And just who is this Cheeto?

I first met Paige at her 4th birthday party, which was almost 10 years ago. Holy crap! She's almost grown up now! I wish I knew her better, actually. Everytime I talk with her, I learn something new. Today I learned she has a boyfriend. Previously, I learned that she's got her own space at MySpace.com (and it made me want my own, though I only got as far as this blog). I learned that she plays rugby. Actually, she's too busy to play rugby because she's on two basketball teams, doing gymnastics and God knows what all else. It would probably embarrass her to know that I'm writing this, but she's a stud. She reminds me of Sue Bird, kinda all-American kickass jock and supercute to boot. She also reminds me of friends I had in school -- not that I was a kickass jock or supercute but because I hung out with those people when I played sports. I only ever made JV, yet excelled at bench-sitting and bus-riding. And cheering on teammates/taunting the opposition.

She's smart and has a good heart. And a cell phone. Unfortunately, many more people seem to have the latter than the former. I love that it doesn't matter to her that I'm "married" to her aunt. I love that it's a given that I'm family. She may never have any idea how much it means to me, and I hope she gets to spend her adult years in a world where gay people don't have worry about whether or not the people who love them will turn away from them once they know.

Paige, along with my GD gray hairs, is more evidence that I'm getting old. But it's a fun old. It's the kind of old that's not too far gone to recognize that Paige's Nikes are Carmelo Anthony shoes, with their No. 15 and their light blue and their jumpman (Jordan) logo. I think it amuses her that I have even the slightest connection to what is cool in her world.

I don't ever want to lose that. I don't ever want to not be able to talk to a teenager about what matters in their world. Or to an 8-year-old. Or a 3-year-old (I can tell you that based on my personal focus group of Eddie and Chas, important things include Bob the Builder Duplo).