I could date him
I’ve been mentoring a 17 year-old girl for the past couple of months. We meet weekly at a coffee shop near her high school and work on our writing.
During the first 15 minutes, we gossip. Our recent common denominator is boys. She has her head on straight and knows they are all idiots. She likes it when they call her, but she never holds any hope they will do what they say. She’s classically trained in cautious optimism.
I’m very proud of her.
Today, when she asked about my boyfriend, I told her I dumped him. When she asked why, I kept the details light. “How old was he?” she asked.
“He’s 28,” I replied.
“Wait, how old are YOU?” she asked.
Like most, she didn’t believe I was 40 and told me I looked “maybe” 32 and I acted much younger. This I know and this is the reason I’ve been hooking minnows for the last 10 years.
“He’s 28? Ewww. I could date him,” she concluded after doing some very basic math. “You should be dating older guys.”
The teacher has become the student. There are plenty fish in the sea. I should find one that knows how to swim.