Am I Old?

I started teaching high school when I was twenty-three, after graduating college two years before. I wasn't one of those "change the world" kind of new teachers, but I did think that since I was so young I would be able to really connect with the kids. One of my first memories was of talking to my students about how the band "Metalichi" (yes, I thought Metalicca was Metalichi) sang some songs that were based on classic literature. The kids laughed so hard when they figured out what band I was talking about. I tell my students about that story now and they still think it's funny. The point of bringing up this story is that I learned quite early that to kids you're always a lot older than you think you are.

I had one of those experience today. I had a relaxing day hiding from the infernal heat, knitting on my River Rapid Socks from Sockbug. I was using my Claudia Handpainted Peppermint Mocha yarn and was very proud of finishing a sock in one day. So I showed newly-finished sock and my green Aran Sandal sock that I finished last week to my daughter and her friend. "Mom, you're really getting into the old lady colors, aren't you?" she says. What!? She was particularly cruel about the green yarn, asking if it was acrylic and did I plan to crochet an afghan with the rest of the yarn. The nerve! I went to her usually more kind brother, and he backed her up. I told them that I thought both socks looked very "hip." They informed me that people who like orange, green, and purple together also think they're young and hip. Maybe I AM getting old...acrylic yarn IS so much cheaper than wool. (LOL)

These are my two yarn defamers. They both look so sweet and sensitive, but don't be fooled. Underneath, they are both heartless "sock make-fun-of-ers." Someday they will have cold feet, and their mother will just laugh and tell them to go to K-mart.