What Does It Mean To Look 40-ish?

Last weekend, I spent Saturday night acting in a UNT film student's film project. I was the mother to a time traveler. It was an interesting story. I learned alot about film making and I would love the chance to do it again.

The film student's mother caught me in the hall on Friday at work and said she had a personal question to ask me. Then she asked how old I was. I answered honestly that I'm 42. She told me her son needed a woman who looked 40 to be in his film school project, said I'd have 10 lines and would I do it. I thought and answered, "Sure, why not."

I walked away wondering what I'd gotten myself into and what did it mean to look 40. I pondered that all week. I'm not sure I can answer what it means to look 40 because I look in the mirror everyday and I don't see it. I guess I'm in denial. But here are my observations about 40.

• Being 40 means a few more grays to cover up during the hair coloring session.
• It means people born the year you graduated high school have graduated college and are now in the work force with you.
  
• It means you've been out of school longer then you were in.
  
• Cars made the year you started to drive are considered classics.
  
• The fashions you wore in high school are coming back into fashion with a 2010 twist.
• Or worse, the local high school now has '80's day.
  
• If you check your high school friends on Facebook, they wear glasses, possibly with bi-focals and their children are older then when the two of you first met in kindergarten.
• You realize you don't know it all and you can admit it. And you're actually OK with it.
  
• You are amused by teens that think they know it all. Or perhaps you're highly annoyed.

Is this middle age? I guess I'm there. And I'm OK with it.