I was never there, I only read the book, I only saw the film

[sovay]

A double-header at this afternoon's medical appointment: the tech not only expressed surprise at my calendar age, but assumed from my voice that I was either foreign-born or had spent significant time out of the country, specifically she thought in the UK. Given the current climate, I should be clear that she was curious, not hostile; one of her children had been a staffer in the Obama administration and two others had been some kind of federal employee and she had considerable feelings on subjects from vaccines to tanks. But after I had gone through the standard litany clarifying the rather pathetic fact that I have lived my entire life in New England and the Boston area for most of it, she still thought I sounded British. "You should go over there. You'd blend right in." She herself had an old-school Boston accent. "People from anywhere, they can tell where I'm from." I am not good at other people's ages, but I don't believe that I look younger than my early forties, especially after the last few ravaging years, and I expect to be heard as American by anyone who actually has one or more of the plethora of accents on offer in the UK. Weirdest instance of trying to place my voice remains the time I was told by a very drunk Australian that I sounded like a Norwegian. Someday the question of my vocal origins will come around again because it has been doing so since my childhood and I will answer "Lisson Grove" just to see what happens.

Comments

[thawrecka]

To me you look very young for your age in pictures, but I'm Australian so my perspective of age is probably skewed. You could definitely pass for 30s here.

[sovay]

To me you look very young for your age in pictures, but I'm Australian so my perspective of age is probably skewed. You could definitely pass for 30s here.

I feel that I look very different from my thirties, mostly in terms of massive wear and tear, and it feels strange for others not to see it even when they have no reason to, e.g. a random medical technician who has never met me before in their life. It isn't as though I have ever done anything to take care of my appearance other than make sure not to be allergic to my soap. I do trust what you are saying. I have to ask about the difference in Australian perceptions of age, though, assuming it isn't rude.

[thawrecka]

We expect a lot more sun damage (both lines on the face and sagging). I think I'd be mistaken for 20 years older in North America these days.

[sovay]

We expect a lot more sun damage (both lines on the face and sagging). I think I'd be mistaken for 20 years older in North America these days.

Check. I don't think I have ever seen a picture of you, so cannot give my opinion from North America, whatever it would be minimally worth.