My birthday was a couple of Fridays ago, and even before that day, my co-workers were begging to know my age. Each time someone asks, I respectfully tell them that I don't think it matters, or that I would rather not say, or some other honest and polite excuse. However, it has become a plaguing issue…That I just don't understand. Why is it so important to know? I don't ask anyone else their age…unless I plan on dating them.
This issue has continued to rear its ugly head. It seems like my colleagues' curiosity has been fueled by my refusal to give a real answer. And, I'm sure that when they reveal their ages and wait expectantly for me to follow suit, it must be quite frustrating. I allow them to guess, and they always guess incorrectly, but it's because I don't think it matters. I think my position matters; I think my level of education matters, and I think my experience matters. But not my age…not my marital status and certainly none of my other personal demographic or psychographic information.
I don't fall for the clever "when did you graduate" trick, either. I'm young. I don't deny or hide from this fact, but I'd rather not be discriminated against on the job because of exactly how young I am. Heck, if I were much more seasoned and reported to someone my age, I'm sure it'd be tough for me to take that "kid" seriously, too. With that in mind, I keep my mouth shut and my i.d. close to me at Happy Hour.
The ageism is already visible, though. I'm called "sweetie," "baby," "doll" and every other nickname synonymous with a little girl. My on-the-job compliments are how "cute" my hair is that day or, worse, how "cute" I look in general. It makes me uncomfortable. I have a youthful face, too, and it doesn't help my case much.
To get to the point of this post, though, why does your age matter? If you're getting the work done and being respectful, why should you be expected to reveal personal information? Just to get along with everyone else? Pass…
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