Old at heart

(Check out a good version of this article in the culture section this week!)

"Guess how old she is?"

The question makes most people, in our youth-obsessed society, cringe. I grew up trusting in my mother (though she managed to get pregnant at age 21) that the coming of each passing year brought nothing but shame and *gasp!* grey hair.

Well, genetics tells me that the grey hair may be on its way, but I cringe when I hear that question for an entirely different reason.

Yes, that's right, I'm complaining about being too young.

One of my greatest delights in life is convincing people that I'm older than I actually am. For whatever reason, I've decided that 23 is a more appopriate age for me.

I'm well aware of the benefits of being young:

For me, though, these aren't benefits so much as they're liabilities. I pad my resume on every job interview so the time constraints of my work experience won't be painfully obvious; When I graduate and go off into the wide world for grad school next year, inevitably -- barring the presence of some wunderkind -- I'll be the baby of my class.

More importantly, I aim high, as high as possible, in all areas of life. Unfortunately, it appears, I also aim high in the age of potential suitors. While this does not in and of itself present a problem, it inevitably does when the whole "settling down" question comes up.

There are socially acceptable times to settle down, and -- for whatever reason -- 19 is not one of them. Personally, I fail to see the problem: given the prevalance of "mid-mid life crises" so often whinged about by twenty-somethings, knowing what I want and going for it should not be such a problem. Perhaps you're just jealous.

Of course I feel the pain of the other side, as well: there is nothing wrong with being 28 and without a significant other, job, or career path -- so long as you're having fun, and preferably, I would suppose, if you haven't amassed a vast student loan debt in the process.

In fact, given my eschewment of societal norms with regards to age (and a healthy dose of indecision) I'd say it's entirely possible that I'll find myself in that position, as well, on the wrong side of the "age divide."

But really, what the hell? Just because you haven't had kids by age 30 does not mean you're a failure. Just because you have at 26 doesn't mean that you're not.


So deal: age is just a number, and a silly one at that. If I can be a mature child and an immature adult -- no matter how social norms I have to bend in the process -- I will have considered the aging process a success. If not, well, I'll always have a couple of years on you.


Tessa Vanderhart will be 20 in four months and three days -- and counting!