I have come to the conclusion...
That I am really an old woman in an 18-year-old's body. Here's why:
1. I wake up earlier than 8:00 every morning. (Not because I feel like I have to, but because my body basically rejects sleep after that time.) I take at least one nap throughout the day if I can help it, and I'm usually passed out by 11:00 each night. Now don't tell me that doesn't sound like an eighty-year-old's sleep schedule.
2. I suffer from mild chest pains. I have since I was in 5th grade, yet my doctor says I'm healthy. Perhaps it's all in my head? I highly doubt it, but these kinds of pains are not very common for someone younger than forty.
3. My favorite foods are mashed potatoes, cooked spinach, ice cream, and peanut butter. Notice that none of these require teeth.
4. I would say that I'm pretty conservative when it comes to things like dating, modesty, and relationships. (The guy makes the first move, sex should be saved for marriage, modest is hottest…) I think you get my drift.
5. On a typical Saturday night, I'm sitting on my couch with a cup of chai tea and watching a romantic comedy or reading a good book. Occasionally, I will get all dressed up and spend the weekend out with my friends, but I'm not exactly what one would call a “party animal.”
6. I adore anything vintage. Old telephones, clothes, bathtubs, jewelry, photographs, movies, music, cars, and whatever else that could be considered an antique makes me incredibly giddy.
7. Although I've seemed to have gotten the hang of it, driving is one of those things that I will always be a bit uncomfortable with. Therefore, I tend to move a little slower than most people when I'm behind the wheel. (Okay, I'll be honest—I'm pretty much slow at everything.) My grandmother has the same tendency.
Yep, I am convinced that I'm an old woman stuck in a teenager's body. But hey, I'm actually okay with this.
Photo of me as Whitney in our high school production of A Piece of My Heart. (She’s not old, but I’m convinced the wig made me look advanced in age.)