Oh, to be young...

...and to dress like you're forty. Well, thirty, more like; not even the forty year-olds dress like they're forty. But more on that in a bit.

["And on the seventh day...", this little Piggie roamed far from home and upon returning, was utterly pooped in a way that did not inspire wit. She then watched American Dad! before retiring. This is Day 8.]

I go to the mall a lot (actually, I go to the same mall a lot), and one thing I've noticed is that young girls tend to dress older than they really are. May they be 12, 10, or even six, they, or rather, their parents, dress them up like little streetwalkers tarts.

Some even put make-up on their children. As if dressing them in halters, minis, or hot pants isn't enough, they have to plug up all their pores up as well.

[And these kids eventually grow up to have perfect complexion. Sins of the parents, my ass.]

And it's not only children who are affected. Teenagers (though in this instance I can't blame their parents anymore) below 18 dress as if they're in their 20s or 30s.

I don't get it, this rush to look older than you actually are. I mean, it's not like you won't get there if you don't make an effort. I could sleep for twenty years and I'd still get there, and for far less effort, too.

The lure of adulthood is certainly present. You have the get-out-of-school card, finally high-tailing it out of your parents', the getting-paid schtick, and according to Pitbull and every other rapper, the badonkadonk part...

I know I felt the same way (not about donks, though), when I was smaller. I couldn't wait to finish high school, go to college, go to university... and that's about it. Seems back then my inclinations were more academic than anything else, but hey, a PhD's bar none, right?

But I really don't see the big deal (nor compliment) in achieving maturity, fiscal or otherwise, especially for one so young.

For one thing, being mature means being financially secure, buying your own house, your own car, etc. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not born rich. If I buy a house or a car, I'll need to get a loan, and with a loan, there'll be interest, which leads to additional expenses on my part. Why bother with all of that when you can stay at your parents', use their car, and in turn get free room, board and transportation? The older you get, the more pressure you'll feel to move out and start a life full of responsibilities (read: doing everything) on your own.

Also, the older you get, the flabbier you become, and the more everything starts to droop. Yes, droop.

"There's cosmetic surgery!" you might say. Yeah. Even if you put in collagen or botox or butt fat in your lips and face, it still won't be as good as when your face isn't losing the war with gravity. And with work done, in the end your entire face is gonna be puffed up like a balloon, and it will stay puffed up, because without all that synthetic material / air, every malleable bit of skin on your face is making a beeline south of the border.

That's why we see many aunties with tightly-taut faces, full lips only achievable by some form of pumping, and beady cat-eyes.

In the few moments where I'm interested enough in the human condition to observe my surroundings, I find it ironic to see 14 year-old girls dress and look 10 years-older, and on the other side, 41 year-old women dress 20 years-younger.

Case in point: there's this lady I always see in Gurney Plaza, probably forty-ish, judging by the work done on her face. In comparison, she's like an over-done Meg Ryan. She's usually in six-inch heels, tight jeans, low-cut top, blacked hair. That may sound okay to you so far, because I haven't yet thrown in the swollen lips, generous cleavage (too much for a woman her age!) and muffin-top.

I also haven't thrown in her son yet, whom she's generally out and about with. If not for the fact that he was quite pointedly ignoring her (and seem rather disgruntled that he's hanging out with a parent rather than with people his own age), I would've thought that she was a cougar and he was her lover-boy.

But no. I know that they're family (and not... ya know... ew) because I've seen her husband. He doesn't look too old, but I have no complaints about the way he looks.

[I digress.]

Being older means having to settle down and start a family. I don't profess to have an active social life (it's not even passive, either), but I'm too busy enjoying life and work (yes, work!) and time itself to worry about and having to care for others. I've seen people get married, and having to juggle work and love life and marriage so that they won't be too old to give birth. Ugh. I've seen them wanting to be more work-inclined (deadlines, etc.), but only narrowly deliver because F A M I L Y.

But I'm veering off-track here; marriage and family will be discussed in another post.

The point is, these days, kids are maturing faster and adults are regressing faster. Myself, I've always dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, and I have China doll hair because there will be a time when my face and/or body won't be able to match what it is I want to wear. My point is that people should dress their age, and for those older (and hopefully wiser) than us, please wear something age-appropriate.

I don't want to have to see your stomach flabs and stretch-marked torso while I'm eating thankyou.