About and hour after I have changed my mother’s catheter bag, I am placing my granddaughter on our Dora the Explorer toilet seat insert for the big potty. While Rachel and I wait for the Tinkle Fairy to visit, it suddenly occurs to me that at this point in my life I am dealing with both ends of the spectrum in my service to members of my family – between the very old and the very young. I am a tween.
A tween…? I don’t know where that word came from. It just popped in. It sounds kind of nice. It’s also exciting to think that perhaps I have come up with a neologism that would succinctly describe a boomer who is between the greatest generation and the yet to be tagged generation of my grandchildren. But my joy is short lived because, when having come back to my senses, I realize that I have heard the word tween before.
A tween is most commonly used nowadays to refer to children who are in the preadolescence stage of their lives; somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12. I passed that stage a little over 47 years ago.
A tween could be a hobbit between the ages of 20 and 32. I passed that stage about 27 years ago; but my ears didn’t start getting shaggy until around age 50.
A tween could be used to describe merely ordinary geniuses – according to science fiction author Mark Clifton, Star Bright – hardy, har, har, har!…
A tweener falls somewhere between Generation X and Boomers. I’m a boomer; so I can’t be a tweener.
Hmmm… As soon as the Tinkle Fairy has come and gone, I think I’ll strap on my iPod, grab my cell, and text message a few friends and get their opinions on this.
lol
Grampy Lash 