deceiving looks

I look young for my age. Always have done - most probably always will. It's one of those things that run in the family. Usually it doesn't bother me. Why should it? I have nothing else to compare it to. But in certain situations it can become a tad tricky...

... Like when I dated a man and quite a few people misstook him for being my father. Awkward.

...Like when me and my co-worker sat in a café working and one of my patients walked by and asked if she was my mother. Awkward.

... Like when I've been lecturing and people have misstaken me for being a student. Awkward.

... Like when I've been representing my work and... And see above... Same kind of thing... I know you're getting the picture!

A few years back I was doing a field study up north and jumped on the local bus.
"Full price or half price?" the busdriver asked me. I laughed and said I didn't know, but that half price sounded nicer. He didn't understand my joke and got angry (well, what could I expect, he was from up north after all, grumpy bugger): "surely you know how old you are?" he shouted.
"I know how old I am, but don't know your criterias for buying a bus ticket in this town" I explained. "I'm 30 years old" I added.
"Oh" was all he anwered and gave me a full priced ticket. Later I found out you should be under 15 years of age to qualify for a half priced ticket.

The other day I went to buy a packet of cigarettes. I came straight from a management meeting and was stressed. The young girl at the till asked me for ID. Because I was stressed I asked what she meant - why did she want to see my ID card?
She went bright red and started stuttering something about her and me being the same age surely? I still didn't get it, got a little annoyed and asked her again what she was on about. Mid sentence I got it - she wanted proof to see I had the legal age for buying cigarettes (which is 18 in Sweden)!
I started laughing, gave her my ID card and explained that I honestly hadn't understood what she was on about, but that I was flattered and found it quite funny!
The poor girl. Never before have I seen anyone so embarrassed. She looked at my ID and shook her head in disbelief. "35?! Oh my god! You're like... Really old like!"

And I guess I am. Like. Really. Old. But look really young. Whatever. I'm young at heart and that's all that matters, isn't it?