Just Call Me “Granny”
A few days ago, Paul and I took the girls to the Salvation Army Thrift Store to get some warm, winter clothes, with the hope that we wouldn’t have to drop a ton of money to do it.
Turns out we were, in fact, able to do that very thing.
The notable thing that happened in our brief time at the thrift store, however, wasn’t the low price of the really nice clothes that we got our kids.
It was a conversation I had with a store employee, which went something like this:
(background info: Jane was alone with me in the kids’ clothing section, chatting away about everything that interested her; she was also pretending to be various animals, including, at one point, a flamingo.)
Store employee (SE), watching Jane: “She is so pretty!”
Me: “Thank you. We think so, too.”
SE: “How old is she?”
Me (turning to Jane): “Jane, how old are you?”
Jane motions her fingers in an almost believable “3.”
Me: “She turned 3 in October.”
SE: “Wow. She’s pretty tall, isn’t she?”
Me: “Yeah. A lot of people think she’s four. She sounds like she’s four, too.”
SE: (watching and listening to Jane talking to me) “She’s smart! SO smart. AND pretty!”
Me: “Yes, she is very smart. (laughing) I think she got that from her Daddy.”
SE: “You her grandmother?”
[What?!?!]
Me: “No. I’m her mother.”
SE has shocked looked on her face.
Me: “I’m 35.”
SE (looking a little embarrassed): “I’m sorry.”
Me: “It’s okay. We started a little later than most people, I guess.”
SE (trying to reassure me): “No, it’s not that. She just doesn’t look anything like you.”
Me (laughing): “Yes, I know. Apparently she got her good looks from her Daddy, too.”
SE mutters something else in an attempt to recover, and finally wanders off saying, “Wooh, she is SO smart! And that hair!”
Now, I wasn’t looking particularly attractive that morning, especially with the no makeup and such, and I have noticed a tad more gray hairs lately but, c’mon. Me, a grandmother?
My dad graciously reminded me that in some cultures and ethnic groups, it would be quite the norm, actually, for someone my age to be a Granny.
You know, with teen pregnancies and all, I could easily be a grandmother. That may have even been the case with the store employee.
Small consolation, though.
“Granny”…sheesh.
Filed under: General, Catbird, Local Color, Random Thoughts, Jane on February 3rd, 2007
Oh, Cathy, that is so funny! I was thinking the same thing your dad told you while I was reading this, except in the place of “some cultures and ethnic groups,” I thought “rural Alabama.”
Anna, actually I was thinking more along the lines of Bithlo.
By the way, Cathy, is your spell-check working? (I’m not telling which word)
Yes, Paul, my spell-check is working. My brain, however, apparently isn’t.
Was there another one besides “believEable” (good grief!) that you saw?!
That’s the only one I saw and kudos for finding it.
Wow. Cathy, I am so sorry that happened to you!!! (but I am still laughing out loud) :o)
Reminded me of when a college student recently thought I was older than Ande. Ummm, no. No I am not. And for the record, he definitely looks older than me. (laughing again!)
That’s so funny! That reminds me of a time when a college classmate of mine thought Pam was my mom. It was a very upsetting,traumatic experience for her. I don’t know why. =)
maybe she sensed the wisdom of the ages oozing out of your pores and just mistook (is that a word cathy) it for being a granny!
If you died your spikey hair grey you could really fool a lot of people in bama.
oops- I guess that should be ‘dyed’ not died-I’d hate for the spelling nazi to catch me before I caught it myself!
Cathy YOU do not look like a grandmother!!!! The lady just wanted to talk with a really cool lady with the spikey hair and cute kids!!!
I can’t even believe that!! Actually I can…
Once someone asked me, when I was about 21, if I was my Dad’s wife. I was mortified! Another time my uncle, who is 39 and in INCREDIBLE shape, got asked if he was my grandfather’s, who is 85, brother. I thought he was going to fall on the floor!
People are, as a rule, crazy. There’s really only a select few who aren’t. You managed to run into one of the crazier ones. Grandma! Please. I thought she had particular tact when she said Jane looks nothing like you. How do you successfully dig your way out of that one? Crazy!
No way! But it does remind me of my friend who just had her third at 38. The doctor’s office kept calling her a geriatric mom…(don’t you do that at the pharmacy!!!) Since several of our friends had their first at 38+ I’m going to tell them to be prepared to have their egos pounded if they hit stores in Alabama.