Tuesday, January 02, 2007

The Double Aged Sword

Most people want to look younger than their age. I have been a big believer of SPF 15 and higher since my early 20’s and that coupled with good genes I have thus far been winning the battle of the wrinkles [not so much with gravity]. I buy expensive products, use them diligently, read up on the newest latest and greatest. So far I haven’t gone down the botox or other routes of really battling age with both fists but I can appreciate it and am not ruling it out when or if the time comes.

I’m 37.5…I just sort of think I’m 38 really, there’s just a flash before the bday comes around again. I still get carded at bars and buying alcohol on a fairly regular basis which is always a giant hoot to me and I can say it is a lot of fun. Generally people put me somewhere in the range of 24-28 when asked later about it. I think getting carded at 40 would be the greatest thing.

There is a downside to looking young which people don’t speak of though. I find that I’m discounted in conversations, I’m overlooked in business situations when it’s a new person I’m being introduced to. I also have a soft voice, so I’ve been discounted on the phone as well as in person. I have learned the lesson the hard way and dress more professionally/wear a suit type outfit when I know I’ll be introduced to someone new or have to be taken seriously.

In friendships as well though I’ve started to notice things in the past few years that are also equally as interesting. I’m not talking about close friends, I’m talking about parties where you know a group of people or you attend a dinner party, those sorts of things. It amounts to a sort of “pat on the head” when discussions of child rearing/bearing come up. For instance, I once had a woman tell me when I asked her about her twins and whether twins ran in her family that “sometimes older women just have twins” I later found out she did years of fertility treatments. Jeez, I’m not retarded even if you do think I’m 23. Discussions about family and “we’re getting too old to have more children” are often in conversations in our groups these days [they’re generally the same age or a year older than I am].

Inquiries into my work in advertising become eye poppers when I mention I’ve worked for my company for 12 years, you can watch them sort of start doing math in their heads and become quite puzzled.

It’s a double-aged sword. Look great and be discounted. Look your age and want to look younger.

It’s a very interesting thing ….age.

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