I wonder how old I have to get, before people stop telling me I’m “so young” and giving me unsolicited advice about how I should handle the world?

I wonder how old I have to get, before people stop treating me like an ignorant child who needs to be corrected?

I wonder how old I have to get, before being taken seriously becomes a reasonable expectation?

I wonder how old I have to get, before my intellect elicits respect rather than intimidation, before my skills are deemed valuable rather than threatening?

I wonder why, at 33 years old with a master’s degree, I’m still being treated like a disobedient high schooler, because I deign to ask questions and have ideas rather than duck my head down and mutely comply. What is the age at which people will finally stop dismissing me? Is it 40? Please tell me it’s 40. That doesn’t feel too far off.