I turned 50 on Aug. 26.
Yet ... earlier this very evening, I was asked to show my ID at a gas station while buying a six-pack of beer.
Huh? My oldest daughter is 24. When I was last underaged, Jimmy Carter was president. (I've always liked Jimmy Carter.)
Most people would consider this wonderful. In fact, in most ways I suppose I do. But it's also a little annoying. Yes, I have a boyish face. But not boyish skin! Annnnnnd ... I have quite a bit less hair than I used to. Like Jesse Ventura used to say, "Grass doesn't grow on a busy street." (I only know that because my wife once did a big feature on him for the St. Pete Times.)
I guess the one reason I don't like being carded is because I've always been young-looking for my age. Being carded at 50 is kinda cool! But being carded at 30 isn't. The insult lingers.
What's next? Will I get carded when I'm 90 years old, entirely bald, and staggering into a gas station on a cane? Maybe after I die and I'm partying with the rest of the gang at the cemetery, I'll have to show my ID before they let me hit the keg. Maybe I'll have to convince one of my grandchildren to buy a six-pack for me while I linger guiltily outside the store.
I'm 50 friggin' years old!!!!!!!!!!!!
But I don't look it, thank you very much :) ....
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About Me
- Jim Melvin
- Clemson, SC, United States
- I was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., but grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla. I graduated from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in 1979 with a B.A. in Journalism. I now live in South Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, a pleasant setting for writing, to say the least. I was an award-winning journalist at the St. Petersburg Times for twenty-five years and I currently work at the Charlotte Observer. I am married with five daughters.
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Jim Melvin, a veteran journalist, debuts as novelist.
2 comments:
Well, FWIW, at some businesses it's standard to card everyone, even when you know darn well they're legal. It's how they keep young employees from making enforcement mistakes. Don't be discerning-- just card 'em all.
But yeah, I hear you on being young-looking. It was the sort of thing I didn't appreciate at 20, but that I appreciate more and more as I get older.
Yeah, you're right. And I do appreciate it. But one thing's certain: I might not look 50, but I damn sure don't look 20!
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