We've Come a Long Way, Baby

The other day the Hoos was reminding me how - what's the word? - "itchy" I was in college. My parents would probably argue that my itchiness started well before college, so let's call it a draw with me admitting that a good word to describe me would have been "itchy".

One of the Hoos' first recollections of me was in our freshman English lit class saying to the professor, "Buck, this book sucked." His name was Buck, I wasn't being rude, just itchy. We didn't start dating until our sophomore year, so I am not sure if he temporarily forgot my itchiness or if he decided that I looked good enough in my t-shirt dresses that it didn't matter.

In a few weekends, GWU will be holding our 10 year reunion. This got me thinking about how I changed in college and in the years since. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't think many people would describe me as itchy nowadays. I might have my itchy moments, and I am certainly opinionated, and I will roll my eyes on occasion (okay, frequently, but those people deserve it), but I don't think itchy would be one of the first words to come to mind for those that are close to me now.

I don't know if motherhood has mellowed me or if age did it first. I am surprisingly patient with my children and I have learned how to keep my snark in check for when it is appropriate. Maybe that is really what itchiness is? Open snarkiness bordering on rude? Is itchiness a function of age? You are itchy until you know better? Thoughts?