I voted earlier today. We have two, one for Barangay (Town) and one for Sanguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council).
The election rep handling the ballots asked for my ID because he had to confirm my age.
SK (Youth Council) is open for 15 to 30 years old voters.
I look like I'm in my late 20s.
While he did not ask me for my age, better to confirm it with an ID to avoid election fraud, when people ask me, I used to say, "I stopped counting at 30" (now it's 28). It's half-joke, the other half is the truth, people do mistake me to be in my late 20s.
Many #ActuallyAutistics, for some reason, look half their actual age once we enter adulthood. I'm not aware of any scientific explanation regarding this, but it has been observed.
For me, this was not the first time. I was always mistaken to be underage (under 18) until I hit 25-27. It was always funny whenever I was with friends or colleagues because they all reacted. 🤣
It was a 5–10-year gap. Now it's a 20+ year gap. Maybe one day, there will be a 30-year gap with my actual age.
I'd be flattered except that I strongly surmise that it's hurt me in job interviews (among with all my other autistic traits LOL). Hiring a professional woman with 5-10 years experience > hiring a newbie out of college. Guess which one I look like?
Growing up I was called an old soul, nowadays I get told by supposed friends to "grow up". Ppl my own age group likely (erroneously) chalk up social differences (ie flaws in the mask) to age.
@youronlyone@actuallyautistic@actuallyautistics@autistics I experienced to be considered way older when I was a child and teenager (cannot give estimates in years here). Today as an adult people usually hold my age to be 8-15 years younger. This effect vanishes when people know me longer, e. g. former collegues or friends from school.
@youronlyone@actuallyautistic@actuallyautistics@autistics i also look significantly younger than my age. though i think part of the issue is my body type (slim and very short) and that i present somewhat androgynous, and people think that looks childlike. so i don't know how much it is really my face that looks young.
it has been a real bother at some times - i've been mistaken for an intern at my job, thrown out of a bar, and assumed to be my partner's daughter! on the bright side, people are kind to me when i don't know how to perform everyday adult skills. they are probably thinking "well that person is 16...."
@youronlyone@actuallyautistic@actuallyautistics@autistics I used to ride the bus accidentally paying childrens fare (up to 14y old), because I just stated my destination and payed, until I was about 20y old. Got carded for alcohol until my 30s, invited to a 'youth group' when I was 37y old.
My hair is beyond plucking. It was at plucking 20 years ago. I think I went grey early but the pandemic is accelerating it. I looked it up, autoimmune stuff turns your hair gray. So it could be my hypothyroid or it could be a stealth long covid symptom. But my mother always dyed her hair to hide the grey and I swore I wasn't going to worry about it. I've already gotten complimented on my "highlights" (the grey) and been confused!
Oh, but I never tried plucking it, either. I excitedly told someone about my first grey hair, and they said "don't pluck it! Kill one, and a dozen go to its funeral"
@youronlyone@actuallyautistic@actuallyautistics@autistics I have read a study that attributes the youthful look of our autistic faces to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the connective tissues in our faces. We simply have less wrinkles. Of course, not all autistic people have Ehlers-Danlos but many of my friends do. We look young. I am 44 and look like I'm in my late 20's, early 30's, I've been told many times. :ms_neurodiversity:
@MariaTheMartian Ooh! Thank you for sharing. I'll read up on it. Interesting. I'm in my early 40s too and mistaken for late 20s.
If I cut my hair, like army cut, people start to mistake me to be in my early 20s or late teens. 😅 It's why I'm keeping my hair long, because the public treats late teens and early 20s differently for some reason. (I'm fine with late 20s, haha.)
@MariaTheMartian@actuallyautistic@youronlyone@autistics hmm, I don't have EDS (although I only just don't fulfill all diagnostic criteria), but I definitely have connective tissue issues, my stomach and calves are striped with the sub surface scars of connective tissue failing.
I never got pregnant (not possible, unfortunately), and never gained weight very quickly. I used to be hypermobile as a child, and I'm still surprisingly flexible. So yep, maybe… …could be a factor.
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