never ask a lady her age
i’ve discovered that there are two things i grew up thinking it was rude to ask a complete stranger, but are actually socially acceptable (apparently):
1). how much is your rent?
2) how old are you?
living in a city where rent prices are a popular dinner conversation topic, i’ve gotten comfortable talking about it - with friends AND strangers - and it doesn’t bother me any more. (though i still her my mom’s “tut, tut” in the back of my head!) the second one, however, continues to throw me for a loop. i was at a marketing conference today and i got asked TWICE how old i was. i get that i’m young and the question usually comes after people find out i’m married. it’s probably a snap reaction, especially in a city where the average marriage age is definitely closer to 30 than 20. (and, from first-hand experience, I would not recommend getting married when you’re closer to 20 than 30, but i digress!)
it never ceases to amaze me when someone i’ve jut met point blank asks me my age. and i have yet to come up with a clever answer. sometimes i say i’m in my 20’s, sometimes i just say i’m young. sometimes i blurt out my actual age out of sheer surprise. i try not to get too snarky with people i just met - i reserve that for my close friends 
June 25 2009 07:57 pm | soapbox and the city