22 months.

Consciously attempting to give someone “I’m married” vibes is not something I am used to having to do.

After all, I have so forgettable of a face that even people who are “good with faces” have a hard time remembering meeting me the first time.

But a couple of months ago, there was I minding my own business at Starbucks during my lunch break, reading a book on how to read people, when a college-aged looking girl asked me to watch her laptop while she went to the restroom.

When she returned, with a deadpan delivery, I said something like, “Your laptop is still there, so I must have intimidated any potential laptop thieves.”

That was just my non-boring way of relieving my job duties now that she had returned. But maybe it sent a different message?

Barely a minute later, she dropped her pen, which happened to roll to my direction. So of course, I picked up it and handed it to her, barely even looking her in the eyes, as to make the favor as generic as possible.

Then she started asking questions, like if I was also a student. The thought of someone mistaking me for a 22 year-old caught me off guard. After all, when I turned 22, the year was 2003!

By this point, I knew officially that I needed to bring my left hand to my chin, as to flash my wedding ring to her like a Batman signal. To no avail.

The questions kept coming and she ended up asking me what I did for a living. Sure, I have a day job, but I felt it necessary to go  ahead and cut straight to the chase:

“I write a daily blog column for a magazine’s website. It’s called Parents magazine.”

From there, I was able to throw in a “my wife and I” in conjunction to my son.

Whew. It was a relief to finally make that message clear: I’m married.

I was caught off-guard that day. I didn’t want to let the mystery continue for any longer than it needed to. At the same time though, I didn’t want to be rude to the nice and seemingly innocent girl.

It’s a delicate balance of being both direct and subtle in a case like this.

Personally, I don’t expect this to happen again anytime soon. Who knows? Maybe when I’m 42, someone will think I’m 31.

And if that’s the case, I’ll do the classic “left hand to the chin” move, followed by a “my wife and I.”

If that doesn’t work, I think I’ll just pick up my phone and casually give my wife a call right then and there.

Being flattered by a curious stranger who thinks I’m single; well, it does me no good.

There’s nothing good that can come out of me allowing myself to think for a second, “Man, I still got it. This chick digs me.”

That’s one of the many reasons I wear my wedding ring; especially when my wife and son aren’t around.

It’s an instant reminder, as if I needed it, that I already have a beautiful girl who digs me, and I’ve been married to her for over 4 years.

These days, it’s not always enough to give “I’m married” vibes.

Sometimes you have to give the “I’m happily married” vibes instead.