When You Look Young…a guest post from Rachelle Rea

Today I have the fun of introducing you to fun writer and online friend Rachelle Rea. Rachelle is a reader, writer and free-lance editor. 

AND she’s written a fun post for today. One I can relate to a little too well. After all, it wasn’t even a month ago that someone invited me to a high school youth group. Not as a special speaker…but as an attendee. And a few months back, I was sitting at a book-signing and the lady next to me asked if she could give me a personality test to “help determine what career path or college major” I should choose. I tried telling her I graduated from college almost ten years ago and have been on a pretty steady career path for awhile now. But she didn’t believe me. So I gave up and took the test. Turns out I should be *gasp* in a “creative field.”

Enough about me though. I hope you enjoy Rachelle’s fun post! And when you’re done, be sure to check out her website and befriend her online.

*****

Rea Author PhotoI walked in the wrong door. It was that kind of Wednesday.

I had an audience, too. Three heads popped from behind cubicles to see me invading their office space—three heads that swiftly adopted knowing smiles. Knowing smiles I know well. The grocery store cashier gives me one when when I stack ice cream cartons and lasagna noodles on the conveyer belt. “Running errands for your mother, dear?”

You see, I have this talent: I am a fortnight shy of twenty-two, but I look younger. I once plopped an ice-cream cake on the grocery story conveyer belt. “Are you turning 12, dear?” As I paid with my own debit card, I tried unsuccessfully to convince the lady I had been 17 for a solid week.

People say I will one day appreciate this talent, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not grumbling. Much.

Well, okay, I was grumbling when I opened the wrong door and entered the office door of the place instead of the lobby door. Good thing for me, one of the heads popping from behind a cubicle, along with attached body, came around the felt-covered wall and toward me.

She made a sweeping motion with her arm, knowing smile still in place. “Right through here.” To her credit, she acted as if she were used to customers walking in the wrong door all the time. After leading me straight back out that wrong door, she led me in the correct door to the lobby.

A while before, a rock had made a quarter-sized dent in my windshield. Which was why I was here, to get it filled and fixed.

The young woman behind the counter I liked immediately for one reason: she gave me no knowing smile. And she quickly left to see to my windshield repair. After I Kindled for twenty minutes, she reappeared, announcing my windshield was ready. But before we left, she mentioned she had noticed a bumper sticker on my truck.

“Are you a gymnastics coach?” she asked.

Perking up immediately, I beamed at her and nodded. Feeling quite industrious for blindly turning off my Kindle while I spoke, I answered, “Yes. At the Y.”

She smiled back. “My daughter used to take classes there. Perhaps I should sign her up again.”

I blinked at the fact that she had a child—she looked my age—but recovered. “Oh, you should. How old is your daughter?” I teach preschool, and I was sure I had found a new student.

“She just turned eight.”

I couldn’t help it; my eyebrows blew into my hairline.

As I babbled on about which class her daughter would be in and what she would learn and how much fun she would have, I inwardly berated myself. The woman behind the counter, who—just because she did not look anywhere near biologically old enough to have delivered a daughter eight years before—was no less a mother.

I wondered how many times she had received the same knowing look I know so well.

*****

Rachelle Rea is a recent college graduate, long-time reader, and lifelong chocolate fan. One year ago this month, she started her own freelance editing business–that’s been a blast. She lives in a corner of the South where the air is slightly salty and if you don’t like the weather, just wait a second.

Connect with Rachelle at her websiteon Facebook…and on Twitter (@rachellerea).

 Do you ever get mistaken for younger or older than you are?

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    Comments 34

    1. Trust me, dear, one day there will be absolutely nothing irritating about looking younger than your age. 🙂 Would you believe it happened to my mother at age 93? She was in the hospital and every time someone came in to see her, they would look at her and back to their chart, then ask if she was the patient. They could not believe she was not in her 70s. Made her day every time. Enjoyed your post!

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      2. I’ve enjoyed reading these comments but yours, Patricia, is my favourite. I can even imagine the scenario * smiling*

    2. Oh, younger, often by about seven years. Sometimes I feel bad for the folks who get flustered/embarrassed by mistaking my age, and wish I had a sign on my back: “Warning, older than she appears.”

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        Haha, it’s nice of you to feel bad for them.

        I got to meet Ted Dekker once. It was awesome. My sister who is ten years younger was with me and he asked if we were twins. When we told him I’m a decade older, he just gave us this completely confused look. It was hilarious.

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        Your sister and I must be in the same boat. People always think I’m in college. But in my case, that may have less to do with actually looking young and more to do with dressing young. I’m still so partial to jeans and tees! And my tastes in jewelry are not all that upscale or mature.

        1. Melissa Turner, heehee. 🙂

          Melissa Tagg (I tried to call ya’ll by first name and last initial, but it didn’t work!), I try to nurture the vintage when it comes to style, but I’m still in high school to most. I’ve given up on style influencing perception. 😉

    3. When I was younger I was always mistaken as older because of my height. But now no one believes my age…and I happily let them tell me I look younger than my 40 years. LOL

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        I would never have guessed you to be 40, Susan! Also, you’re height is awesome. I was very tall as a kid…I’m not actually that tall now, but I guess I had an early growth spurt because in photos of me when I was younger, I’m usually taller than most everyone else in the photo.

      2. Susan, I would never have guessed 40, either. From your picture. 🙂 I envy you the height, though. 😉 It’s GOT to be part of my “talent” that I’m 4’11”. 🙂

    4. Oh, can I ever relate! I’m twenty-one, will be twenty-two in July. No one ever believes that. Apparently, I look about fifteen.
      Love how you used “Kindled”. I’ve never seen that used as a verb for reading on a Kindle. Smart!

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      2. Courtney, I’m turning 22 in about 3 weeks, so we’re almost birthday buddies! Happy early Birthday! And thanks, guys–Kindling should totally be added to the dictionary now. 🙂

    5. It’s my round cheeks that confuse people. I remember being 18 and the bank teller asking what grade I was in. Now my gray hair gives me away. :0)

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        I think you look super young, Alena, in a great way! Haven’t we called you the MBT model before? Or am I making that up? I have this memory of taking photos at some retreat or another and someone calling you our model. 🙂

    6. I get told all the time I look younger than I really am! Once I got leukemia and lost my hair it got so much worse. At 19 everyone swore I was only 12, even nurses and Doctors who had seen my birthdate on my papers and wristband. Once I beat the cancer and my hair started growing back, people still questioned my age. A gift I know I will appreciate in the future 🙂

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        Oh Rachael, I’m so sorry you had leukemia, but yay for beating it. That’s wonderful. And I think you’re right…being mistaken for younger than you are is probably something you’ll appreciate!

    7. People used to always think I was younger than I am. I don’t have it come up as much now that I’m in my 50’s as when I was younger. If it does now it is as much because our daughter is just 14 and they expect her parents to be younger. Of course when she was little she occasionally got asked if she was having fun with grandma or grandpa – we were still in our 40’s at that time.

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    8. Rachelle, this is a fantabulous post! Thanks for writing it – and Melissa, thanks for sharing it with us. I cannot say anything of this kind has ever happened to me – unfortunately, I don’t have a “baby face.” However, as you have been told, someday, you’ll love this! 🙂

    9. OooooOooh yes. This is so me! But we’ve already talked about that, haven’t we, Rachelle? 😉 And now, I may be getting braces again to correct an issue with my jaw. There goes five years I’ve spent twenty-two trying to gain. Oh well!!!

      Ev

    10. I’ve often thought — and have been told a couple of timess — that I look older than I am, but my brother (who is two year younger than me) suddenly hit puberty a while ago, and with his beard, deep voice and height, it’s not unusual for people to think he’s the firstborn. Which, I take as an implicit compliment that I look younger than I am, right before gently making it clear who’s what 😉 Happy birthday in advance, Rachel. Best wishes to you.

    11. I could hug you. I’m 22 and have had people tell me how incredibly young I look THREE times in this week alone. I was figuring on chopping my hair off before reading this post. 😉 Cheers to young-looking people!

    12. I’m 19, but people normally place me around 14. The fact that I graduated college early doesn’t help people much either. “So, what grade are you in?” “Actually, I graduated.” “Oh, really? Wow. So, are you thinking about colleges.” “Um, actually, I graduated from college.” …long silence… “Wait, how old are you?” It gets old sometimes, but it is kind of funny.

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