“Mirror Image”

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I really feel like I am getting younger instead of older. (The above picture was taken of me “all nat-ur-al” first thing in the morning after washing my face.) When I look at my face I see youthfulness and completely understand why people don’t think I am 31 years old.  Often when I meet people for the first time they will ask what grade I am in or what school I go to. Then they quickly apologize and I say “Don’t worry about it, I hear it all the time.”  I rarely wear foundation or a lot of makeup and would kick and scream when I cheered for the Louisville Fire.  They made us wear all of this makeup and I felt I looked like a Barbie Doll. I felt the makeup didn’t make me look older, it just made me look “made up”.

Several years ago I was a mentor to a fifth grade girl.  We went roller skating. While there this boy skated up to us and asked my name.  I told him my name and introduced him to her – but he wasn’t interested in her.  This young buck continued to try to hit on me.  He told me he was 11 years old and thought I was 15. When I told him I was in my 20s, he was amazed.  He said with a wide-eyed excited grin, “You mean you got a car!?” He was so overjoyed and told me he was working on getting a moped. I brought him even more pleasure when I told him I had a job as a teacher.  He told me he wished I was his teacher!

I’ve learned to accept my young looks and use it to my advantage.  I look forward to the day when my friends and I are 80 years old.  They’ll be old, wrinkled, mean and in a wheelchair.  I’ll be still be smiling, riding bikes in the park and hanging out with my 25 year old boyfriend Winston! (-;

M.Y. September 2007