Almost 36

I've noticed a lot of strange trends in my job in behavioral health, but one of the strangest is the tendency of parents to braggingly round up the ages of their kids.

An example: Today, a parent tells me that son is almost 12, daughter is almost 7 and son is 4. I clarify, "So John is 11, Suzie is 6 and Joey is 4, right? and SHE ARGUES with me that the two oldest are "almost 12 and almost 7." Hmmm.

Why in the world would you want to add age to your child? Are they so amazingly precocious that you want them to be judged among a different cohort? Are you hoping to get them out of the house and off to college just a tiny bit sooner? Or, is it maybe our national trend toward obesity and you figure that maybe your 4-year-old kid isn't fat... for a 5 year-old.

Whatever it is, it just seems strange, particularly when the same parents will get together and get misty eyed and murmur about how "they just grow up so fast!"

As a 35-year-old, I'm not lying about my age yet, but I'm certainly not saying I'm "almost 36." I do find myself walking around at work saying I've worked there 7 years, when my 7 year anniversary will come around in about two weeks. I've been doing this for months and find it quite weird. I like to watch the newcomers' eyes bulge a bit when they imagine staying in this pressure cooker for that long. Maybe it's pity but I hold out some hope that it's respect.

So, while women may not want to brag about age, time spent still seems to lead to perceived status.

On the other hand, why the heck can't we enjoy just being who we are and when we are for even a few minutes?