"It sucks to look like a kid"

There was an article in the Fact & Arguments section of the Globe and Mail that really hit home for me. The title was "It sucks to look like a kid". Right away I felt a connection to this writer. I was thrilled that someone else suffers from the same issue that I do – looking like a teenager when you are actually an adult.

If you look at pictures of me from high school and pictures of me now, the only real difference is less chub in the cheeks, but that is it. I’m about to be 30 and I could pass as one of my husband’s students!

I understand that looking young is suppose to be a good thing. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard "You will be grateful when your in you sixties." Frankly that is a long time to wait!

I’m not saying that I want to have wrinkles or weathered skin. I'm simply looking for the respect you get that comes with looking your age. When you are an adolescent, you don’t really care whether other people respect you (perhaps it is because you think you are always right) but once you are in the work force and making grown-up purchases like a house or insurance, respect is essential. Nothing bothers me more than being told that I look to young to doing the things I do or that I couldn’t possibly relate to the content of a conversation. It drives me bananas!

I have tried to do things that I thought would make myself look older but nothing helps. A new hair colour, new clothes, glasses, eye make-up and more. C'est la vie - I’m destined to look 17 for the remainder of my life. The only thing I have going for me is my love of easy listening, my practical approach to things, and my huge Mum wallet. If I pull out my wallet at the LCBO, they instantly know that I’m over the age of 19.

I would appreciate any input from my readers but my next step is to enter a contest where I could win a complete make-over. Wish me luck!