I used to be the youngest one,
the one that was obviously junior
and had to jump and yelled to get noticed
and even more to get her opinion heard.
But youth is so volatile
and in a flash is gone,
nevertheless,
that sensation never went away.
Even as a senior and with years of experiences
I still have to push to get my voice heard.
My age was an obstacle,
for being inexperienced.
Now, older, my age is still an issue.
I am not the "young lady" anymore,
but I am still treated likewise.
I got asked how old are you?
in a professional setting followed by
you can't have all this experience?
you can't be this old...
you can't already have a PhD, etc...
Why is my age wasting our time?
Who cares how old I am?
When your actual age and your appearance turned into an interesting topic?
What is the meaning of this age-related questioning?
If you look younger you will get tested to prove your actual age,
you will get tested to prove your knowledge,
your expertise, your value... you.
