Dark circle and lines
2003-05-23, 2:07 p.m.

Let me start out by saying that I am not old. I�m 36. By no stretch of the imagination could I be considered old. Okay, so my mom had been married for 16 years by the time she was my age and that her oldest child (me) was graduating from high school. Still, I am young. Like the baby boomers, whose generation I missed by only 3 years, I refuse to get �old.� Adult, yes, sure, some day. But old? Nope.

To maintain this outlook, however, it does not behoove one to work around children who are barely old enough to legally consume alcohol. I haven�t been feeling well for the last couple of days. Thus, not sleeping well. As testimony to that, I have dark circles, dang near down to my cheek bones, and the lines under my eyes are deeper. I look like a woman whose oldest child is graduating from high school. On the other hand, the perky little thing who sits behind me was out until 3 am. She has to leave her house at 7 am to get here by the time she has to show up, which is 8. She maybe got 5 hours sleep she claims. And, boy, she says, does it show. Ha! Where? I�ll tell you, it doesn�t show up a bit. There are no dark circles under her eyes. She has no lines under her eyes. She is not short tempered and ready to bite anyone who ventures near her. Oh, no. She is bright eyed and smooth-faced. With the careful consumption of one diet Coke every half hour, she has maintained her energy level even. I remember a time when I could go out all night, every night and not have it show up. It�s all showing up now. I can remember a time when I could be out all night, every night, live on candy bars and diet Coke and still look presentable, even a bit pretty. Some days even great. Ha! That life style no longer appeals to me but it would be nice to know that I could if I wanted to. That�s the thing about me. I don�t like my options removed.