I’m like a broken record

I bring this up every single time I go visit Atlanta, but one of the things I really dislike about going to church with my mom is the utter jaw-dropping shock my mom’s friends and churchmates display upon learning that I’m her younger daughter. A typical encounter goes like this: my introduces me to her friend; I stick out my hand and smile and say that it’s nice to meet them; they freeze in surprise with their mouths open like fish out of water for a second or two, dart their eyes back and forth, gawk at me and then my mom, then inevitably say, “Oh, you look like you are in high school.” If I’m lucky, they say, “You look like a junior high schooler.”

The worst part of this entire interaction is that the sheer enormity of their reaction tells me that they are not trying to be rude or cutting. They are honestly shocked that I look so young to them. I mean, when I look at high schoolers or college students, they look like babies to me. And I’m sure when they look at me, they can tell I’m older than them.

I can’t even tell what it is about my appearances that make them think I’m so young. I try to dress a little nicer when I’m going to church, and I even did my hair and put on some makeup. It doesn’t matter what I do; they constantly think I’m 16. It’s really irritating.

I’m not obsessed with the image of youth either, so it’s not like I find it flattering in any way. I think people are beautiful in their natural state and that age is a completely natural part of life, and have no desire for any artificial preservation of my youth, beyond not trying to age prematurely.

Oh well.