Two old men sitting in a boat couch.

This description sounds like it should be for a TV sitcom or a potentially boring novel. The very last thing that would come to mind is two college juniors sitting on two couches that have been pushed together, chatting until one in the morning — yet that’s exactly what I’m talking about.

How are we possibly like old men? We’re barely into our twenties. We play a host of different sports such as spike ball, ultimate frisbee and volleyball. I mean, the very fact that we’re up so late talking is an example of the energy of our youth, right?

And yet, as we get up from our couch setup that seemed like a boat, simultaneously groaning from the aches in our bodies and joints, we burst into laughter as we call ourselves two old men sitting in a boat couch. The description seems to fit us so well.

Despite our physical youth, our minds (and in turn, our conversations) reflect those of old men. As we sit together for hours, discussing anything from struggles of life to aspects of philosophy and God to pensive reflections on what is morally right and wise, I feel as though we are reflecting on decades of life, rather than just on the handful of years we’ve been alive.

As much as I love running and jumping in any slew of activities, I enjoy just as much (if not more so) the chance to simply talk. The chance to sit back, to rest my weary bones, to talk about anything and, most importantly of all, to simply listen to each other. Maybe it’s just me, but this feels like the activities of old souls — and I love it.

It sounds strange, like we are walking contradictions. But, it feels like the perfect description. Our old, grandpa-like approaches to life fits so well with the youthful ridiculousness of our boat couch. Moments like these are what I will always hold onto. Decades from now, when our bodies finally match the age of our minds, we’ll reflect on these memories. I don’t know what we’ll think then, but I look forward to that time when it finally comes, and to every time in-between.