Comments on: Relativity

By: casey

casey — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:10:57 +0000

don’t you have to be at least 14 to look for a job, and not younger then that?

By: lettucefactory

lettucefactory — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:23:05 +0000

It’s hard to know what’s inappropriate when girls try to look much older and women try to look much younger.

This is a huge problem, that our culture strains and shouts for “young” as an ideal for everyone to reach for. Not just in the sense that a person might have inappropriate thoughts about a teenager, either. When we start to believe that we’re “old” in the prime of our lives, and that “old” is by definition bad, we resign ourselves to a lot of years of self-loathing.

I’m 31 and honestly, I have no idea how to dress myself, because everything in the store is either made for a teenager or my grandmother. It’s like adulthood doesn’t even exist anymore. You go from young to dust.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:19:22 +0000

You have to be 15 or so to sit in an exit row on an airplane. When I was 26, a flight attendant told me that I would have to change seats, since kids couldn’t sit there.

Now I’m 40. And I think I look it. *sigh*

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:15:54 +0000

Morris Keesan, my mom got pulled over once when I was 18 and I commented to her afterwards that the officer looked really young. I referred to him as “Officer Junior” which was not very nice, but what am I going to do about it now?

As for being mistaken for a teenager, I was looking at the drink menu at a restaurant (just to look at it, since I don’t actually drink) and the waiter said “oh, that’s not for you.” I don’t think I got offered the kid’s menu that time, but it happens. Hey, did you notice my college sweater? It’s from the college that I actually go to! I went to brunch for my anniversary and there was a live band, so I requested Blue Skies by Irving Berlin. The guy laughed and said I was too young to know that song, and asked me if I was requesting it for my mother. I also got yelled at at a wine store, but the worst incident was when I went to vote for the last presidential election. I walked up to the poll attendant, who looked younger than me, so was probably around my age and she said “do you want a sticker?” “No. I want to vote.” “Oh. Sorry.”

By: Mark in Boston

Mark in Boston — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:34:46 +0000

You know, this whole discussion is the premise of “Pluggers”. I guess we have to stop making fun of Pluggers now.

You’re a Plugger if you go out for dinner with your grandson and they give him the senior discount.

You’re a Plugger if you remember when Methuselah was a little kid and people said things like “That puppy is younger than Methuselah.”

By: jjmcgaffey

jjmcgaffey — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:04:20 +0000

Whereas I started getting gray hair when I was 15, and have constantly been assumed to be older than I am (I was asked how I planned to vote (at a political rally) when I was 16). I really don’t mind, either way - it’s amusing to fool the carnies, though (the guess-your-weight-and-age booths).

By: Rainey

Rainey — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:36:18 +0000

Because I age much slower than most people, I get treated like I’m still a teenager. ( This is rarely good. ) One night, a customer at the store I work at gave me a hard time and threatened me with violence because I looked in his direction to answer a question he asked about where the orange juice was. ( And he accused me of having an attitude problem. ) He glared at me and said “How old are you?” I replied “28″. A look of surprise flashed accross his face and not wanting to lose face he said “Change your attitude.” and walked to the door. I said “Examine your prey before you jump on it.” Another time a man was holding a promotion for windows for home owners. I walked in his direction and he was getting ready to tell about the promotion but he said “Oh, this won’t help you. You need to be 21.” I replied “Damn, you should have gotten me 11 years ago.” I still get carded when I enter bars ( at the age of 34 ) and I love seeing the looks on people’s faces when they find out how old I actually am.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:05:48 +0000

Morris, it’s perfectly fine to notice. To act upon the noticing, however, in anything more than an avunculur fashion would be ill-advised.

By: Elyrest

Elyrest — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:57:23 +0000

Morris Keenan (25) - Some 15 year old girls could pass for women in their mid-twenties. It’s hard to know what’s inappropriate when girls try to look much older and women try to look much younger.

By: Dave in Tech Support

Dave in Tech Support — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:54:02 +0000

I’m still trying to figure out how a movie theatre can charge ‘adult’ admission to anyone over the age of 12, yet require an ‘adult’ to accompany anyone under the age of 17 to an ‘R’ rated film…
Just sayin’…