We all know at least one.
The person who tells you breathlessly that the people at work -- or church -- or the club -- think she is younger than she is. "They all say: 'I don't look my age."
It is, of course, a transparent absurdity. We all look the age we are -- because that is how old we are.
I suspect that the "compliment" is not often offered in the tropics.
The combination of heat and humidity is death to man-made structures -- and to nature's bounty.
That thought hit me as I was returning from the local fruit seller earlier this week.
I had purchased a small hand of bananas.
I should pause right here. When I say "bananas," you should completely forget about the Cavendish bananas you will find at Safeway.
The Cavendish is the world-wide standard banana since the 1950s for its uniformity, size, and alleged disease-resistance. It turns out, though, it is not disease resistant, and will remain as the standard banana for probably no more than another decade or so.
The Cavendish also travels well with its thick skin -- not unlike the best type of tourist.
The down side of the Cavendish is that it is not very tasty. It is uniform, but bland. Like the worst type of tourist.
Mexico offers a large variety of bananas. Usually smaller than a Cavendish, but much sweeter, softer, and thin-skinned.
Back to that hand of bananas.
I picked bananas that still had a touch of green, but were solid and yellow. But by the time I got them back to the house, three of them had already gone bad in the heat. By that evening, you see what the remainder looked like at the top of this post.
I have quickly learned that almost anything I purchase here needs to be used within a day or two of getting it home. If I don't, it will simply go bad like an unruly teenager. That has been true with lunch meat, chicken breasts, mangoes, pineapple -- and now, bananas.
And I doubt anyone is going to tell one of my bananas: "You certainly don't look your age."
But for a little age humor, I found this Groucho Marx-Jack Benny clip. Enjoy: