A Friendly Suggestion

On Saturday night, I went to a party with some friends. I ended up sitting next to a girl I didn't know, and we proceeded to engage in the usual kinds of small talk. I told her that I had just moved to Nashville, and she wanted to know how I liked it, etc. Here's a sampling of our conversation: Me: So far, I like Nashville a lot. Plus, I think I needed a change of scenery. New Girl (or NG from here on out): Yeah, I can understand that. Sometimes you really need some space after you graduate college. Me: Actually, I didn't just graduate college. I'm 27, so I've been out of school for awhile. NG: Oh, wow. I mean, wow. I had no idea you were any older than 23. Me: No worries, I get that a lot - mostly from bartenders who seem to think I'm using a fake id. NG: Well, don't you ever let anyone make you feel old...27 isn't really that old...really. Oh, new girl, I don't think that was the best way to minimize our age difference. I can honestly say that I wasn't concerned about being 27 before that moment. For future reference, if you don't want someone to feel old, don't tell them not to feel old in the course of a conversation that does not involve some sort of drunken, birthday-related crying along the lines of "I'm ancient now!" In most situation, if no one else has used the o-word, it's best not to be the one to bring it up. Trust me on this.