If you're 33 years old and your girlfriend is nineteen, you occasionally end up in a young crowd. On Thursday night, I agreed to pick up my girlfriend at work and go to an all-ages rock show. A co-worker of hers has a boyfriend in a band and invited everyone to a gig. My girlfriend really wanted to go, so I agreed. I was in a rock band for four years until we broke up earlier this year. I have been to less than a handful of shows since mid-July. Not because I'm bitter, but I've immersed myself into theatre lately. Nevertheless, there I was with my girlfriend at a bar on Thursday watching the youth play rock n' roll.

First off, I felt very comfortable in the surroundings. It didn't freak me out that I was a decade older than almost everyone. I've hung out with young crowds & old crowds, drunk & sober. I see every event as a Social-Logic Experiment (also the name of a song I never got around to writing), so watching a crowd of forty to fifty teenagers interact was actually entertaining.

If I was single, it would have felt creepy. I couldn't tell which girls were in high school or college or of drinking age. Even some girls at the bar had fake IDs. I wouldn't recommend any bachelors over thirty hang out at all ages rock shows. Jailbait abounds. Again, I was with my girlfriend and that was enough for me.

Watching and jumping around with a couple young rock bands turned out to be cathartic. It reminded me that rock n' roll will never die. These kids could play, and unlike many older bands in town, they had the desperate passion to entertain. The lead singers incited the crowd with their moves and gestures. The band we came to see was called My Freudian Slip, and they played with a heavy but passionate attitude. The shirtless singer stalked the crowd, grabbed a chair and stood above everyone, and scolded those who sat at tables. I was part of the standing & rocking crowd, so I was part of the cool kids. Hee hee.

Witnessing their passion and displays of emotion, I also was reminded of the neediness of the teenagers. Oh yeah, that neediness. I could see that every move was important to these kids. Should they stand and rock? Should they be coy? Is this show worth six dollars? Should we mosh? Should we flee? I remember a time when every decision felt like life or death, when I walked the fine line between glorious success and devastating failure. Wait until these kids get in their twenties. Shudder. For me, this was a rare night when I could watch a rock show with my under-21 girlfriend. Hooray!

Surprisingly, I blended into the youthful crowd even with my growing beard. A lot of the young guys could grow as much facial hair as me. The only shit I got was from an old guy at the bar who told me I was in his seat when I ordered a beer. I scooted over one chair and left him alone. He was the one guy I didn't want to be: the older solitary guy at a kids show, claiming his special chair at a pool hall bar. Woof.

The next morning, my girl & I ran to the park together. We do this about once a week. We jog to the park and run ten sprints. Usually the park is empty, but on this Friday, there was a group of five teenage boys ditching school. They watched us run a couple sprints, and a fit young guy challenged me to a race. I accepted. It had been a while since I had raced anyone seriously, so why not?

1...2...3...GO! I got a good jump on him and beat him by three good steps. He admitted he wasn't quite sober and a little sore from playing football the day before. Today he was drinking and smoking on a late fall Friday morning with his friends instead of going to public school. Teenagers have all the fun! We agreed to a rematch back to his friends. My girlfriend gave the 1-2-3-Go! and off we went again. It was closer, but I still beat him by a step. He went back to his friends with no fanfare, and I finished running with my girl. Thirteen years after leaving my teenage years behind, and it was nice to know I still have a step on the kids.

I don't have many opportunities to hang out with groups of teenagers these days, but I don't really mind. The younger generation seems to be getting along just fine without me. It is fascinating for me when the random teenage moments occur. I rocked with them on Thursday night and raced them on Friday morning. I don't miss those emotional passionate times, the all-or-nothing choices, or the desperate attempts to be noticed and appreciated. I may have dulled my emotions over the years, but I'm not complaining. It was rough going during those years from what I recall.

The teenagers are out there. Do not fear them. They are just trying to make their lives important. I'm still working on that myself.

Chris Jungle tries to act his age but doesn't know how.