"I'm so old!" "You're not old!"

[Invisible Chimp]

Here is an example of a conversation that I have been having a lot lately.

ME: I'm so old!

PERSON: You're not old!

ME: I'm older than I look.

PERSON: You're what...24? 25?
(This is after I tell them I'm older than I look)

ME: I just turned 30!

PERSON: No! Really!? You're thirty? You don't look thirty.

What makes it all worth it is the looks, double takes, starts I get when I reveal my real age. If you ever bump into me on the street, I will try to start this conversation. It makes me feel good. Don't feed me. I know 30 isn't really that old. I don't look my age; I don't act my age, but I am starting to feel my age both pop culturally("Nevermind" by Nirvana was released 18 years ago! I remember when I first heard that album like it was yesterday. It changed my life or something) and physically. My job is physical and I have more aches and pains than I used to and get more tired.

[Kyla]

I have that conversation a lot too. I'm also thirty and I look younger than that. I'm also a grad student in a program where I am, well, not the oldest member of my class, but the median age is probably about 25 or 26. So I think everyone assumes I am also about 25.

I just brush it off with "well, I'm really immature, no wonder you didn't realize how old I am!"

The length of time I can remember back is starting to scare me. It's nearly ten years since I graduated from college! Jesus.

[picunurse]

Oh Please.... you aren't even old enough to be president!

[Alienhand]

My birthday is up coming soon, so that conversation in reverse has occurred often recently.

someone: "Hey, Barb said its your birthday soon"
me: "yep"
someone: "How old are you going be?"
me: "27"
(if they are older): "Geez, I thought you were 33, 34...I have socks older than you"
(if they are the same age or younger): "I thought you had like ten years on me"

This has been happening since I was 20. So far it's to my advantage*, but I'm basically screwed in the near future.

So stop your whining.


*Chicks, man.

[Invisible Chimp]

I started a conversation with a coworker, who is 20, with the phrase "When I was your age..." What makes it funnier is that he looks older than he is, I look younger, so we look about the same age.

[olivesmarch4th]

Originally Posted by Ataraxy

I don't act my age, but I am starting to feel my age both pop culturally("Nevermind" by Nirvana was released 18 years ago!

That is a dirty, dirty lie! Why it was as recent as 1991...

While I do look my age, I feel old all of the time. If you are in your twenties and tell anyone over 35 that you're old, they'll laugh hysterically at you. Still, I feel like I've been around for freakin' ever.

[Aspidistra]

Originally Posted by olivesmarch4th

Still, I feel like I've been around for freakin' ever.

:laughs hysterically at olives:

[EvilTOJ]

Originally Posted by Aspidistra

:laughs hysterically at olives:

huh?

[olivesmarch4th]

Originally Posted by Aspidistra

:laughs hysterically at olives:

I get it.

I think it always comes as a bit of a shock, though, when you realize your generation no longer defines what's ''cool.'' Not too long ago my little sis-in-law, who is now 18, attended a concert for a newfangled band she really liked called Jet. I had never heard of Jet.

''There's going to be some other band there called Oasis,'' she said. ''I don't know if they're any good or not.''

I died a little inside.

[Litoris]

What's even better is when people who know -- because you have told them before -- how old you are still insist that you're younger. I will be 37 next month. I neither look nor act my age, and two of my coworkers (one is 27, the other 25, I think) periodically mention things like how weird it is that my daughter is 16 -- I don't seem like the kind of person to have had a kid in high school. I have to remind them that I'm not -- I had her when I was 20 -- and every time, they do the double-take and "holy crap, Litoris, you've told me that before. How old are you again? I keep thinking you're my age or younger!"

On a side note, when my daughter was a newborn (I was 20 at the time), I took her to the mall and some random blue-hair walked up and began lecturing me about how I should stay in school and how it was so sad to see junior high kids with babies. When I told her how old I was, she said, "now, sweetie, I'm not mad at you. Everyone makes mistakes, but don't lie a bout your age!" Ok, grandma....

[3acresandatruck]

Ha, I'm not old, I'm only 53. Of course, I look 63. (It's not the years, it's the mileage...and my buddy says my face looks like I haven't seen a paved road in half a century, heh.) Last time I bought a bottle of wine, the cashier and I got a good laugh as she scrutinized my visage as per her corporate requirements. She had to make sure I looked at least 40, or she'd have to card me. There was no doubt in her mind that I was entitled by my senioritousness to purchase alcohol without producing ID.

[Student Driver]

I'm 34, and while I can see the signs of aging that denote someone indeed in their thirties (wrinkles around the eyes, grey hairs, etc), apparently no one else can; everyone else thinks I'm 7 to 10 years younger. It's kind of flattering, though it's disconcerting when a girl will start flirting with me at school or at a club or something; I tend to attract 21 year old girls who like "older" men... or at least "older" when it means 25 or something. The backpedal that occurs when they find out my real age is a bit disappointing.

[OfficeGirl]

Same thing here. I just turned 31, and most people think I am much younger. I see lots of skeptical glances when they know what I do for a living (museum director).

Then there's the flip side. I was trying to gather some women for a multi-generational round table discussion on farm life, and realized that I no longer represented the younger end of that spectrum. I feel like SUCH a fogey with our high school and college interns. Yesterday I made a reference to tightrolling my jeans and was met with blank looks.

[Kalhoun]

I just took the RealAge.com test. My friend prodded me to take it, and revealed that even though she's 59, her "Real Age" is over 80!

So I took it twice. Once with my 2008 lifestyle and once with my New 2009 lifestyle.

My exercise routine will take 10 years off my "Real Age." I'm very excited about it. If it looks that good on paper, it's gotta feel even better.

The hard part will be ditching the smokes , but maybe I can knock a few more years off my real age.

[Alpine]

I still get treated as a youngster at work, and I'm 39! It doesn't help that I'm 5' tall, but I must look younger to other people. I don't feel younger, and I don't feel like I look young anymore. I guess it's a function of not having kids and being the youngest at the job for so long. (Although that changed recently with a new hire. 30! What a baby!) Government - people stick around for the long haul.

[Khadaji]

When I turned 35 one of the guys at the place I was consulting said: No offense, but you look much older.

I guess I did, since I've been going gray since I was 20, but how do you start a sentence with "no offense" and expect the person to not be offended?

[DianaG]

Heh. I'll be 38 next month. I don't look it. I don't know whether or not I "act" it, I'm not sure what that means. Most days, I don't feel old. But some days...

For me, the thing that is most simultaneously amusing and disturbing is that I'm frequently asked out by guys who are closer to my daughter's age than mine.

Originally Posted by olivesmarch4th

I think it always comes as a bit of a shock, though, when you realize your generation no longer defines what's ''cool.'' Not too long ago my little sis-in-law, who is now 18, attended a concert for a newfangled band she really liked called Jet. I had never heard of Jet.

''There's going to be some other band there called Oasis,'' she said. ''I don't know if they're any good or not.''

I died a little inside.

I can't remember the name of the multi-band tour my daughter went to last year that included Oasis, but pissy divas that they are, they didn't show. She was bummed, she'd been excited to see them. She lists "Wonderwall" as one of the top twenty greatest pop songs of all time. She's seventeen.

[Omega Glory]

Originally Posted by olivesmarch4th

I get it.

I think it always comes as a bit of a shock, though, when you realize your generation no longer defines what's ''cool.'' Not too long ago my little sis-in-law, who is now 18, attended a concert for a newfangled band she really liked called Jet. I had never heard of Jet.

''There's going to be some other band there called Oasis,'' she said. ''I don't know if they're any good or not.''

I died a little inside.

I see the point you're trying to make, but Jet's been popular for a good five or six years.

I know I look younger than I am, but figure that I at least look like an adult. Others disagree. My neighbor's kid's (who's about twelve) friend invited me over to hang out when he saw me in the back yard this summer. A couple of months ago, my family had several relatives come in from out of town. One of them knew my parents had two kids, aged twenty-six and fifteen, but had never seen us before. I was mistaken for the fifteen year old. A few years ago, someone thought I was thirteen, so at least progress is being made.

[Cisco]

I'm 27 and I've already convinced myself that 40 is still young, so I'm safe for awhile.

[Karyn]

I'm 49 and I guess I look younger than I am because people commented on it all the time when I was working, and the first time I posted a picture online people thought I was faking it if I was really the age I say that I am. When I say that I'm retired people assume I must be closer to 60 and really look shocked. Something tells me that I'll get carded when I reach the age to ask for senior discounts. Personally, I look in the mirror at the graying hair and think they're nuts and that it must be a combination of looks and personality that project a younger image to others and not looks alone.

I'm still trying to think of something to say to the OP other than to get off my lawn.

[Moirai]

I am 41 and most people think I am 10 years younger than that.

Thank God.

[RealityChuck]

How anyone in their thirties can even think "I'm so old" is beyond comprehension.

[Jettboy]

I'm 43 and look every bit of 55. Whenever anyone is socially retarded enough to ask my age, I tell 'em that I'm only 22, but I've had one helluva rough life.

[Antinor01]

30 is not old! 30 is young and vibrant!

Now get off my lawn damnit.

Regards,
Russell - who is facing 33 this year.

[glee]

The taxi driver who just dropped me off is 75.
Now that's old.

[Rysto]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How anyone in their thirties can even think "I'm so old" is beyond comprehension.

A couple of months ago, I was talking about my upcoming birthday with my family. I said something to the effect of "23 is a BIG number." My parents were, uh, rather incredulous. My sister, who is 6 years younger than me, backed me up.

So for my birthday, they get me a card that says "Old? You're not old! Hands up everybody who thinks this person is old!" Inside the card is a picture of a bunch of grade schoolers with their hands up. The caption is, "Oh, who listens to them? They eat paste, for cripes' sake!"

I nearly had a heart attack when I read my mom's message at the bottom: "Don't worry, Rysto, 30 will seem a lot bigger." Thanks, mom. My sister wasn't much better: "You're not old, you're just a lot older than me!"

[olivesmarch4th]

Originally Posted by DianaG

Heh. I'll be 38 next month. I don't look it. I don't know whether or not I "act" it, I'm not sure what that means. Most days, I don't feel old. But some days...

For me, the thing that is most simultaneously amusing and disturbing is that I'm frequently asked out by guys who are closer to my daughter's age than mine.


I can't remember the name of the multi-band tour my daughter went to last year that included Oasis, but pissy divas that they are, they didn't show. She was bummed, she'd been excited to see them. She lists "Wonderwall" as one of the top twenty greatest pop songs of all time. She's seventeen.

My sis would agree. She discovered them at that tour. At her graduation she played a 90s mix tape which included all the best songs from this era. That decade had plenty of angst for many future generations and I'm not suggesting otherwise. But C'mon. She didn't even know The Goonies for Og's sake. We're being left behind.

As regards Jet being popular for 5 or 6 years, that just proves how out of touch I am.

I've already lived a long life. I've felt old for a long time. I felt old when I was 18. Perception can be a mighty powerful thing.

[Cisco]

Originally Posted by DianaG

I can't remember the name of the multi-band tour my daughter went to last year that included Oasis, but pissy divas that they are, they didn't show. She was bummed, she'd been excited to see them. She lists "Wonderwall" as one of the top twenty greatest pop songs of all time. She's seventeen.

That's actually not surprising at all. I think you'd have to be 17 to think that .

[LouisB]

I was routinely carded until I was in my thirties; even when I was in my forties, people would guess me five to eight years younger. Once I hit my fifties, it was all over. I suddenly looked my age; nowadays, people think I'm even older than I am. Getting old sucks.

[Pyper]

I am 27, but co-workers frequently mistake me for older. They are quick to assure me it's not my looks, but my air of authority.

[Monstera deliciosa]

I was at a cocktail reception with my husband, and somehow the talk turned to the Vietnam War. The woman who initiated the discussion turned to me, waved her hand dismissively, and said "Of course, it was over before you were born."

I was born in 1960. Saigon fell in 1975. This woman apparently thought that I was about 33 instead of 48. (Or maybe 35 if she was counting from the withdrawal of US troops in 1973).

Yeah, I know, poor me! Well, I usually am pleased when people say I'm young-looking. The thing is, she made me feel like I was projecting immaturity, rather than youthfulness. I'm a middle-aged women, and I have the life experience that goes along with that. If I have to suffer through perimenopause, I'd at least like some of the respect that is supposed to go along with age.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Omega Glory

I see the point you're trying to make, but Jet's been popular for a good five or six years.

Never heard of them, either*. I'm 37 (38 in March).


*I know THE Jets... (o/`You found out...I got a crush on you! o/`), but not Jet.

[salinqmind]

I won't say how old I am, but I am often shocked at how young the celebrities, doctors, and politicians are getting, nowadays!

I think, on a good day, pulling it all together (hair, clothes, makeup) I look MUCH MUCH younger than my real age. On a bad day, looking semi-homeless and in need of a shower to boot, a store clerk asked if I wanted to use my senior discount!

I'm currently in a no-man's-land of being eligible for the senior discount in some stores and restaurants, but not others. The age limit varies. Sometimes they ask me about a senior discount, but not very often. (Must be my young and vibrant appearance!)

[Leiko]

I'm 20 but apparently I've looked older than my age since I was 11 or so. That's when random people started asking me if my cousin, born a month before my 10th birthday, was my son. When I was 14 a guy at a mall kiosk tried to sell me a senior portrait packet. When I was 18, people thought I was in my early to mid-20s.

I only say "I'm so old!" jokingly, when discussing the fact that a guy who was a seventh grader when I was a ninth grader is now in college, or that my cousin will start middle school in a few years. But I do think something is wrong with this world when people born in 1996 can be teenagers. That's just not right!

[Captain Carrot]

My best friend, who is 17, has told me that I'm old, at 20. Gee, thanks, Diana, that'll really help me get over my fixation with my age! (I've been mildly conscious of it for a good ten years, since I'm almost a year older than most people in my grade. Having gotten to college, I've relinquished much of that, but there is still some there.)

[Nobody]

For a long time I looked much younger than I am, although I don't know about now. Once, about 8 years ago or so, when I was around 23 or 24 and I was standing outside of my house, somebody came up to me and asked if my mother was home .

I find it fascinating just how relative age can be. I'm 35, and through most of 30's I've had people in their 40's and older say I'm "Just a kid." Guarantee you nobody who's my age or younger thinks that.

I also find it funny that rockers who are in their 40's, or sometimes even late 30's, are called aging, but Barack Obama is 47 and all I hear about is how young he is.

[Rigamarole]

I've noticed in general, young people like to brag about how old they're getting, and old people like to brag about how young they feel.

[Moirai]

Originally Posted by Nobody

I also find it funny that rockers who are in their 40's, or sometimes even late 30's, are called aging, but Barack Obama is 47 and all I hear about is how young he is.

It's not the age, honey- it's the mileage...

[Omega Glory]

Originally Posted by jayjay

Never heard of them, either*. I'm 37 (38 in March).


*I know THE Jets... (o/`You found out...I got a crush on you! o/`), but not Jet.

You've likely heard one of their songs in the current Budweiser commercial.

I, on the other hand, have never heard of The Jets.

[percypercy]

I'm the youngest of six, so no matter how old I get, 27 now, I will always have brothers and sisters who are older.

I was in Target a few days ago and saw this.

It's apparently the 50th anniversary of the Little People toys for Fisher Price. I loved these things growing up. But I'm not anywhere near 50, and for some reason that struck me.

-Lil

[Nobody]

Originally Posted by EJsGirl

It's not the age, honey- it's the mileage...

True

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Omega Glory

I see the point you're trying to make, but Jet's been popular for a good five or six years.

Jet had one popular song five or six years ago. Not quite the same thing.

I mean, I love "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", but Jet is a one hit wonder that will be long forgotten outside VH1 countdown shows while the Oasis brothers will still be playing shows to aging hipsters.

[Cisco]

Originally Posted by percypercy

I'm the youngest of six, so no matter how old I get, 27 now, I will always have brothers and sisters who are older.

I feel bad for you, in that you haven't yet realized that this isn't necessarily true.

[Omega Glory]

It's not about the staying power of Jet vs. Oasis, but that Jet isn't some newfangled band that no one over 20 would recognize. I haven't been following their career, so I'll concede that they might not be hot, but Olivesmarch's sister in law was at their concert, so they must be doing sometthing.

As an aside, I was suprised to hear that Oasis just released a new album. I figured Noel and Liam had gotten sick of each other and gone their seperate ways years ago.

[Nobody]

Going back to my earlier post, I was watching some show on VH-1, I think it was, and somebody referred to Oasis as the elder statesmen of rock. I looked up the brothers ages. Liam Gallagher is 36 and Noel Gallagher is 41.
Elder?
ELDER?
MOTHER F**KING ELDER?

Sorry about the rant...carry on...

[Caveat lector]

I'm 25 and look a lot younger than I am. I get asked where I'm in school a lot. When I tell them I already have a degree and spent two years teaching school I get a lot of . I then tell them my age and ask how old they thought I was. The answer is usually somewhere between 16 and 18. Of course my students all thought I was at least 35 when they were guessing.

[Captain Carrot]

Originally Posted by Omega Glory

It's not about the staying power of Jet vs. Oasis, but that Jet isn't some newfangled band that no one over 20 would recognize.

I'm 20 and have never heard of Jet. Oasis, yes, I like several of their songs. Especially 'Champagne Supernova'.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Nobody

Going back to my earlier post, I was watching some show on VH-1, I think it was, and somebody referred to Oasis as the elder statesmen of rock. I looked up the brothers ages. Liam Gallagher is 36 and Noel Gallagher is 41.
Elder?
ELDER?
MOTHER F**KING ELDER?

Sorry about the rant...carry on...

Don't think of it as their ages that make them "elderly", but how long they've been making music. Apparently Oasis was one of those groups where the members really were just dumb kids who became rock stars. I always assumed Noel was pushing 50 by now because most rockers don't become famous until their 30s and Oasis has been doing this for over 15 years now.

[grey_ideas]

Originally Posted by Khadaji

When I turned 35 one of the guys at the place I was consulting said: No offense, but you look much older.

I guess I did, since I've been going gray since I was 20, but how do you start a sentence with "no offense" and expect the person to not be offended?

Similar here, I'm 33 but have been going grey since I was 18. For a while I've had what I refer to as "badger stripes" of grey down each side of my head. Thankfully I still have a lot of hair...I can easily end up with the "mad professor" hair if I'm not careful, hence bitching about having to get a haircut every 4 or 5 weeks doesn't go down well with some of my peers who have been rapidly thinning for a while! So I suppose the good thing about having grey hair is that I have grey hair to bitch about

[Zoe]

LouisB: Getting old sucks.

It beats the alternative.

Come on, Louis. You're still in your sixties. I have a friend who just got engaged for the first time in his life in his late sixties. It doesn't have to be a dead end, you know. My best friend is ninety and has more energy and better skin than I do. My ninety-six year old mother wants a new pair of red shoes. She goes to visit her boyfriend once a week. They still adore each other.

Have you just lost interest since you retired?