Sunday, April 15, 2007

Middle Age? Moi?

Today I was working at my crappy library job (from now on referred to as CLJ), and the other librarian working in reference with me started telling me a story.

R. just moved to the area recently from Hawaii and was proceeding to tell me how rude she thought people were around here. (This, BTW, does not include the rude members of the reference staff at this particular CLJ, which poor thing has also been shocked to discover after only working here a month.)

Of course, typical true Floridian that I am, I tried to blame most of the bad behavior on Yankees who are transplants down here and don't know any better. Everything is better up in New York or Wherever, etc. etc. And they enjoy telling us poor, stupid Floridians this at any possible occasion.

So, R. continues to illustrate her point and begins with, "This lady, she was, you know, middle aged, around 40..."

I stopped her, "40! Middle aged!?"

"Yes," R. replied.

Then I went onto explain to this not even 30-something child that 40 is not middle age. That middle age doesn't even start until...er...50....er...no...55...yes...at least 55 before it even starts!

She looks at me like "oh, crap, she's just as crazy as my insane supervisor!" and then I explain to her that I'm 43. She tells me she thought I was in my 30s, apologizes, and continues.

But, I'm still a little rattled. I mean, really. People live into their 100s today, so no way is 40 middle age!

2 comments:

la doctora yvonne said...

I hate this "age" thing. Why do people keep asking someone´s age? What does it mean if you are 30, 40 or 80? This age issue is typical of western societies who all they care for is being young, looking young, being beautiful and being 20 years old. In the end we have the stupid botox, those terrifying breasts surgeries, and a whole bunch of insecure women, who aren´t capable of feeling good because they have some wrinkles in their faces.
It is hard to be a happy woman in this world 2007.

fatand40 said...

Well, she assumed I was in my 30s, but something also intresting is that R. is originally from China. So, while, yes, I agree the West is the worst offender about age-ism, I don't think we are alone in this any more. Media promotes this all over the world now!