Age Discrimination

I’m calling discrimination.

Well, I’m calling ageism reversed.

Let me set this up: For years I’ve been getting mistaken for a teenager. I’ve grown used to it. I still mind, and if you ask me it’s still rude to discuss someone’s age, but I’ve learned to live with it. Frankly, I don’t know what exactly you expect a young adult to look like.

Anyways, the other day I was at a very prestigious hair salon in Holly Springs. Aside from being incredibly rude, the girl waited till the end of the appointment to ask me when my mother was coming to get me.

When I told her I was 24, she just looked at me blankly and kept being rude.

It’s one thing if you mistake someone’s age. It’s another if you find out their true age and continue to treat them like a child.

I understand that you might confuse age. Mistakes happen. Trying to cover it by saying, “You’ll like that one day” offers little condolence for your mistake but is appreciated. I guarantee, when I am 50 I will still not want to look like a 13-year-old.

People do discriminate when they think you are young, no matter how qualified you are.

If women are dressing in pigtails and sneakers, then I could see the problem. But, I go to extensive lengths to be taken seriously.

Although this isn’t addressed in Emily Post’s Etiquette, I think the proper thing to do when you make an age faux pas would be to apologize and then proceed to treat them as their true age—not what you think they look like.

These are the people who would jump down your throat if you judged someone else on they way they look, but neglect to think about being condescending about age.

Mistakes happen. It’s how you proceed that matters.

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