Tired Of Looking Too Young

I have said this numerous times before.  I look young.  Too young.  I have countless stories about how random FEMALE strangers have walked up to me before and made many rude comments, verbally attacked me, or stared at me with hate.  I am 29, 4'9 and 120 lbs, while 7 months pregnant (with #3).  I know.  I look like I'm 18, at best.  (Men NEVER say, stare, or DO anything...always females around my own age)  I've also been married over 11 years, at least.

I dress my age and curse like a sailor (usually when provoked).  I have tried numerous hair styles and hair colors.  I have tried numerous ways of wearing my make-up.  None of it matters.  People see what they want to see.  What they see when they see me is a teenager.  It will never go away!  (This is not as bad as my sister who looks like she is perpetually 14.)

Before I get into my story, let me say this:  I do NOT care if I will enjoy this by the time I am 50.  I am NOT 50 now, and I am frankly rather tired of the reverse ageism.  I have to carry about my birth certificate, AND two forms of IDs on me ALWAYS since I was 20.  I am carded for everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING.  I am constantly verbally attacked by strangers, thinking they can get away with it...because I'm just sooo young and don't know better...so they'd better tell me!

My husband has been told he cannot get a glass of wine at a restaurant because MY ID looked fake.  I have had women come up to me lecturing me about what I named my children (all Irish/Celtic common names??).  I have had women lecture me on discipline, for NO reason whatsover (my kids behave beautifully most of the time).  I have had women tell me to put shoes on my newborn (DD#2), even though she couldn't walk, it was summer, and she was wearing socks.  I have had people ask me if I am on welfare and what it is like being a single mother.  (Eh?  Never been on welfare?)  I have had people tell me I am throwing my life away by having a child while I was a teenager (I was 22ish at the time and I have a degree in Criminal Justice).  A male doctor even went so far as to try to convince my husband to have me "fixed" because I was just too young for the responsibility of another child (okay...I was 24).  My current OB appointments are usually the same doctor, but last time a new chick doctor decided to impart her OWN wisdom onto me (because I'm too young to know better) about birth control.  By the way, my favorite was when a cop once pulled me over and tried to have me arrested for driving under age??  Hence all my IDs are on me always.

Yes, I shit you not.  WOMEN MY AGE, will walk up to me any time/place/event and verbally assault me for whatever injustice they perceive or to impart their wisdom onto such a young person.  They think they can get away with it, because I *LOOK* like I'm a teenager.  They assume it's their job to "put me in my place".  But, I'm not that young.  I'm usually their age, if not older, and I am REALLY tired of them making comments to me!!!  Mind your business, bitches!

Okay, so at my daughters' school the line to pick up the kids is pure hell and they make everyone pick up their kids in a specified area (meaning you can't really wait in your car unless you're parking the "loop" and this is explained every school year to ALL parents).  My girls tend to get confused easily, and when they don't see the car right away they go to sit in the office thinking I forgot to pick them up (my eldest has Reactive Attachment Disorder).  This is why I show up to pick them up AN HOUR in advance and aim for the same spot everyday.  I park in the same spot everyday, and have done this since my eldest started school here.  That means, 2+ years, I have ALWAYS been in the same parking spot.  (If I can't get my spot, I park in a parking spot and get out of the car to wait for them...this almost never happens.)

There I am, having my me-time.  I had just finished doing my budgettng for the next paycheck and just finished talking on the phone to husband about it.  I remember the time exactly, as he had an appointment at 2:30pm and that is exactly when the kids get out of school.  It was 2:27 pm.  3 minutes to spare!  Go me!

Not even 5 seconds after hanging up the phone with him, some middle aged bitch is rapping on my car window with her knuckles.  Naturally, I thought it was important.  So, I turn the car on and turn off the radio.  Then, I roll the window down.  While I am doing this her "rapping" turns into "pounding".  The car is shaking, the glass is shaking and I'm freaking out thinking it was REALLY important.  (Hey, I'm pregnant, I might of left the gas tank open or something equally stupid...right?)

I get the window down, and she starts FLIPPING out on me.  I mean, full on screaming at the top of her lungs and EVERYONE is staring.  She has a backpack on, she's slightly pudgey, and looks like she is my age.  She also has 3 small kids with her.  So, she's obviously another parent and NOT faculty. (If it was faculty asking me to move, I would gladly move.  I have before, and the secretary knows I will move if asked politely)

Mind you, before this happened, I noticed a bus dropping off students after a mini-field trip.  Must have been for some other grade, because my kids didn't have a field trip that day.  I only noticed when I was on the phone because the bus did NOT use the bus loop.  This is a loop specifically FOR buses.  I was also making sure that I wasn't parked in the way...but with it so close to school being out, there was a HUGE line of cars in every which direction (including in front and behind me, I was essentially blocked in...which almost always happens).  Naturally, I wasn't going to move as I was not the ONLY person parked on the red line.

Okay, so she starts flipping out about how I am parked on the "red line" and in the way of the bus (eh? bus was already gone and if I'm in the way, so are the 12 people behind me).  The entire loop is a red line or teal line (not sure what teal means?).  The fire hydrant is actually across and behind me, so I am not in the fire lane.  I am also BARELY in the red.  I am the first car parked in the red (half my car goes into the red, as I don't want to block the handicapped ramp...).  I'm unsure as to why she picked ME to bang on and make a scene with.  I'm also unsure as to why it was such a big deal when the bus was already long gone, and why she chose ME and ONLY ME to attack.  She did NOT attack anyone else.

So, by the time she is completely making a scene and EVERYONE is staring...my youngest gets out of school and walks up to the car door.  DD#2 tries to open the door, but everytime she tries to open the door...this crazy bitch keeps slamming it shut.  I am progressively getting angrier, but so far have said nothing to her.

Finally, she storms off and the ONLY thing that comes out of my mouth is "good for you".  She threatened my kids, told me I was a terrible parent, could have either hit my kid in the face with the door or slammed her fingers in the door, and generally made a ranting scene.....  While she was walking off, she was doing this arm waving thing pointing at the entire red line (which is easily more then half the loop on BOTH sides of the road).

I'm still not sure why she ONLY attacked me.  I have a feeling it's because I look really young and she expected me not to put up a fight.  Sadly, at the kids' school, I usually WON'T put up a fight over something so small.  I also hate the fact that I didn't even really say anything back to her.



These are my nagging thoughts afterwards:


1) She probably thought she could get away with it because I look so young, and she needed to impart her "wisdom" onto me.  This is the most logical, as she even stated "GAH!  Kids these days!"  Bitch, we are probably the same age.  My looking young does NOT give you the excuse to random attack myself, my car, and my child.

2) She was watching me and waiting until I had hung up the phone.

3) She wanted to make a scene.

4) Maybe she was attacking me because I was the very first car technically on the red line?

5) Why attack only me?

6) She could have injured my child!

7) As soon as I left (not even 30 seconds after she walked away ranting), someone else took my spot. LOL  So obviously, everyone else knows this spot is okay to park in...but her.  Even the school administration sees no problem with it, as I am NOT parked illegally.

8) She almost broke my window.

9) I'm parking there again tomorrow, as I always do.  I'm also dragging my husband with me, as she definitely wouldn't of done that shit in front of him.  He's 6'5 and 230lbs (and military!).  If I see her again or if she raps on my window again, I will call the cops and ask her if she has taken he psychotic medication today.

What a crazy bitch.  I really hope no one stares at me tomorrow.  That was embarrassing.

God, I hate looking young.