Entertainment

Other people crack me up. Specifically, those who question me crack me up. Not because I am always right, but just because…

I am not sure what people expect of me before they meet me. I am not sure if they picture someone older or younger. Perhaps they expect someone with glasses. Or, perhaps someone that dresses well… I just do not know. Typically, when a person first meets me, chances are that he or she will see a person wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a fleece of some sort and a some boots. More often than not, I have my hair in a ponytail and a coffee in my hand. Depending on the setting, I can often be found on my phone. …

When I first started meeting people in the county for my previous job, I noticed some hesitation when I introduced myself. When I became a manager, I noticed people doing double-takes when I showed up for meetings. At first, I thought I was just paranoid, but then I looked around the room. The fact was that I was the youngest person in the room--by years. I just stood out.

I used to hate being the baby of the group. It made me feel self-conscious and nervous. Now I embrace it. There is something cool about being the only person in the room that knows all of the videos on MTV. There is something cool about not knowing how my high school friends have turned out because I am not old enough to have yet attended a class reunion. There is something cool about having the ability to translate my peers’ children’s speech into a language they can understand. There is something cool and entertaining about watching my students contemplate my age on the first day of class. There is something cool about being comfortable with myself.

Today, I went to sign one of my contracts to teach this Fall. I went to an office that was new to me. I was not sure exactly who I was supposed to meet, nor did I know the exact process that I needed to complete. After all, each school has a different set of policies. I walked into the office and introduced myself. The woman at the front desk handed me a registration form and requested a check for my tuition. I clarified for her that I was not a student and explained that I was there to complete my I-9 and sign my contract. Instead of glancing at the forms in my hand, she questioned me. She again tried to persuade me to state that I was there to register for Developmental Psychology rather than to teach it. I finally convinced the woman that I was, in fact, there per the Dean’s instructions. Once she accepted this fact, she agreed to review my documents. She continually did double-takes as she reviewed my identification, social security card, and others forms…

That is okay though…I am cool with it. I am entertained. I enjoy being me. I recognize that I am in a fortunate place in the world…

That woman cracks me up….