How old?

As a child I could never understand how adults could hesitate in recalling their age. Seemed preposterous that you would never be able to recite it instantly. Alas, this year I was confused.

My son asked me how old I am today and I said 37, no wait, 38. Actually, it is 38. I am 38 years old today. Egads! Something about those years between 35 and 40 just seem to blur together.

I’m not afraid to say my age because I’ve always been at the lower end of the age spectrum among friends and colleagues (though I do see that trend beginning to shift a bit). The younger me was always hoping to catch up. But the present me is quite content to linger in the land of Thirtysomething for a little bit longer.

Truth is, aside from a few aches and pains (namely my right knee, which has never really been the same after the 10-miler) I don’t feel my age, whatever that’s supposed to feel like. All I know is that I have more energy, I am slimmer and I feel better than I did when I was 28. And I've been blessed with some good family genes.

I am a Virgo, the only feminine sign in the zodiac, and we’re known to be perfectionists who are routinely extraordinarily hard on ourselves and at times impatient with others. But we are also idealists, always hoping to change the world or our environment. That’s me, in a nutshell.

I share my birthday with the Blessed Virgin, actor/comedians Sid Caesar and Peter Sellers, singer Patsy Cline, composer Antonin Dvorak and perennial presidential candidate Lyndon Larouche.

Stuff happens on this day — hurricanes in Galveston and Hurricane Betsy, plane crashes, you name it. Here are a few I’ve uncovered from New York Times archives:

In 1664 the Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam to the British, who renamed it New York. (My FAVORITE American city!)

Ernest Hemingway, one of my most favorite authors, published “The Old Man and the Sea” in 1952.

I’ve never been a fan, but in 1966 The TV series ''Star Trek'' premiered on NBC.

The first International Literacy Day was first observed in 1967, focusing attention on the need to promote worldwide literacy.

On Sept. 8, 1974, President Gerald R. Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon.

In 1995, the Cleveland Indians clinched their Division in a run that would end just shy of the World Series.

In 1998, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals broke Roger Maris' record for home runs in a single season.

And last year, while I was in New York, ''60 Minutes Wednesday'' aired a report questioning President George W. Bush's National Guard service; however, CBS News ended up apologizing for a ''mistake in judgment'' after memos featured in the report were challenged as forgeries.

Birthdays are no longer much of a big deal, but I’m off to spend the day with my mom.

From the Washington Post:
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). At last your head has agreed to harmonize with your heart. Much of the work you do may seem non-related to the results you'd like to get, but the correlation is stronger than appearances suggest.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (September 8). Enthusiasm is so high this year that you naturally attract good things and giving people. By making small improvements every week, you attain a financial or a career goal. Forgive and forget past mistakes, and your love life is revitalized as a result. Love with Scorpio and Libra people is passionate and always something to look forward to. Your lucky numbers are: 20, 41, 22, 24 and 11.