Guess Kim's Age

When it comes to height, not everyone in this world is evenly blessed. The rest of my family falls into the 5'5"-5'10" range of average or tall. Not me. I'm the Wilson anomoly.
Measuring in at barely 5'0 (5' 1/8" on a good day), I have a disturbing ability to fit into clothing from the "Misses" section at the department stores. I can remember growing up how much I hated our regular height-measuring sessions. Dad used to get out a level (we have to be absolutely precise on such important measurements!) and measure to see how tall we were growing. Then, he would mark a line on the wall, indicating our height. The first few times I dashed over with my siblings, excitedly demanding that Dad check my height too. It didn't take long for me to lose my enthusiasm for this ritual. You can only measure so many times how much you haven't grown before it gets really monotonous.
Not only am I short, but I have the baby face to fit my height. When I was a kid, one of my favorite games to play with visitors was "Guess Kim's Age." Suffice it to say, we had a lot of very embarrased guests by the end of that game. In my defense, I had to do something to ease the annoyance of being constantly mistaken for Becca's younger sister.
Well, eventually I grew up, but I didn't grow taller. The funny thing about getting older is that I find myself initiating the "Guess Kim's Age" game less and less. I don't have too. People everywhere take the initiative to bumble my age without my having to worry about encouraging it on. I've had a few good laughs over some of my favorite responses to "Guess Kim's Age." Here are just some of the memorable age guesses I have received over the years:

1. At Excalibur, the hotel we stayed at in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving break, we decided to check out the weight room one morning. My dad, my fifteen-year-old sister, Heather, and I headed down to see what they had. At the front desk, we asked about the weight room. The lady at the desk began rattling off "The weight room costs $20, and you have to be at least eighteen years-old, so these two couldn't go."

2. At the beginning of November I went to the polls to vote in our local election. When I stepped up to the booth and told them my name, the lady at the desk said. "You don't look old enough to vote!"

3. On my mission, in one of my areas my companion and I went to the hospital to ask about volunteering as clergy there. The lady at the desk peered down her nose at us and then said "Now, you understand there is an age requirement for this." A little surprised I answered "No, I didn't realize that." She looked back at me. "How old are you?" she inquired. "I'm twenty-one," I replied. Suddenly she looked very uncomfortable. "Really?" she asked, confused. "I thought you were thirteen."

4. Also on the mission one time I slipped out the driver's side of our car, only to have an old man ask me "Can you even see to drive that car?" After I assured him that I could, he muttered "I swear they get younger all the time!"

5. Yet another time on the mission, my companion and I got invited in to talk to a house full of creepy older men. We were attempting to testify to them when one of them interrupted (much to my companion's chagrin) "Are you a mother-daughter combination?" Later on, they asked if I was thirteen.

6. (This one isn't a mistake about my age, but it's such a funny illustration of my youthful looks that I'm including it anyway.) During the summer my ward had a video scavenger hunt. One of the things we were supposed to video-tape was a cross-dresser. Somehow I got elected to perform for this one, but my group decided it wasn't good enough to have me dress up like a man. Because of my height and looks, they insisted I dress as a little boy. The most tragic part is that I actually fit the clothes from the little boy's section. Complete with wrestling T-shirt, cargo shorts, and Spiderman backpack, I fit the part. Too bad I forgot to bring my still camera.

7. When I finished my mission, Mom and Janel were gracious enough to come pick me up at the mission home. Later Janel confided to me that she hadn't recognized me when she first opened the door. "You look older now," she told me. "You actually look like you're seventeen now instead of thirteen!"