Young, Middle-Aged, or Old?

Young, middle-aged, or old. That’s all I knew about my teachers when I was a student. Either they were fresh grads, or parents of the top ten students of the whole school, or close to retirement, and we were not there to ask about their lives. We were there to listen to them, to learn, and to do as we were told. My students now, however, are very expressive. They either flatter me or ask me personal questions:

“Miss J., I like your hair.”

“I like your earrings.”

“I love your scarf, Miss J.”

And when one asks the usual, “How old are you, Miss J.?” there’s always a girl ready with a response:

“Miss J. said it’s not nice to ask about a woman’s age.”

“Miss J. said she’s too old to remember her age.”

“She said she’s older than my grandmother.”

“That’s not old. My Nana said she’s not old. She’s only 45! She had my Mom when she was 18, and my Mom had me when she was 18.”

Oh, dear!

MLJ/16/04/2022