Am I getting old?

(This is a post I wrote for Honey Creek and thought I'd share with you.)


I know age is just a number, blah, blah and you're only as old as you feel. Whatever. My question isn't actually how I feel but how do others perceive me.

More specifically, the younger folks in my life. Sure my kids think I'm like a hundred (but they are always reminded my husband is older!). But when I'm with a group of teens or younger kids (I volunteer in the library and hope to speak with schools, soon), do they think I'm also a hundred? Am I uncool?

I don't think so but recently I found myself questioning this very idea.

First off, I'm not ashamed to admit I'm 35. Although, I've been blessed with Asian skin so I look about 30 (younger if you count the people at the grocery store who card me). I have a cousin who's 16. We aren't super close but I think as she's gotten older, we've found things we can talk about and I try to relate. After all, I write YA, I should have a working knowledge, right?

She was attending a dance over the weekend and like any girlie, girl, I wanted to see her dress. Thankfully,it wasn't awful, forcing me to lie. In fact, it was so cute, I even pictured a skinnier version of myself wearing the dress (yeah, to all the dances I attend). We discussed where she'd found the dress and both commented on any recent find we'd made there. Then, as if I were talking with my own girlfriends, I said, "You know where I've found some really cute dresses..." and before I could finish I could see her face. Not horrified. No eye rolling. She wasn't rude, but I could see the faintest whisper of disinterest in her eyes forcing me to say, "well, I know I'm old and you probably wouldn't wear what I wear, but I've found cute stuff at..." And bless her heart. She said, " Oh yeah, I've found cute dresses there."

I know she was being nice but I couldn't help run through my own wardrobe to see if I wore "mom jeans" too. Or did I own an assortment of matching track suits. Thankfully, I don't. Not even close. Although, being home does force me to drop off and pick up my kids from school in my jammies, but that's not an "old" thing. That's just a "lazy" thing!

So tell me, if age is just a number, at what number do we become uncool?