Something very odd is happening to me. I can’t pinpoint when I first noticed it, but I can’t deny it’s happening. I’m too embarrassed to talk to my doctor or therapist about this, so, well, I thought I would share it with you in hopes that someone else is going through the same thing. I am a 62-year-old woman, and all of a sudden, my taste in things has completely changed. It is like I have reversed aged. Let me give you some examples.

For years, my favorite music was provided by Little Feat, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and Steely Dan. Oh sure, I liked John Mayer too, but when The Rolling Stones played in Chicago, I was there on the grounds of Soldier Field screaming like a schoolgirl—well, until they did the close-up of Mick. Let’s just say he has not aged well, but he still has the moves! I digress. Now, I find myself obsessed with Harry Styles, the kid who used to be in the boy band One Direction! I downloaded his new album to my iPhone. That’s only the second album I have ever downloaded! At a concert, he performed a duet with Shaina Twain, and I have never ever wanted to be another person more than at that moment staring at the 28-year-old’s eyes. I have a boy crush!

Then, there are my TV viewing habits. I’ve never watched an episode of The Crown or The Handmaid’s Tale. No, I have been too busy watching Outer Banks, a series about teenagers who seem to have an unusual amount of freedom and their escapades on the outer banks of North Carolina. But just to make sure I keep it real, I also watch The D’Amelio Show. Never heard of it, well, it follows the life of a family that relocates to Los Angeles so their daughters have more opportunities as content creators for TikTok. I don’t even have the TikTok app on my phone.

My reading habits have also changed. I used to read The New York Times online everyday along with the local paper. I liked to know what was going on in the entire world. Now, my favorite source of information is The Daily Mail. Not familiar with this London based newspaper? It is gossip from around the world. And not necessarily particularly accurate, I might add. I can tell you anything you want to know about the Royal family.

Do you think this is a result of the COVID I had in January? I still read age-appropriate books, no young adult novels … yet! Also, the good news is I am not shopping at Forever 21 or Abercrombie & Fitch. So, I am a bit perplexed as to what is going on with me. I knew I would not age gracefully. In part, because I am not a very graceful person, but I had no idea I was going to revert back to having teenage tastes.

There is one hope for me. When I was young, I was addicted to the Watergate Hearings. Seriously. I would plant my 12-year-old self in front of the TV and watch for hours. Maybe if I watch enough of the Jan. 6 hearings, it will shake me back into some sort of adult reality. If not, you will likely see me speeding around Clayton on my pink Vespa. Peace my Peeps.