Hooters

I recently celebrated my 36th birthday.

When I tell people I'm 36, a lot of people say, you don't seem to be 36, which I'm not sure what that means.  I'm not sure if it means they think I look younger than 36, or I look older than 36, or I act younger than 36, or I act older than 36. I have been told I'm pretty youthful, which, I think just means I still act immature a lot of the time.  

I'm 36 years old, but my 8-year-old informed me the other day that I'm actually 52 years old.  Because, as the 8-year-old pointed out, when my mom was born 52 years ago, she was born with all the eggs she would ever have, therefore, when I was born, the cells from which I was created were as old as my mother, and therefore, I am 52 years old.

I've actually come a long way since I was young and immature.  For example, when I was 18 years old, I got a job at Hooters.

That's not a joke, that's true.  

So...I was straight outta high school and I moved across the country to go to theater school in NYC.  Which, I really moved across the country to get away from my parents so I could do whatever I wanted without them knowing, because this was before Facebook and Instagram, and hieroglyphs, because, like I already said, I'm 52 years old.

So, I was living on my own for the first time, and I was a poor college student in NYC, and I had a friend named Sondra who worked at Hooters.  So it's a long story...no, well, that's pretty much the whole story.  

She told me to apply and I got a waitressing job.  At Hooters.  Which, obviously the Hoot-o-Meter wasn't working that day.  So they let me in.  And the Hooter's boss must have obviously seen past my outside appearance.  I'm sure he could see that I had a really big...heart.  And really perky...attitude.  And a really firm...resolve.

But you know, if anything, this story is so show that, whatever it is that you think you can't do...yes you can!  You don't have to be Dolly or Pamela or Kaitlyn.  You can look like me and still work at Hooters!  

So, go!  Live your dream!  And aim high, my friends, aim high.

But, you know it took me a long time to get where I am with all that.  Up until this point I haven't wanted to talk about my job at Hooter's very much.  You know, because I wasn't proud of it.  But then I thought, you know what?  F that!

(F means "forget" btw.)

I thought F that!  I am proud, because #1) every experience I’ve had taught me and made me who I am, #2) I love my body the that way it is!, and it's taken me a long time to get to this place of love for myself, and #3) because now, at 36 years old I can look back at that 18-year-old Hooters girl and say, "Oh, honey.  Just wait 'til you're 52..."