When you finally get that question.....

For me the question happened today when I took my wife to a buffet across the street.

Do you want the senior discount?

I turned 60 in August and this is the first time I ever got asked that question! (I said yes please, lol)

So what other questions are funny/sad?

I started a family later in life. On the first day of kindergarten. "Are you <insert daughter’s name here> grandfather?

Your wife is so pretty!??

In other words how did you con that gorgeous babe into marrying you!

I’ve gotten the senior discount question for several years now. It no longer bothers me. I might as well get what I can.

It’s also a bit of a get out of jail card, so to speak. Need help moving? Sorry. Too old for that kind of thing.

My kid is mixed racial, and I’m white, so we look different. I used to get, “Are you the babysitter?”

There are certain questions that are just wrong. Are you the babysitter is certainly one. Are you pregnant is up there. People need to know when to shut up.

Opposite mabye… I was carded at the liquor store well into my 30s, even after a fair bit of grey in my hair.

I was carded at a rated movie when I was 17 years old on a date.

My wife gets that a lot. Our kids are mixed but they look more white than Japanese. There are lots of Philipina babysitters here in Toronto so my wife will often get asked the “Are you the mother?” question. Imagine how ridiculous that would sound if you asked a white mother with a white child that question.

I wouldn’t ask that even if the woman was wearing one of those t-shirts that have an arrow pointing towards the baby with some smart remark. You just never know.

Go to dinner after 4PM and maybe you won’t get that question!

That was funny.

Same, when our kids were little. Usually the anecdote was preceded by: “I wanted to hit this lady when I was running an errand this morning”.

Why would you ask that question about parenthood? What if the answer is no, I’m the baby-sitter or I’m the aunt? What difference does it make?

I was at the liquor store and for some reason I pulled out my driver’s license absent-mindedly instead of my credit card. The woman was like “Yeah I don’t need to see that”. Thanks.

Same. Just not worth it. I assume tumor unless told otherwise. My wife carried her weight funny after our daughter (gym 6 days a week this year has helped that, proud of her but she is crazy). At one point my aunt and my cousin both asked her within a week of each other. That was a fun evening for me… Those were particularly bad because they would be some of the first to know if we were expecting baby 2.

As for the topic as it relates to me, not a question per se, but people just assume I’m Jewish. Maybe because I have a name that ends in -man and work in finance or something. I’m Lebanese so it’s not like my people are that far removed genetically from Israelis. I had a guy describe a restaurant suggestion to me and threw in the fact that it was kosher. Good to know! I’ll tell my Jewish friends I guess!

I’ve been carded, multiple times, buying R-rated movies at Walmart, and only Walmart. My little sister, 10 years younger than me, nope.

Here’s one I used to get a lot when I was younger.

What are you?

I was in a restaurant when a server actually argued with my mother that she was not, in fact, my mother… when I was in 20s. She just didn’t believe her and for some reason felt now was the time to express that opinion.

I’ve been out with my mom and my kids and she’s been assumes to be my spouse. I’d estimate it’s 33% a compliment to her and the balance is my premature aging via web development life.

A dear friend of mine, of mixed Puerto Rican/Italian/Russian Jewish stock, gets that semi-regularly. Probably about once a year, on average. And plenty more looks that communicate the same sentiment silently.

It’s wildly offensive :(