the public face of 40
Boyo counted my gray hairs the other day while i was at the dentist’s office.
i was in the chair, on my back, upside down, and he’s on the end, picking through my hair, going ‘one, twoooo, threeee, foouur, ffffiiiiive…gosh mom! you have lots of gray hairs now! is that because you’re 40?’
(i was making frantic hand gestures to get him to move out of her way–erm…out of my ‘hair’)
the dentist’s assistant had briefly removed her hands from my mouth because she was laughing, so i said ‘no. it’s because my kid counts them loudly in public!’
he said, ‘oh. sorry mom. i’ll stop.’ (‘good’, i thought, ‘your round head is in my light, and i’m sure you’re in her way….’)
*pause* the hygienist goes back to work…and i hear ‘onnnne, twooooo, threeeee, ffffour bags under that eye…’
i swear. i wonder if that kid is gonna make it to 11.