scares children

The other thing I learned from my visit to the public library yesterday is that I have evolved to the state where now I frighten small children.

What is it about me that does this? How should I know? Perhaps it is the sight of a large elderly man, face obscured by mask, beard, glasses, and hat, clumping slowly along with a cane.

All I know for sure is the manner in which the small children skitter nervously away.

And to think that once I was a small child myself. Well, that was a long time ago. But it cuts. Even in mid-adulthood, playing with small children was a joy - I remember play sessions with a 4-year-old, doing her parents the favor of getting her out of their hair, and that must have been 15 years ago because now she's 19 - but I may be more cautious about such sessions in the future, especially so long as masks are on.