How old am I, really?

Do you ever get confused as to your age? Do you have to stop and think when asked how old you are? Do you frequently give the wrong age - on accident? Do you say you are younger or older than you really are?
I remember those teenage days when older was always better. Sixteen was a great age to pretend to be, prior to sixteen. Then it was eighteen after reaching sixteen. Twenty-one was the next age to aspire to be. Many seemed to stay twenty-one for ten or more years. Twenty-nine was another year that repeated itself more than just a couple times.
But how often does a person, after age thirty, refer to themselves as being older than they truly are?
I do that!! Not on purpose - I just spout out older ages than I really am. I don't get it!

This morning as I lay in bed, enjoying the fact that it was Sunday, so I could sleep in. I was reviewing in my mind a few conversations in my mind from last night's "Girl's night out." One conversation particularly was with my new friend Ella. How is it that I can be a week older than Ella, have an 18 year-old, and have only started my family a year later than her, yet she has a 20 year old? I was doing the math in my head. Obviously, my math skills are not up to Peggy's (think of what my quilt would look like!). It was just not adding up.
My mind, knowing me quite well, and not wanting to overheat, said, "let it go." So, I did. I then started doing the math for MIB (my 18 year-old). His birthday is several months before mine. I was doing the whole, "if I'm this old, and he's that old, he'll be 19 on his next birthday...." Then I realized. I'm not 38!! I'm only 37. I said 38 when Kelly asked me. And then from that moment on 38 was the number in my head. I was 38 and I was still 38 when talking with Ella too. So Ella, I'm not a week older than you. You are just a week shy of being one year older than me. The math works now!
I understand people mistaking themselves for being younger than they really are. They've already been that age. It's easy to forget to add another year as the time quickly ticks away. But why would you add years that haven't been lived yet? I've done this more than just this once!
Do you remember, Crystal, last summer, when I thought I only had one more year before I was 40? How did that happen? I've never considered myself to be bad at math. I actually like math - I used to think I was kinda good at it. I even attribute myself for MIB's great math brain. Hmmm.
Maybe I'm ignorant to my real math skills. Or - maybe I want to be older? Or, maybe I'm trying so hard to keep up with time, that I've passed it by. : >
I really don't feel like a teenager that is just dying to be 18. I'm not even a 30-year old that wishes I was 29 again! I'm quite happy to be 37. I don't want time to fly by any faster than it already does. So, as Rabbit would say, "why, oh why, oh why?"
Today, and until my next birthday, I am 37. 37. 37. 37. Got it. Ella, Kelly and whoever else may have been part of our conversations last night, I am 37, not 38. Wow, the math works so much better when I have the right numbers. Peggy, not only do I admire your story writing skills, evidently, I need to aspire for your math skills as well!!
I really am 37.