Apparently, I'm Old

The theme of the past few weeks has been my age. On several occasions, I've had people tell me that I seem older than I am. Some of these people knew ahead of time how old I was, but when people I'm meeting for the first time have to ask how old I am, and then are shocked to find out that I'm only 27, well, I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.

I think there are differences in how everyone perceives things (insert "States The Obvious Award" here), especially along genders. My co-worker (female) turns 31 today. We teased her about being 38 for a while and she was offended. The next day we teased her about only being 29 and wasn't as offended, but still wanted to be "just 31". Not old, not young. Apparently 31 is the Goldilocks of all ages to her... To each their own.

In the same token, I don't know how to accept the fact that people think I'm older. Its a compliment in the fact that I'm "wiser" than the normal 27 year old or I have the capacity to think through and solve problems as though I've "been there and done that". Its a knock in a way because it means I'm not as youthful as I should be. I take life to serious and have a hard time letting go sometimes. Ok. Most of the time...

How does age affect perception? How do we develop our "age opinions"? I guess I'm not sure but I'll take a stab at it anyways. When I perceive someone's age, I try to base it on where I am and where I think I'd be at that age or that behavior. That doesn't make much sense, but bear with me. If I see someone out on the road, I instantly think the person is old and I start yelling for them to get out of my way. In most cases I end up passing the person and they're, well, old. Every once and a while, I pass that person and find a teen who is with his or her parent and they're just learning to drive. Haven't we all been there before? When I was young, I never thought of my self as an "old" driver yet, in all actuality, I certainly drove like one. Once I got confidence, I was speeding by everyone and taking unnecessary risks. When I encounter someone like this, I immediately jump to the conclusion they are the same age as I was when I did stuff like that, late teens, early twenties. Once again, I'm not always right. I've been blown away by "old grandmas" in their Buicks burning down the interstate just the same.

Whats my point, well, honestly, I don't know. I do know that in most cases, people are definitely more than meets the eye. Looks aren't everything. Damn, I don't know how many times I've heard that... The older I get though, the more I realize that. Have I realized this sooner than most folks and therefore seem older? I don't know. Maybe. Is it unreasonable for me to expect that other 27 year olds understand these things the same as I do? No, but I sure do. Environment makes us who we are and what we are. Once again, its a worn out sentiment that really has been ringing home with me lately.

I try not to let my prejudices dictate my view of the world, but the fact of the matter is, it happens. My beliefs sure aren't the same as yours, but thats what makes us individuals. When those beliefs conflict, thats when we have trouble understanding and accepting differences.

To bring this all to a conclusion, I want to ask one more question... Obviously, we are who we are. Our family and friends and the world has each shaped us uniquely. Though I'll admit we're all unique in our own ways, how do those differences vary so much when it comes to those who are closest to us? I learned a lot from my parents about life and how one should approach it, but when it comes down to it, they don't always practice what they preach. I learned a lot from my church growing up, yet my opinions about faith and humanity differ greatly. My friends may have had a huge impact on many of my beliefs and I thank them for that, but when I think of those who taught me the most, and those that I align myself with regularly, how does it seem that some days they are the opposite of what they've impressed on me?

Am "older" in so many ways it causes me to seem that way to others, but when deep down I know I'm truly a greenhorn in this game we call life?