Jul 11 2007
Just When I Needed It: A Little Pick-Me-Up
Interesting timing!
I just wrote about feeling like I look old and I was at my local Trader Joe’s loading up on healthy organic stuff, coffee and antioxidants when I get asked for ID!
Dark chocolate has antioxidants.
Hey! Don’t give me that look!
I mean it.
Seriously.
O-kay!
Red wine has antioxidants.
Anyway, I am totally caught by surprise.
I must have looked annoyed instead of totally shocked because the cashier shrugged her shoulders slightly and said, “Sorry. I have to ask.” She was a Black woman about my age with a small white flower tucked behind her ear.
“Oh, no problem. I was just caught off guard, ” I told her while I dug out my driver’s license.
I handed it over. She looked at it. Her eyebrows rose.
She handed it back to me.
“Huh. You don’t look it at all. You look really young.”
I’ve been of legal drinking age for over 21 years.
Yeah, I know I shouldn’t care about how I look but still, it was nice to be thought of as young enough to be freakin’ CARDED. I even had bed head and no makeup!
Just further evidence that Trader Joe’s ROCKS.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
You are the fountain of youth Ms.Q.
I think I wrote somewhere my opposite complaint. Nobody cards me anymore! I’ve been 21 for 6 months, and nobody ever cards me! In fact, I was out with a 24 year old friend a few days ago, I ordered wine, they brought it to me, but when they saw HER take a sip of my wine, they carded her! A very confused me sat on watching..
I can’t tell if I just carry myself like I’m older, or if I.. look old? I don’t think I look old.
How awesome that they carded you
haha that’s tight!
I know a lot of places where it’s required to ask for ID even if someone looks old enough, though a lot of employees never ask. They can get in trouble for that if they get caught not asking!
-Gregg
Ricardo: I’m not so sure about being a fountain but being Chinese, four-foot-ten-and-three-quarter-inches-short, 99 pounds and non-bodacious probably gives me a younger appearance!
Irisi: I only have your “dangerous”, “with Ricardo” and profile photos in mind so I’m not sure – you don’t look under 21 in THOSE photos! But you don’t look much over so I’d think you’d be carded.
Sometimes it is the way you carry yourself as well as what you order. Most under-age drinkers order beer or liquor, not wine! Well, that’s what I heard.
I WASN’T carded just minutes earlier when I was buying 2 bottles of wine at the nearby Cost Plus (all under $10) and then I go to Trader Joe’s and get carded for single bottle of wine! It had a yellow smiley face on it, a Syrah called Happiness. Maybe it was the smiley face? Again under 10 bucks.
But hey, I’ll take the compliment!
Gregg: I go to this TJ’s regularly and they don’t always card otherwise I wouldn’t have thought much of it!
A friend who’s a year older than I was just carded when he went to purchase cigarettes (been nagging him for years to quit) and the rule for that is if you look like you could be 27 years old, they card. He was happy to be mistaken for 27!
‘Course if he didn’t smoke, he’d look even younger…
I got carded at a bar about a week ago & I felt like renting out a bulletin board to make sure everyone knew…
Luckily I had enough drinks at said bar to forget that idea…
It was kind’a dark in there anyway. Still, superficial and all, it feels good, doesn’t it?
I used to go to clubs at the age of 16 and never got carded. Until the fateful day that I turned 24. After that I would get carded all the time. Not sure if the law changed or I just started to look younger. I always find it a compliment to get carded.
The day I stop getting carded on a regular basis I’ll probably worry.
UT: I wonder at your reverse-carding experience! Were you skinny as a teenager? Sometimes being really thin looks older. If you filled out as you got older your face may have become more youthful looking.
By “filling out” I mean you have the body of a man as opposed to a boy! I know you hit the treadmill so am guessing you keep any excess fillage at bay.
LOL… as a matter of fact I was slim/skinny as a teenager. Looking back at the pictures I felt unattractive. When I hit 19 I started working out and the whole world changed from there.
Some how, I don’t know what it is, a nicer body and a good weight on those bones attracts a whole different class of people. My dating experience has never been the same.
I do my best to keep the excess fillage at bay. I’d prefer to see my member without an obstructive view unless it’s in action.
UT: I remember in the back of comic books – I am guessing that even the younger generations know it (it probably was scratched onto the back of cave walls) but it’s the one where some musclebound guy kicks sand at this scrawny teenager who’s lying down on his beach towel next to his girlfriend.
The scrawny guy can’t do anything because he scrawny. Then he starts pumpin’ iron and gets muscles and his life changes – his gal thinks he’s hot and no musclebound guys pick on him.
People do judge us by our looks. Having a nice body is interpreted as “you are nice”, at least initially. If you have a fit and toned body, it tells people that you like yourself enough to take care of yourself.
I can see why your toned self would attract a whole different class of people – you took yourself to a new level and now you can interact with people at a new level.
When it comes to dating, I know I am attracted to men who take care of themselves. They don’t have to have the hardest bodies (although sculpted shoulders and no fatty overhang are big pluses) but some type of fitness routine is what I like. I mean, I take very good care of myself so I look for the same in a mate.
LOL about having a view!
Hi Ms. Q,
The last time I got carded I was 41 (ah, those were the days! Not really too long ago!) yesterday the person in front of me got carded and the person behind me got carded but I didn’t! “What, do you think maybe I should wear a little makeup??” Oh well!
I am having a celebration and You’re invited! you can check it out here
http://www.livethepower.com/blog/248/seven-weeks-to-seven-days/
I’d love to have you participate!
Karen
Karen: Not bad on getting carded at 41. I try to keep in mind that the days I am having are indeed the days. Some days aren’t always easy, some incredibly difficult but most of the time, each day is a blessing in some way.
I checked out your post and thanks for the invite! I’ll try to at least write and “Unlimited Power” post before your celebration ends.
Thanks!
A couple of stories about getting carded to share:
A guy I used to work with went into a convienance store the second day in a row to buy a six-pack of beer. The cashier said “Hi Scott. Can I see your ID?” erf? greeted by name, but still needed to see ID? it was the camera thing. he could have been fired if they saw him not checking an ID, even though he had checked it the day before.
A friend of mine ordered a glass of wine with dinner. She’s ~35. She got carded. Liked it too.
I’ve been to Trader Joe’s many times in the past few years. Never been carded. I’m 40 (last May). The only times I would typically get carded would be those times when they were carding everybody. (Club entry, concerts/sporting events to get the magic “This person can have booze” wristband, etc.) Otherwise, in a store, never been carded. Not even on my 21st birthday. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the full beard I used to wear. (Up until Jan. of this year.)
ack: I’ve been to places that card everyone so I don’t get any big thrill when I do as well. I go to my TJs all the time. I have probably been carded there before but dang it’s been a while and I usually get a bottle of wine!