RANDOM THOUGHTS - A CHARLEN'S-EYE VIEW OF THE DECADES OF HUMAN LIFE

                             by Charlen Kyle

     Looking back over my half century of life, the decades each
seem to have their own individual character. My observations of the
decades as others have experienced them leads me to believe that
some aspects are similarly shared by all.

     Here they are as I see them. Do the descriptions strike any
chords with you?

     Age one to ten: During this decade you learn the basics of
human existence; such things as hot/cold, up/down, hard/soft,
communication, and about the people and places nearby, family
and neighborhood.

     Age ten to twenty: During this decade you learn about the rest
of the world, the various areas of human knowledge, and continue to
observe closely the people around you.

     Age twenty to thirty: By now, you have formed a concept of how
an adult should be and what (s)he should do, and you proceed to fit
yourself into this mold.

     Age thirty to forty: At this point, you realize that you are
somewhat different from that idealized mold, so during this decade
you try to figure out how it is that you really are.

     Age forty to fifty: By now you have a great deal of experience
and people-watching under your belt. Suddenly all kinds of subtle
patterns of human behavior become obvious. You become aware of a
tremendous number of things going on around you that you would have
totally missed when you were younger. It is fascinating!
 
     Actually, all the decades have their own excitement and
fascination. And fifty to sixty? I don't know yet. I haven't gotten
far enough into it to tell. Check back with me a few years hence.
In the meantime, I'm having a great time continuing the earlier
delightful observation of human nature in action!