Grand Rapids * Social Diary

February 2, 2010 - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I come from a long line of small (petite, to be politically correct) Indian women who have never truly looked their age. My mother, who celebrated her 50th birthday last August, got carded when we went to a Niagara Falls casino two summers ago. On the Canadian side too, where the legal gambling age is 19. Granted this is the same lady that stood tall at 4'11" and weighed in at a whopping 86 lbs on her wedding day.

So all my life I've dealt with the shocked looks upon people's faces when they learn my age. I had a traumatizing incident at the dentist's office when a hygienist misinterpreted "my sister and I are four years apart and I'm in college" to mean I was four years younger than my sister, who was 13 at the time, making me a gifted nine-year-old taking college courses. Being the self-involved person I am, I let her stroke my ego for an hour or so while she said things like "you're so outgoing for your age" and "your parents must be so proud to have a gifted daughter like you" thinking she was just really enthralled by my presence. I can't remember what comments exactly led to the unraveling of the fact that I was actually the older sibling and not quite the Doogie Howser she had envisioned, but I'm sure my sister can tell you since she recites this story every chance she gets. When I entered the Real World a couple years ago, I knew this problem would be my biggest challenge. Its hard enough being taken seriously as an intern, but when you look like a teenager skipping class to be at a board meeting, its just another story. One time, at an interview, an employer actually told me she loved my personality and my fresh ideas, but without a high school diploma I wouldn't be able to get where I wanted professionally. This was a month after I graduated from college.

And just a few months ago, I was a collaborator in a heated email exchange with a client whom I knew only through cyberspace. Ironically, we had a common friend and unknowingly met up at a birthday party. Since my name isn't too common, she exclaimed "O-M-G you're Amity? I was actually really intimidated by your emails but look at you; you're just a young little thang". First offense: speaking in text. Three letters out of her mouth and I already hated her. Second offense: being rude. This being taken into account, you can understand why I told the bouncer she had a fake ID which led to her being escorted out in disbelief. That's right, who's young now?

But as everyone always says after they fail in the guess-how-old-I-am game, "you'll love it when you're 40 and look 20". And my stature gives me a great reason to invest in my hobby, collecting towering heels, so I can't really complain.

Amity Dharia (as of this morning when she signed the paperwork) is a Client Services & Content Manager at Murdoch Marketing. She is looking forward to starting a new job and working with nicer people than the aforementioned. Apart from fashionable footwear, she also enjoys learning to cook, traveling and cheese. Follow her on twitter: @amitydharia or visit murdochmarketing.com.

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"dre" ~ photography by Tim Motley

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