Being Carded in Missouri

Columbia is a university town, and as such, establishments are particularly strict when it comes to selling alcohol to minors. When you enter a club, everyone is carded, regardless of how old you look. So, it's not particularly flattering when they ask for my ID when I go to a bar or club, since that's just standard operating procedure. A few days ago, however, being carded felt a bit different.

Fil, Biljana, Maria Ines and I went to Walmart to get some groceries. As Fil was checking out her purchases, the woman asked for all our IDs since Fil got a bottle of wine. I handed over my ID, and a look of shock came over the woman's face. "Oh my," she said with some surprise, upon seeing my year of birth. "You don't look like you're a day over 21!" I told her not to announce my age to everyone (she looked surprised enough to broadcast it to the whole checkout counter of Walmart), since even my friends don't know exactly how old I am. (Keeping my age secret is my neurosis, so sue me.) On one hand, I felt flattered that she thought I looked that young. On the other hand, it was not a pleasant feeling to have people sound as if your age is so advanced that it's unfathomable (I exaggerate, but you get the point).