Wednesday, 6/19

I think it was a compliment. If not, I now know what it's like to get sarcastically burned with a flame hotter than that of the sun.

And that's rather hot.

A listener came in to pick up a prize last week, and when I gave it to her she must have realized who I was. She didn't say any of the usual things people say when they realize who I am (“Hey, you're that guy on the radio” or “I listen to you every day”, or “I enjoy watching you on that TV show with those kids” or even, “I see you walking everywhere”). Nope; she said something I've never been told in all the years I've been doing this gig, and that's been an eternity.

What did she say? She said, and I quote, “Wow, you sound a lot younger than you look”.

Ouch. Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.

First of all, I'm trying to look at the comment in the most positive way possible. A lot of people, as they age, lose something from their voice. It might get a little deeper or growlier, or it might lose a bit of the enthusiastic edge of youth. So if this person thinks I still sound young, well, then yay for me.

That's a good thing.

However, just how old does she think I look? I mean, sure, I'm not a kid any more, and some days I seem to have more gray hair than brown hair on my head, but at least I still have SOME hair on my head. And because of genetics (thanks, Mom & Dad!!) and because I try to take care of myself, I don't (think I) look my age. In fact, most people, when guessing, are usually off by a decade or more when trying to figure out how old I am.

So the listener who made the comment either assumed that, because of my voice, I'm still a kid, or that I'm a really old fart who just covers it up really, really well.

Gulp. I'm certainly hoping it's the former.

Those of you who've been reading these things for years (you know, because I'm apparently old and have been writing them forever) may recall the Koski family phobia about aging. We don't like to think about getting old, we don't like acting old, and, because of those good genes to which I earlier referred, we can usually get away without appearing “old”. So maybe I'm being just a little too sensitive about this. That's happened before, after all. Maybe the listener really DID mean it as a compliment. Maybe she really did think I sound and act young on the radio, and that it was a bit of a shock to look behind the curtain. I certainly hope that was the case...

Because if it wasn't...well, then I'm old(er). And despite my protestations, my denials, and my vehement refusal to acknowledge the fact, she saw through the smokescreen and glimpsed the truth. So now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go sit by myself in a dark room, ponder this shocking turn of events, and sob quietly for a few minutes.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), who at least still sounds young!!