The Youth Culture

I spent more than an hour this morning waiting for a blood test at the Diagnostic Center. This was, of course, the test that requires a 10 hour fast. Like most everyone there, my blood sugar was way down and my irritability level was way up. That irritability level peaked every time some smarty pants strolled directly from the door to the front desk to the Testing Rooms because he / she had an "appointment". Appointment or not, cutting into line should be a capital offense! At the very least, they should emulate Disney World and remove line-cutters from the premises. "Here's a syringe. Go out in the parking lot and draw your own blood, you scum!"

The sole diversion was magazines dating from 2008. After perusing news magazines touting the inevitability of a Mitt Romney vs. Hilary Clinton presidential race, I resorted to reading "Highlights for Children". "The Timbertoes" and "Goofus & Gallant" are as timely in 2010 as they were in 1954.

But why would "Highlights" be on the subscription list of a Diagnostic Center serving almost exclusively senior citizens? "Tiffany, would you like to go to the blood test place with Grandma? They have Highlights magazine there!" is probably not the reason.

Then I noticed the footwear on my waiting room compadres. The last time I saw so many velcro-fastened athletic shoes was in the shoe rack in front of the Ball Pit at Chuck E. Cheese. Either this group's next stop was a Remedial Shoe Lace Tying class or it was a sure sign of the elderly attempting to recapture their distant youth. "I may not look young, but check out these velcro-fastened kicks. And I read Highlights!"

Worship of The Youth Culture has gone too far!