the rite of ma'amhood

as a 20-something, there is nothin' worse than bein called "ma'am".  yes, it's true, i have a 10-year high school reunion coming up (and psyched to see old friends!), but there is something deep inside my soul that refuses to respond to the term ma'am.   yeah, i'm not ashamed to admit it, i dictionary.com'd that sucker, and sure, it's short for madam, which i will definitely say sounds so deliciously european, and of course, the second meaning referring to the queen or royalty certainly doesn't hurt, but even so, it just sounds old.  don't get me wrong, i'm not one to think that i am younger or hipper than i actually am.  let's be honest, i am closer to 30 than 20, but i have not lost the fight yet :)  as Alec Baldwin's 30 Rock character so eloquently describes it, i am certainly "keeping it tight", but i also don't fear age.

hmmmm, i guess the question is. what does the age of ma'amhood really mean?  well, in my humble opinion, it has a whole lot more to do with the world of acting.  i mean, not like entertainers, or People.com, more like how old you act.  and let's be honest, i am pretty immature :)

yes, i do, on occasion, enjoy some yummy grape, and every single time i get carded.  now, i'm not saying i look like i'm under 21, cuz let's be honest, in this crazy fashion-forward world, there are lots of 16-year-olds that could def pass for 22-plus (hello, how else do clubs survive?), but what i mean is that age is incredibly relative, based on the viewer.  right?

maybe i'm wrong, but it seems to me, that how you act really shows how old you are.  yeah, yeah, i know, sometimes we all (especially myself) act like 5 year old with a bad case of the tantrums, but in general, those who are mature show their true stripes when the world comes at 'em with full force. yes, we all have moment of weakness, some more than a few, but for the most part, it does seem to come out when you least expect it.

so officially becoming a ma'am...?  don't think i'm really ready for the term yet, but can i swing with what it means?  yes ma'am!