"old"

Quiz time:
1. Is your house old?
2. Are your clothes old?
3. Is your cat old? (Hang in there, Kasey!)
4. Are you old?

Answers: No.

Last weekend I realized that I've been using the word "old" wrong my whole life.  "Old" isn't a house built in 1940, a coat from 2 years ago, a horrible fat cat that won't seem to die, or wrinkles on your face.

OLD is something built in a year that doesn't start with 1:

Banos Arabes, Ronda, functional around the year 800

OLD is naming something Puente Nuevo, or "New Bridge"...even though it was built long before your great great great great grandparents decided to get married (or maybe they didn't, scandalous):

Puente Nuevo, Ronda, construction started 1751

OLD is a country that had its shit together early enough to send someone to go explore the Americas:

Iglesia Santa Maria, Ronda, commissioned by Isabel y Fernando in 1485 (for those of you who missed your Spanish History class, they were the ones who sent good ol' Columbus on his way.  They were also the OGs of the Inquisition...as in they liked to kill people who weren't Christian enough.  What a fun couple.  For more on the Inquisition: click here).  Built on top of the town's original mosque.

Just about everything in Ronda made me reconsider my perception of what is old.  It's a beautiful town with a ton of history and some of the most amazing views I've ever seen.  The only thing that was actually new was our hostal, which has only been open for a few weeks.  And by hostal, I mean 3 bedroom apartment that some broke Spanish party boys bought and now rent rooms to help them make their payments.  That's my theory, anyway.  Great view, strange crowd...oh well, what do you want for 16 euro?

Here's a few other things I consider to be old: dinosaurs, the earth, and the man himself.

Oh! That reminds me.  Today, my previously hateful neighbor smiled a big toothless smile at me and said hola.  I WIN!  He also qualifies for the "old" category.  Next goal: conversation.  Stay tuned...