No Longer a Kid

I can relate to the guy who recently wrote about his disappearing youth, because I'm a short guy, I am 5ft, 5 inches. I spent so much of my life always being regarded as younger than my age.

In my preteens I was mistaken for single digits, in my teens I was mistaken for a preteen, in my twenties I was mistaken for sometimes young as 12 but no older than about 15. Unless I had to tell I let people think I was younger and I played into that image by dressing younger and even using a younger sounding way of talking.

I knew my time was up when I was 37, yes 37 it started being harder to look younger and one time even after doing everything I could, I remember this kid who was about 14 asked if I could buy him beer. I said I'm not old enough and he looked surprised and said I thought you were at least 35. He guessed little too close to my real age for my liking. I gave up entirely when just two days later, a boy asked who the short old guy was and I realized he was talking about me. I went home looked in the mirror and realized I didn't look like a kid anymore but an "old guy" in kids clothing.

Anonymous