| Show When did I grow up Kathryn M. M Dean Staff stair Writer w-it er erN N the end old age and IN tre treachery chery y will outsmart youth and vigor I saw that on a bumper sticker today Ten years ago I would have rolled my eyes at that and said it was stupid but today I thought it was pretty funny Maybe the humor h mor I found in jn it itis is a sign that Im I'm maturing Being the youngest of nine children the baby of the family the I would someday be older than those around me never crossed my mind I was always always al always al- al ways the youngest even in my school class since my birthday falls late in the year Thirty sounded such an old age to be I heard all those ancient ancient ancient an an- people complaining of things utterly incomprehensible sible to me I dont don't have any energy anymore or Its lilts getting getting getting get get- ting really hard to keep the weight off Well they did look ra rather ther haggard and pudgy to a teenager with a world view as big as her back yard What are they corn com complaining complaining com com- about They have always been old and should be used to it But a as luck would h have ve it time caught up with me and I myself was catalogued into the class of older than the young The first time I realized that others no longer viewed me as a youthful eyed bright-eyed child hild I was at work deep in conversation with a friend who w o was was' my age We were reminiscing about when we were teenagers and how fun it used to be to go dancing A Ac c callow sweet swee fresh faced year old coworker with blonde bouncy curls i r ill f t t Y n I overheard our conversation and with five words totally turned my self perception upside upside upside up up- side down This wonderfully innocent t and c charming arming teenager cocked her head toone to toone toone one side and with her beguiling beguiling beguiling ing blue eyes opened wide asked me Did you used to Disco T I felt as if a part of me had suddenly been ripped painfully painful painful- ly away like a Band-Aid Band that has been left on for too many days I was no longer one of the very young Since then Ive I've noticed other frightening signs of this inevitable phenomenon Like the morning I woke up to find tiny lines Jines around my eyes lines eyes lines I could swear did not riot exist even the d day y before Then there was the day I bought my first ladies swimsuit equipped with its own in built-in support bra Not long after I noticed that store clerks now address me as Maam not Miss How could this happen I I sobbed into my pillow I dont don't even know where I stand now or what Im I'm supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed to do Should I start reading the obituaries watching watching watching watch watch- ing for my friends to start dropping like flies Do I 1 need to rearrange my closet and start buying polyester double knit pants Am Aln I supposed to tobe tobe tobe be an example to those budding budding budding bud bud- ding to be presenting a stern demeanor and making sensible decisions Maybe I could pretend this isn't hap hap- pening Ill I'll be like Barbara Bush and give a resounding NO to Clairol Perhaps its it's time for not a redefinition of myself but time to redefine how old l is is- old od Just a word of warning to all of you year old nymphs age and treachery will winand soon you'll be one of us |
