In your mind, you are a successful, competent, and mature adult.

giphy.com

But in the eyes of the American public, you are a helpless infant that has wandered out of daycare.

giphy.com

Trying to casually ordering a drink with dinner? Forget it. You’ll be carded until you’re thirty.

giphy.com

Going to an R-rated movie? Doesn’t matter if you’re well into your twenties— you know you’ll need that I.D. on hand.

giphy.com

Trying to buy a copy of Pulp Fiction from the five dollar bin? Think again, baby face.

giphy.com

And, when you present your I.D. you’re ready for that look of skepticism from the cashier. It’s not a fake— it’s the result of waiting in line at the DMV for five hours. And it’s still not enough to conquer the baby face.

giphy.com

You’ll hear people tell you how much you’ll love your baby face when you’re older.

giphy.com

You’ll hear it until you’re ready to punch people in their face.

giphy.com

You might not get wrinkles as quickly, and you’ll probably look like the youngest person in line for the senior discount at the movies.

giphy.com

But for the remainder of your young adult life, you’ll be sitting at the universe’s kids’ table.

giphy.com

Forget romantic meet-cutes, that handsome stranger on the train just thinks you look like jail bait.

giphy.com

You know you look young. But you have options. You can rage at the condescension of society like a smol, righteous ball of concentrated fury.

giphy.com

Or you can keep wearing the whimsical, colorful clothes you like (even though they make you look even younger). You can keep forgoing makeup (even though a little eyeliner can help you avoid being carded again).

giphy.com

You can fight the baby face, or you can own it.

giphy.com