“Hello,” I look up from the rock on which I’ve been sitting. He is perhaps six or seven years old, a little young I think for roaming the beach on his own, but no adult is in sight. “What ya doin’ here?” This, as he sits on a large rock about three feet away and gazes into my eyes. I smile as I picture myself at that age, eyes full of wonderment. “Are you old?” he asks suddenly. “Everyone says I’m young, but my parents say I sometimes think like an old man, I’ve never seen anyone old before”. I laugh, “and what would you say is old“? He thinks for a moment, “I guess a hundred would be old”. I’m smiling now, “Well, I’m sixty- nine, do you think that’s old”? He looks thoughtful, “ya, I guess that would be old”.

“What makes you think 69 is old”? I’m amused at his manner. “Perhaps you can ask me something.” He thinks for a moment, “Can you remember when the dinosaurs were here”? I try hard to keep a straight face, “that was a little before my time”. He smiles, “then I guess you’re not old – I’m not old either, but I will be someday – everyone gets old but its nothing to worry about, it’s just like when the old year ends, he’s tired after waiting so long for santa Claus, so he just goes to sleep and the baby new year takes over”. He stops for a moment. “ I have to be going now, mom will be looking for me, oh I forgot” he holds out his hand, “I’m Jeremy and I’m six years old”. I take his hand, “I’m Mose, do you come here often”? “Just when I need to think, but that’s okay, I’ll do that tomorrow, nice meeting you Mose”. I watch as he gets on his bike and rides away. He turns to wave once, and then he’s gone around the bend. “Out of the mouths of babes”, I muse, “best explanation I’ve heard for getting old”.