"...because we're getting old."

This morning I stopped at Einstein's on my way into work, as I often do.  There was a new, 35+ year old woman working there today, and she decided to strike up a conversation with me (not a good idea given that I have yet had my morning cup of Joe), but I played nice and chatted it up.

Lady: "I just bought a sweater exactly like the one you are wearing..."
I chuckled because I bought this cardigan in high school which makes me awesome. 
Jen: "My sweater is almost 10 years old."
Lady: "I bought some brightly colored scarves too..."
Jen: "My little sister's are very trendy and they wear scarves every once in a while."
Lady: "I don't really like bright colors though."
Jen: "Me either.  I wear a lot of black, white, and brown."
And then she says it...the one phrase you never want to hear, let alone at 6:45AM
Lady: "We probably don't like bright colors because we're getting old."
I paused for a moment.  Forced a fake, awkward laugh.  And went on my way.

You know, my sisters always joke that I am an old lady because I wear sweaters to the bar.  I don't wear tight clothes.  I'd rather be cute than sexy.  I own a pair of "mom jeans."  I have tried on capri pants (and for the record, I did not buy them)!!  I make dinner every night.  I like to stick to a routine.  To them, this makes me old, but I am old(er) than them, so I never take offense to it.  They poke fun, we laugh, and that's that.

Mike and I always talk about how we have old souls, but we never call ourselves old...at least not seriously.  We were married at 24 and 25 (which will forever haunt me, because I always wanted us to be the same age when we got hitched given that I am a cougar by 4 months).  We don't mind staying in on the weekends.  An exciting Saturday for us is getting up around 6:30AM, hitting the gym, grabbing some breakfast, taking Finnley to the dog park, and running errands.  I know, I know...we are WILD!  We love family dinners (and not just because they are free...well, okay, that doesn't hurt).  We do laundry every Sunday.  We don't stay up past 9:30PM on week nights. 

But I don't think any of this makes us old - it makes us exhausted professionals that are overworked, underpaid, and just trying to get by.  So if waking up before the sun, hitting the dog park before noon, and grabbing dinner with the family makes us "old," then so be it!  I will accept my fate, and move on.  I will continue to shop for cardigans.  I will continue to rock "mom jeans" on the weekends.  And I will still turn down an invite to a movie on a Friday night because I know I will fall asleep.  I am old, and proud of it!