"You'll Be Happier When You're Older"

Blogger: Amanda

All my life I have looked younger than I am.  I used to complain about this endlessly and the response from surrounding adults was always, “you’ll be happier when you are older.”  Newsflash to all those speaking to a young girl, the fact that she will look like she’s forty when she’s fifty doesn’t exactly enthrall an eight year old.  In fact, try talking to that girl who looks like she’s ten during middle school and she will give you a major eye roll.  I have a beautiful younger sister named Rachel and people began to ask us if we were twins.  As I was four years older, naturally I was insulted.  Fast-forward to my family vacation in St.  Marteen when we were renting little two-seater motor boats for a tour.  You had to be at least 18 years old to drive the motor boat and as I was pulling out of the dock we got yelled at in front of the whole tour group, “Hey, you girls, the older one has to be driving!”  Sorry tour guide, that’s me.  

While not looking my age used to be a major issue, once I turned twenty-one I finally started to appreciate all the good things that have come looking young. 

Benefits include:

I paid the seventeen and under fifty-cent bus fare on the Seattle Bus System way longer than I should have.

I totally play up the young girl thing when I am lost and asking for directions.

I can continue pursuing my undergrad without anyone asking me “why did you come back to school?”

When my car ran out of battery because I stupidly left my car light on, I told the nearest AAA man that this was my first car and I didn’t know what to do….. he then proceeded to jump my car, free of charge. 

While I can laugh at the silly things that help, there are still little things that are just a little embarrassing about looking apparently underage…

Examples:

At QFC the other day waiting in line for my Boar Head Deli Meat sample when the sample lady asked me if I had a parent around because you have to be 18 to get a sample.

Whenever I am out and show my ID they linger over it for a significant amount of time and then proceed to do the same with all my friends’ Ids.

In a class the other day I was asked if I was taking summer courses to get a head start on my freshman year….

While none of this actually matters, it still makes me laugh when I am asked if I have a parent around to obtain a tiny piece of meat in the grocery store. Hopefully as I get older I will have more stories to add on to the Benefits list and I will let many of the adults in my past say the four most coveted words.  I told you so.