I am not a vain person. Sure, I try to keep fine lines from turning into deep trenches, and I color my hair. And, like any woman, I enjoy being pampered with an occasional pedicure. But, it’s not unusual for me to run out of the house in the morning with a baseball cap on, and nothing on my face but the wrinkles left there from my pillowcase.
When my daughter sees me looking this way, and she knows I’m on my way to the store, she’ll say, “You know you’re going to see someone you know, because you don’t have any makeup on”. She’s often right, but I normally don’t care.
Recently, I was buying flowers at a local nursery with my six year old son in tow, when he struck up conversations with various people in the check-out line. As long as he doesn’t start touching strangers, or telling folks they resemble sea creatures, I’m fine with him practicing his speaking skills.
One of the people he talked to was an older woman waiting directly in front of us.
I noticed that her appearance was much like mine. We were both in shorts and t-shirts, with dirty tennis shoes on our feet. Martha Stewart’s got nothing on my gardening attire.
But, the similarities ended with our clothing and lack of mascara, because she was much older than I was. Or, so I thought.
Suddenly, she turned to me and said, “Hey! I know you! We went to high school together! Remember? Remember me?”
I did remember her. I managed to utter something…something I’m sure sounded like a small yelp, because all I could really do was wonder if I looked like she did. No! I couldn’t! She was older than me. A whole year older.
We spoke for a few minutes…mostly about our mutual friend Julie, who I haven’t seen in years, but with whom she has stayed in contact. As she left the store she said, “I’ll tell Julie you said hello.”
The thing I said about not being vain? Well, so much for that…because as she continued to her car I yelled, “Don’t tell her what I looked like!”
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Twenty Four At Heart
Ugh! Had a similar experience recently. Who is that middle aged lady? OH! Someone who graduated with me! Terrible, terrible, terrible!!
Melisa
Hee hee, I feel ya. (not literally)
I just keep telling myself that I already keep in touch with the people that I care about from the old days, and if I run into one of the other ones, no big deal.
Isn’t it amazing how everyone ELSE looks older now? 🙂
Tenakim
I hate running into people from the past. Either they look great and I think, crap, I let myself go. Or they look awful and I wonder if I look like that, but just have no grip on reality since I see myself everyday?? Vanity is a bitch!
Mr Lady
You’resmokin’, and you know it. Well, I know it. That’s enough, isn’t it?
Laski
Been there!!!
I had to drive around (nap time) and ended up at McD’s for a iced tea. /Two former students were at the window. Great. No make up, no shower (I was still in my PJ bottoms!) and the HUGEST zit festering on the middle of my face. So glad I’m not going back.
Right after I had J I bumped into a girl from HS. I was still wearing maternity clothes and I looked SWOLLEN. She told me “Wow, you haven’t changed at all.” Huh?
I never got a chance to tell her I just had had a baby. She was too busy rushing off doing something on her Blackberry. Ugh.
Natalie
yeah…i have no concept of age. i tend to think most people who are younger than me are just about my age. then when i do see someone my age i think they must be older! reality sucks sometimes.
The Laundress
Oh please, you’re adorable.
I’m sure she was feeling a little wrinkled herself. if you thought she was an older lady…she LOOKS old.
Ed (zoesdad)
My buddies seem to be aging exponentially faster than me. At least that’s what I tell myself to make me feel better.
Jo Beaufoix
I hate those moments. My Ex’s sister’s kid started at Miss M’s nursery last month and I remember thinking, “Bugger, I wish I weighed less but at least I did my hair.” 😉
Bean
Did you really yell that to her? It wouldn’t surprise me coming from you – that’s hilarious!
Don’t we all want to say that now and then?
Immoral Matriarch
Did you really yell that????
Hottdog
Lol!
I don’t think you’re vain for caring about what you look like. Vanity is being obsessed with what you look like.
Too funny!
Kori
Sadly, we all hit a point where we realize that we are, in fact, middle aged. And I think it really, really sucks.
HRH
I am sure she will tell Julie how you look EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOU DID IN HIGHSCHOOL. Which also might be frightening if you went in the 80s.
Xbox4NappyRash
I don’t believe for a second that Momo Fali would step outside the front door without at least 45 minutes of pruning behind her.
I refuse to believe it, what next, no Santa?
Tara R.
That is toooo funny. Now you know why I moved two states away from where I went to high school and college.
Lisa
She probably looked so old because you look so young (and I’m sure she’ll tell Julie you are rich and spending gobs of money on plastic surgery 😉 )
Mandy
Been there, done that!
And, yes. I was just as humiliated. 🙂
Jaina
Haha, that saying is way too true!
Heidi
I had the EXACT same experience not that long ago- except she was NOt older than me by any amount of years and I went home and stared at the mirror for a loooong time trying to convince myself that I did NOT look like her! I couldn’t BELIEVE how she had aged!
Dapoppins
I live in the town I went to high school in, so, conceivably this could happen to me, only without the baseball cap.
Half-Past Kissin' Time
Clever title–nice! My son and I were talking about someone we didn’t know. I said, “He’s an older guy; like 50.” Then, realizing that I am 45 and NOT OLD or 5 years from old, added, “I mean like, 60.” Too funny. I totally related to this post.
Corey~living and loving
tee hee….I love coming here for a giggle. 🙂 I can so relate to this post.
nola
Ugh. I hate when I feel old.
Bee Repartee
I always say ‘when the barn needs painting? Paint it.’
This mantra is the reason I get up every morning at 5:45am.
Bee Repartee
PS. You are smoking hawt, so not to worry. And I mean that in the most hetero, happily married you’re my BFF forever sort of way.
Bee Repartee
I’m changing my name to Bee Repeat.
Jodi
Dude, you were the hottest one at that nursery and you know it!
AlisonH
Oh, that’s funny!
I ran into an old friend for the first time in two years–after I’d stopped dyeing my hair. I said Hi Jim in the grocery store, he walked on by, then it hit him that he knew that voice, he turned around and went, ALISON??!!
Dude. Knock it off. Ain’t that old with the gray.
Eve Grey
I am MUCH too vain to go to the grocery store all schleped out. I always see people there I haven’t seen in 20 years, it’s killer!
Secret Agent Mama
Ha! I love that! And, I’ve seen pix. You are hot and you know it.
holly
you KNOW she is. . .
but in that jealous way “oh i so totally saw momo. it’s not fair that she looked so hot and she was wearing a t-shirt. it’s not right. “
that’s what she’ll say.
at least that’s what julie told me she said.