My life as an adult with a babyface

My face is a rebel, constantly refusing to cooperate with my bones and my immune system as they all cooperate in my natural process of aging.

Yes, I have heard my fair share of "You'll look 25 at 40", but right now, I'd really like to live an adult life that is not influenced by how youthful I appear.

BABYFACE >>> ACTUAL AGE

I still remember the first time I applied for my NID card. The administrative officers sent me home out of suspicion. It was only after my mother accompanied me to the venue the next day that I was taken seriously.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the only time that I was dismissed because of my babyface. The attitude persisted over the years, leading to people speaking over me in group discussions, servers at restaurants being unsure about taking my orders, and officials at the bank refusing to let me open my own bank account. Next thing you know, your feelings are being invalidated on account of you "looking cute while upset."

A REGULAR AT THE KIDS' TABLE

If I had a penny for every single time I'd been seated with the kids at events, I'd be rolling in cash at this point. I've been paired with kids at everything from science fairs at school to dance performances at weddings. While kids can make for fun company at such occasions, I can only find comfort in interacting with individuals of my own age group.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF "25 GOING ON 15"

There are moments when it seems as though people are taking my babyface seriously enough to actually mistake me for a child, and subsequently treat me as such. This is where I can sense my adulthood being called into question.

Speaking over me in group discussions thus becomes the tip of the iceberg as worse things follow. People expect you to put up with unnecessary mollycoddling, uncomfortable face-touching, constant questioning about anti-aging concoctions, and just a general mocking attitude towards your life as an adult.

Having a babyface doesn't come without its pros of course. You get to pass as a younger individual who has access to certain perks meant for kids, such as half-off ticket prices at amusement parks and buying clothes at lesser prices from the kids' section at clothing stores.

The "cute factor" present in your babyface just might help you get away with breaking your mother's favourite set of crockeries. And then there is the fan-favourite theory of looking "25 at 40". But the fact remains that an individual's babyface shouldn't be a determining factor in how they're treated. Proper identification documents should suffice as evidence of actual age, leaving a person's sense of maturity to be determined by their wit and emotional intelligence.

Rasha Jameel's calendar begins at 'Deadline 001' and ends at 'Deadline 7634872354'. Help her locate the month of July in all this mess at rasha.jameel@outlook.com