Age CAN Wither Her

[steepholm]

I encountered this person striking Anglo-Saxon attitudes in Romsey market place this morning. He cheerfully gave me permission to take his photograph, and seeing my quizzical look explained the reason for his get-up, namely the Anglo-Saxon Family Fun Day taking place at King John's house. We were getting on quite well, but then he had to spoil it by adding, "You might like to come along, if you've got children or, er, grandchildren."

Now, it's true that someone of 54 may very well have grandchildren, and in fact I know several people younger than me who actually do, but this is the first time someone's put it to me quite so bluntly. Even muffled against the cold, surely my youthful mien shines through? Apparently not.

When I told my mother about it a little later, she cackled gleefully - like the wizened old crone she is.

Comments

[cmcmck]

I long ago got used to the idea that people assume I have kids and possibly grandkids no matter how painful that is.

[steepholm]

It was my first time - forgive me a small yelp!

[lamentables]

Yesterday I was assumed to be my friend's mother, and whilst our age difference does mean that would technically be possible, I was a little miffed at the suggestion.

[steepholm]

It's always safer to assume in the other direction, or (better still) not at all.

[thistleingrey]

Though I don't feel particularly peeved by either occurrence, I've hit two stages of this already. The first is being assumed to be my child's grandparent on a bus when I was 38, I suppose on the grounds that the child's actual parent would be at work mid-afternoon, not homebound as we obviously were. The second, quite recently, is having someone ask whether both I and my mother were my cousin's aunts. Since college students stopped flyering me only the year I turned 36 while I worked for a university, I don't think I look so old for my age.... (A bit more than ten years your junior.) Agreed that it'd be better were people not to assume at all, but I guess that some always will.

[steepholm]

Indeed they will, and (pace my reply to Lamentables above) of course sometimes they are obliged to. I suppose I must get used to it, and work on my cackle...