Beyond My Years

When I was four, my mom worked at a toy store. My sister and I would go to the store with her all the time, playing with the toys that were set out on the tables to distract young children while their parents shopped.

I distinctly remember one time, a woman came into the store and asked me how old I was. I lied and told her I was six.

Most of my early childhood, I felt like I needed to be older than I actually was. Not that I was in a hurry to grow up or anything, but it always felt like the older you were, the more likely you were to be taken seriously. And I always felt more mature than a lot of people my age anyway. And it's just a number, so what does it hurt?

Actual age six (the date on the pic is wrong). My dad knocked the mirror off his Firebird while backing out of the garage, and he thought it would be hilarious to make it look like I did it.

As an adult, I still find myself wanting to lie about my age. But while most adults seem to want to be younger than they are ... more often than not, I find myself lying and saying I'm older than I am. In my experience, people don't want to hear how young you are. And I still feel like — especially in business — that the older you are, the more your opinions and suggestions are taken seriously. Almost as if you're worthy of more respect because of something completely beyond your control.

So I think I need to start telling people I'm 56.

Do you ever lie about your age? What is your motivation?