Just a Number

It's funny how when you go to different places, the age cutoff for certain "benefits" so widely varies. To be considered for a kids' meal, you can be 12 and under, 11 and under or 10 and under, etc. To be considered a "senior" it can be 70, 68, 65, 62, 60, 55, or even 50. Why is this all over the board? The kids meals are usually a sweet deal (PUN INTENDED) because often they will include some sort of dessert. So while you are sitting there resisting dessert, your kid is sitting there with a cupcake or ice cream (that's the point when I usually send her off to the bathroom and take a couple bites out of the ice cream and then reform the scoop into a nice round lump... she does check.... I'm pretty sure she's on to me!). What I was wondering... do they ever CARD kids? I know some kid have passports or State ID's, but it's not like you carry them around with you to grab a burger. I always picture an 11-year-old ordering the "circus burger" (example that likely does exist somewhere) off the kids' menu where you must be no older than 10, and the server carefully assessing the child, daring to ask, "Let's see some ID." What would happen then? And most parents have actually gone so far as to INSTRUCT their child (yes, yes.... shockingly enough I have!) to tell the person asking that they are in fact an age younger than what they are. To be honest, that always makes me feel kinda dirty. How is that for an overactive conscience? Here in my house, we file that under the "white lie" category (and we all know those don't count) and get on with our lives. 

Maybe if Congress finds some extra time on its hands, it could regulate senior and kid status so we all know where we stand. If I ever run for office that will be my platform — I'll leave foreign affairs and economic crises to someone else. I might even add a new category ... "Midlife Crisis." That's where I fall, and if you are in that boat, too, you know a little financial discount, just to be recognized, isn't a bad thing. 

Enjoy your day....

Cindy