I’m about to turn 29 for the 7th time. Can you believe it?
My original birthday: day one
I don’t feel that old, and thankfully, I apparently do not look it either. Not that I really care about that too much. After all, we all age, right? Some people just seem to do it more quickly than others. I’m just fortunate that I’m what I like to call a “slow ager.” Truthfully, I seldom feel like I’m older than I was when I graduated from high school… well, maybe from college. I guess I always thought when I got to where I am now I’d feel so mature, but I just don’t. Maybe it’s partially because I don’t have any kids. Mothers always seem more mature because they have to be the grown up and raise others to be grown-ups, wipe noses and bottoms, threaten to pull over cars (or the dreaded mini-van-yuck!), kiss and bandage boo-boos… I opted out of that (which is why I still drive a fun sports car). **side note- adoption is still not completely off the table, so I may get pay back for these comments**
7- but I guess you can see that for yourself
I’d like to think that if it weren’t for my students, I wouldn’t have any grey hairs. I know that’s not true though, as I found my first grey when I was 23! The nice lady cutting my hair a year or so ago also pointed out my “antique blonds,” but of course she wanted to appeal to my vanity so I would pay her to cover them over. I decided to keep them. They’ll just come back anyway, and with my hair down, they really aren’t too visible, so it’s no big deal…yet. They just show I’ve lived a little, right?
11, I think. Candle positioning makes it difficult to count them.
I went into a liquor store the other day to buy some pumpkin beer, and a couple of the employees were pouring for a tasting. When one young man asked to see my ID, I smiled and said, “I don’t get carded too often anymore.” He replied that they have to card anyone who looks to be under 30, so I continued to smile because that meant he really thought I looked under 30.
13, and I look so thrilled about it
Also, older people tend to point out to me how young I am all the time, as if I really haven’t lived any of my life yet. Sometimes it feels a bit demeaning because I think I’ve lived plenty, but I guess I’ll take that as a compliment as well. I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m about to begin a new chapter (Ugh. That sounds so cliche), which is both exciting and frightening. The paradox of the situation is that I feel too old to begin again, but not quite mature enough at the same time. Sigh!
14
I can’t dwell on age though, because it’s all in one’s perspective. Other than a few more creeks and pops in my joints from time to time, I still feel like a much younger person.
Thankfully for us all, I really don’t have many birthday photos of myself, or at least not many I would find. I have one last birthday picture from before I moved away from my parents and became a real adult(ish).
19- I know this was a birthday pic because of the little pumpkins we’re wearing, and I was wearing a skirt (a rare sight). With Dez and Liz (makes me wish I had a Z in my name)
caverns of my mind 