# I knew I was getting old when... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085 "2007-07-25T14:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/61 "2007-07-27T12:42:01Z")
[QUOTE=e-logic] I was at a boat party on the Thames a couple of weekends ago, and an attractive young lady asked if she could borrow my newspaper. I thought “how nice, maybe she can help me with the crossword”. [/QUOTE] That might be a sign of getting old too. Not only that an attractive woman approaches you and you think immediately of the crossword, but that you were at a party doing a crossword. Everyone knows you play pinochle at parties. Sheesh. [QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Let me make you feel better, I think they were asking you because you just met all these guys tonight. They were being polite, not making you feel old. [/QUOTE] Maybe so. Or maybe he just didn’t feel like sharing. Both perfectly reasonable. But there was something in his tone to suggest that he didn’t want to scandalize the geezer. Maybe I should have signalled my coolness by saying something like, “Hey, don’t bogart that joint.” What? ---
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/62 "2007-07-27T13:51:38Z")
I was driving somewhere with my youngest brother (he’s 18) and he mentioned something about a shopping mall we were passing. I don’t know why I said it but I told him, “I remember when this mall was nothing but woods!” It had nothing to do with the conversation. If that’s not something old people do, I don’t know what is. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/63 "2007-07-27T13:56:50Z")
[QUOTE=Pithy Moniker] I was driving somewhere with my youngest brother (he’s 18) and he mentioned something about a shopping mall we were passing. I don’t know why I said it but I told him, “I remember when this mall was nothing but woods!” It had nothing to do with the conversation. If that’s not something old people do, I don’t know what is. [/QUOTE] I’ve always found that references to fighting the Kaiser tend to get one labelled as Old pretty quickly. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/64 "2007-07-27T14:28:21Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] I’ve always found that references to fighting the Kaiser tend to get one labelled as Old pretty quickly. 😉 [/QUOTE] No, they get one labelled as a pin-headed lackey of that plebian excuse for a news-paper man, Hearst! Any true American patriot would be fighting the d-mned Spaniard! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/65 "2007-07-27T15:30:02Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] No, they get one labelled as a pin-headed lackey of that plebian excuse for a news-paper man, Hearst! Any true American patriot would be fighting the d-mned Spaniard! [/QUOTE] Remember the Maine! ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/66 "2007-07-27T15:44:20Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] Remember the Maine! [/QUOTE] I’m doing well to remember my name! ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/67 "2007-07-28T07:53:41Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] No, they get one labelled as a pin-headed lackey of that plebian excuse for a news-paper man, Hearst! Any true American patriot would be fighting the d-mned Spaniard! [/QUOTE] Some of us are a little preoccupied with events in Zululand at the moment, dear chap- Apparently Chelmsford’s in a spot of bother there and no-one’s heard from the boys at Isandhlwana in a few days now… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/68 "2007-07-28T08:10:53Z")
A couple of years ago we had a friend over for dinner who was 20 at the time; we were 29. After dinner we watched my recently-acquired DVD of _This is Spinal Tap_. She just didn’t get it. “Did bands really used to act like that?” I realized that when Nirvana came along and bands started staring at the floor, she was, like, six. She had never known the dubious joy of true cock rock. About the same time a commercial was playing for a local radio station that said, “It’s not your little sister’s music!” Except it was, in fact, my little sister’s music. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/69 "2007-07-28T23:14:50Z")
I feel old when kids think the first Final Fantasy was somehow numbered VII. ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_on\_the\_River](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@Billy\_on\_the\_River](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_on_the_River)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/70 "2007-07-29T09:49:16Z")
When a co-worker and I were discussing cars, and he had never heard of the Chevy Vega. Also when I was telling this guy about John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” being about when John quit drugs, and he looked at me blankly and said “Lennon did drugs?” Finally, in reference to a previous post about gray nose hair, the first time I saw a gray pubic hair was quite unnerving. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/71 "2007-07-29T10:31:18Z")
[QUOTE=Pithy Moniker] I was driving somewhere with my youngest brother (he’s 18) and he mentioned something about a shopping mall we were passing. I don’t know why I said it but I told him, “I remember when this mall was nothing but woods!” It had nothing to do with the conversation. If that’s not something old people do, I don’t know what is. [/QUOTE] If it helps at all, I do this a lot and I’m still pretty young\*. Especially when it’s me and my nephew or something. I remember telling him how our town wanted a new school really bad, but had to pass the school tax to get more money for it (then the state would chip in so much) and I walked out to the site where they wanted to build it with my teacher. We went to a news thing and held up signs, along with 6 other kids, and then it was built. He didn’t believe me that the athletic complex used to be a cow field, and that the school was a gas station. Brendon Small \*No, that’s not denial. I’m only 21. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/72 "2007-07-29T15:47:48Z")
[QUOTE=Billy on the River] …the first time I saw a gray pubic hair was quite unnerving. [/QUOTE] Well, I hope you didn’t say anything to hurt the poor lady’s feelings. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/73 "2007-07-29T22:18:34Z")
Mine was when I noticed the centerfold in Playboy (read for the articles) was born after I graduated high school. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/74 "2007-07-29T23:37:43Z")
… when I flipped over to the Top 40 radio station and didn’t like anything I heard. … when I was casually flirting with an attractive young woman at work, and during the conversation I discovered that I’m a year older than her mom (for the record, my young coworker is 19, now almost 20, not jailbait). … when, prior to the 2007 season, I was perusing the Seattle Mariners’ 40-man roster and discovered five players who were born after I graduated from high school. … two months from now, when my baby sister turns 30. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/75 "2007-07-30T00:01:37Z")
I just hit “old” the other day when I found myself reading Woman’s Day in the break room and enjoying it more than Cosmo. Yes, “20 tips to speed-clean your place before company arrives” gets my attention more than “20 new ways to tease your man”. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/76 "2007-07-30T00:11:03Z")
When I compare the quality and length of naps with friends. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/77 "2007-07-30T11:14:41Z")
The threshhold of TMI in medical discussions has dropped dramatically. Younger collegues cringe if they forget and mention a medical problem within my earshot. I discuss bodily functions or dysfunctions in public that only a few years ago would have been off limits in a doctor’s office. My younger friends look at me like Nipper when I say I now look for gadgets just for utility. I just want stuff to work. They can’t wrap their minds around me not wanting to spend my time looking for the tweaked-est out computer or phatest MP3 player with radio and recording and… I’m, though, not quite to the point of [this man,](http://www.bangordailynews.com/news/t/city.aspx?articleid=152540&zoneid=176). ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/78 "2007-07-30T12:07:07Z")
In 1991 I was talking to a new employee and mentioned the musical [‘Half a Sixpence’](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Half-Sixpence-Tommy-Steele/dp/B00004CQR9). She asked what a sixpence was. Further investigation proved she had been born after the UK went decimal, meaning she’d never seen [the coin](http://www.predecimal.com/images/1911/sixpence.jpg). For the benefit of young US readers, the UK decimalised in 1971. :eek: I remember not only the sixpence, but the threepenny bit, the half-penny and even the farthing. :smack: I also remember watching England win the Soccer World Cup and hearing JFK had been shot. Soon they’ll be helping me cross the road. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/79 "2007-07-30T16:59:51Z")
When I realized that all pop music sounds the same, and has for a couple of years now. I have visions of me as an old man, talking about Guns ‘N’ Roses and Metallica the same way my parents talk about the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085/80 "2007-07-30T17:21:38Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] So, to sum up, you know you’re getting old when: _a radio station plays a song recorded after you consider the artist to already have been washed up, and they call it an oldie but goodie._ [/QUOTE] For me, the songs I remember reaching #1 on the charts…like Funkytown :eek: …are now played on the Oldies station. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-knew-i-was-getting-old-when/413085.md?page=5)