Most people guess my age wrong. They usually blurt out too large or too small a number. Which is weird, because that just means that at different times, I may look older or younger than I really am. Which is ridiculous because obviously my look and my face do not change that drastically and certainly not that arbitrarily.
But most of the time, they guess a younger age.
So what makes me seem younger than I really am?
Probably the kid inside me.
When I am around people who are much younger than my age, I most often turn into a younger version of myself - less serious, less mature, and with bigger mouth (see pic above). I will be much more excitable and energetic, run and jump around, talk nonsense (and loudly too, sometimes) and poke people for no reason.
I make it a mission to be happy whilst among people I am comfortable with. One way I do this is to approach and accept everything with a keen young heart (like an innocent little kid) and the excitement can be addictive. I let go of my inhibitions (sort of) and pretend I am a young boy, eager to learn about everything around him, and easily excited by even the simplest things.
I find that I am happy with being ignorant of the reality of this world and what I am supposed to face each day as I go out there trying to make an honest living. I let the feeling of wonder and awe of how beautiful the creations around us overwhelm the bombardments that life keeps throwing at me. It might sound like escapism (probably is, actually), but I'd rather be elated by the pettiest of things than be bogged down all the time by everything else.
Life punches you in the face sometimes. Make a joke out of it. Laugh. Most stand up comedians make a living out of telling their personal downs in life, not the ups. Listening to other people's miseries are not fun, but listening to them joke about it lightens the heart. It's because we know that they are no longer burdened by the sad memory of it all. Even more so if we have the same bad experience in the past; by knowing that someone went through the same ordeal and turned out all right, we feel assured that we can turn out all right as well. And instead of frowning at the recollection of every bad memory, we smile as we reminisce our failings and fallings, knowing that we've left them all behind, and that with every day there's a new moment to seize and make the best out of.
A frown is not as addictive as a smile. Ever see a person frown and feeling like frowning too?
The most addictive smile to me, is a baby's smile, sprinkled with awesomely cute baby giggles. I am super sure a lot of people would agree with me.
I am happier being young, ignorant and reckless, even if it's just inside. Outside, I am me, a much older person who arrives late to every phase in his life. A person with a mostly technical mind that thinks (and talks) too much and reads too much Wikipedia entries. Who knows nothing of what's going on in the local entertainment scene because he's too preoccupied with channels 551, 553, 554, and 555 whenever he has the chance to watch TV on Astro.
Ok so I don't act my age. And I probably didn't look my age as well. They say I look too young for my age. So what did I do to make myself look older?
The only thing I can think of: wear a side-parted hairstyle and grow facial hair.
I feel like going off on another tangent here, so before that happens, I'll just end it here.
-ihsankhairir-
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p/s: the last picture of me is courtesy of Baharin of Yenphotos.
p/p/s: do ask if you don't know what channels 551, 553, 554 and 555 are on Astro.
