The George Clooney Exemption

Remember when 40 was old. It was the age of our parents, our teachers, and all the other authority figures in our lives. It is the age at which my parents stopped aging in my head. It isn’t that I forget to observe birthdays and if you asked me how old they are, I could tell you, but it always surprises me that they have both entered their 50s. Part of the problem is that it always surprises me when I think about how old I am. I’m still shocked when I remember I’m not a teenager, nor even in my early 20s, that I’m closer to 30 than 20. The years seem to have flown by. Which is why when I heard that one of my friends had gone on a date with a 40 year-old, my first response was: Ew! He is old enough to be her dad. But he isn’t. In fact, he is barely over the 10-year mark that is my standard dating age limit. This age limit is of course self-imposed and completely arbitrary, however, I like it. It hasn’t proven an issue. Last night, Esperanza and I were discussing the conundrum of dating someone in the Over 40 set and the 10-year limit last night. We had both come to the conclusion that we liked the limit and couldn’t see ourselves dating someone over 40. There was a short pause and then we blurted out, in unison: Unless it’s George Clooney!