Aspies For Freedom

I just noticed today's date.

Anyone else with a 'special' birthday approaching?

Mind you, I feel 27......

Sorry, pressed the wrong button (as usual!)

My youngest grandson will be six on my birthday. I stayed with my daughter throughout the birth. It was a wonderfully bonding experience.

he he he... I TURN 27 in three months...

Is that rude? I've never figured out how it's rude to point out people's age. Sorry if it is.

Congrats on 50 though!

I've never understood why it's rude either.

Why does society seem to dictate that we can only be proud of our ages before 21 and after 70?

I don't understand the whole anti-aging thing... I'm not afraid of being old, but everyone my age is. My hubby keeps telling the kids that he's 22... so wierd. Everyone keeps telling me that its because I'm not 30 yet... but i don't really think so. I don't think I'll be any different. How does being older make you less than someone who's younger?

Oh... I think my Spock-like rational thinking is causing me some problems here.

I'm really looking forward to being 50.

I think that my attitude has something to do with wanting respect.

I hoped that I might be regarded as 'properly grown-up' when I reached 21. Didn't happen, though. Or at 30, or 40..... I still get talked down to, called 'girl' - even by people a lot younger than me.

I am a forty-nine-year-old grandmother for goodness' sake, when on earth will I become a woman? I've heard mothers say to their kids "Ask that nice lady" about others (often a lot younger than me), but "Ask the nice girl" about me. ?

I really do not understand the attitude of others towards me. Is it because of my being an Aspie, or a female, or both?

When I'm out with my grandson people assume I'm his mother. Someone once asked my daughter (a couple of days after seeing us out together) why she never talked about her sister.

Will I have to be 80 before I grow up?

  Not much hope for me! People always assume I'm my kids' nanny... Though I am a young mom, I'm not THAT young.

People always seem surprised when they find out I know something... I think I SEEM less respectable/knowledgeable about things than I really am.

And you hit on my "scariest" pet peeve, not knowing if its okay to call someone a girl or a lady... it goes into the orginal queesy ness of my first post... who is old and why is it so bad to point out that your not young? I think I always lean toward calling others "girl" because lady makes me think of a formal lady like lords and ladies, I hadn't thought that it would actually bad to call someone girl. (Personally I thought calling anyone older than 18 a girl seemed rude, but that's apparently not the case!)

Both "girl" and "lady" can be irritating, girl implies ignorance and lady implies an acceptance of a subordinate social role.  "Woman" is usually a good word to use.

And congrats on your half-century, Tigger!

50, eh?
Congratz, Tigger.  You're 7 years behind me.  Not sure that the half-century mark confers much more respect, though.

Maybe you just look young for your years, a true gift especially when one gets older in years.

Does it count if I feel 50... oh Lordy, lets be honest, actually more like 65.  

Mom

I always feel that saying "go talk to that nice woman over there" has strong connotations about the sexuality of said 'woman'. Perhaps it was listening to too much rock music that idolizes "Women!" as basically aliens that the singers are biologically compelled to find a way to be with in an intimate way.

I tend toward 'girl' since most older females are happy to hear someone thinks they are younger than they are. However, usually I'm not paying enough attention to what comes out my mouth and just say 'female'.

50 sounds like an awesome age to be! Probably it won't change the respect you get from others, but you are experiencing life and that is complete awesomeness.

It'll be some years before I am 50, but it's kind of a scary thought because I don't want other people to make a big fuss about it. I managed to dodge the fuss about turning 40 a while back.

As we might not be staying in Australia for much longer, I've decided to have a lunch-time barbecue on my birthday and invite all the lovely friends we've made. To reduce the fuss, I just haven't told them that it's my birthday!