioned old money. I was the only one there who was born pre-decimalisation (apart from the tutor). Many of them didn't even KNOW that decimilisation had occured in the UK.

Also, my colleague had the indecency to show me all her holiday pictures today. She went to Israel and Jordan. To Petra. I've always wanted to go to Petra, and the chances of actually getting there are becomming more remote with each passing day. But I did spend most of a happy year in Isreal and Egypt. When I was 18. I've just looked out all my old photo's.

I remember doing all the things, and all the places, and all the people shown in the photo's. I don't really remember being the person in those pictures.

I don't have anything in common with the person in those pictures.

I have no idea how that person became this person! Surely SOME of our maturation should be conscious? I mean, I can trace each event/decision that resulted in the changes, and many of them were made deliberately after much thought. But I am still a bit unsure how come I started at A, and am now at *fgby+, rather than B, or even Z:-) I wonder who I will be in another 18 years?