# I'm too young to forget how old I am! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019 "2005-07-11T17:03:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/1 "2005-07-11T17:03:40Z")
Something happened to me after my last birthday. Once I turned . . . lessee, 2005 minus 1981 is 24, minus one 'cuz my birthday isn’t 'till September . . . 23, I lost the ability to remember my age. For the past year, I am either 22 or 23, but I have to do the math every time before I know which it is. Apparently, all I can remember is that I’m past the legal drinking age; after that, who cares? I wish I had been born a year earlier - then at least I’d have a nice round number to work with. As it is, I may just start lying about my age a little earlier than normal to save myself the headache, or tell my boyfriend the math whiz that from now on, it’s his job to keep track of it. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/2 "2005-07-11T17:07:49Z")
Every time I start to remember how old I am, it changes on me! ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/3 "2005-07-11T17:08:03Z")
i was filling out an internet form once when i was 21. it was a fancy one that would update your birthyear to match the inputted age, and vice versa. i spent several minutes cursing the html designer for being an idiot as every time i would input my age (22) it would change my birthyear, and then i’d change my birthyear and it would change my age. when it finally sunk in that i had been telling people i was 22 for almost 6 months and i was actually only 21 i laughed pretty fricking hard. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/4 "2005-07-11T17:10:33Z")
I’m at a nice round-number age–I’ll be 30 in December. I’m hyper-aware of it, of course, but I noticed that I had a hard time keeping track of my age in my 20’s. My mother had a harder time. If you ask her how old I am, she will automatically say “Twenty-four.” She’s been doing this since I turned twenty-one. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/5 "2005-07-11T18:04:27Z")
> [@Heart On My Sleeve](#): > > Every time I start to remember how old I am, it changes on me! Mine does that, too. Why does it have to _do_ that? I have had trouble remembering my age from a younger age than you do. I was at a doctor’s office once, and they asked how old I was. I said “Twel- no, fifteen”. This year, I can remember, because I am 30 :eek: It’s only a number, it’s only a number… > [@The Weird One](#): > > I may just start lying about my age a little earlier than normal to save myself the headache, or tell my boyfriend the math whiz that from now on, it’s his job to keep track of it. That’s been my plan ever since I started having trouble remembering how old I am. I just don’t care enough to do the math. ---
**Author:** ![serious\_lark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@serious\_lark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/serious_lark)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/6 "2005-07-11T20:35:30Z")
I think one’s age becomes less significant past 21 - you get all the privileges (and responsibilities) of adulthood at that point. The decade years (30, 40, etc.) tend to bring a twinge or two, but aside from that, who cares if you are 23 or 34? well, for the most part, anyway … ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/7 "2005-07-11T20:47:55Z")
I remember being afraid that someone was going to show up at my door on my 25th birthday and tell me that I had to decide what to do with my life. I’m greatly relieved that didn’t happen … but I’m a little worried that somebody might come visit in December and say “So, you’re 30 now–no more fun allowed.” **Anne** , tell me that’s not true. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/8 "2005-07-11T20:55:24Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I remember being afraid that someone was going to show up at my door on my 25th birthday and tell me that I had to decide what to do with my life. I’m greatly relieved that didn’t happen … but I’m a little worried that somebody might come visit in December and say “So, you’re 30 now–no more fun allowed.” > > **Anne** , tell me that’s not true. 🙂 Hasn’t happened yet, and it’s been nearly 6 months since I turned 30. I’m still playing computer games and laughing at poo jokes. Nobody’s told me I have to decide what to do with my life, either **whew** ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/9 "2005-07-11T21:09:37Z")
For a couple of years in my late 20s my two business partners were a year older than I was. For several years when asked my age I would always answer a year older and then correct myself. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/10 "2005-07-11T21:12:31Z")
Luckily, I was born in 80, so it’s just a matter of counting in tens. Like the metric system. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/11 "2005-07-11T21:30:43Z")
> [@serious lark](#): > > I think one’s age becomes less significant past 21 - you get all the privileges (and responsibilities) of adulthood at that point. The decade years (30, 40, etc.) tend to bring a twinge or two, but aside from that, who cares if you are 23 or 34? > > well, for the most part, anyway … That’s my [del]excuse[/del] theory too. After you get to 21 and the alcohol, who really cares to keep track. You’ve passed the last year of any importance. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/12 "2005-07-11T21:35:34Z")
You’re never too young to start fogetting your age. I’m fif-no-sixteen and it takes me a couple seconds to think of my age when asked unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/13 "2005-07-11T21:51:10Z")
December 22, 1980. I was sitting by the pool of my hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, when it suddenly dawned on me that my 32nd birthday had happened 3 days prior and I was totally unaware of it. I started feeling a little old that day… ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/14 "2005-07-11T22:15:12Z")
I don’t usually have difficulty recalling my own age, but for some reason it’s far easier for me to remember the year other people were born than it is for me to remember their age. I think, “Dad was born in 1952, and Mom was born in 1954, so that makes them…Mr. Levins was born in 1970, so he’s now…” I do this with almost everyone I know. Have no clue why doing this math is somehow easier than just remembering how old they are. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/15 "2005-07-12T12:12:43Z")
> [@Audrey Levins](#): > > I don’t usually have difficulty recalling my own age, but for some reason it’s far easier for me to remember the year other people were born than it is for me to remember their age. > > I think, “Dad was born in 1952, and Mom was born in 1954, so that makes them…Mr. Levins was born in 1970, so he’s now…” > > I do this with almost everyone I know. Have no clue why doing this math is somehow easier than just remembering how old they are. makes sense, actually. using your method you are only required to remember one constant number for each person, which you can then calculate fairly easily on the fly, rather than knowing everyone’s current and ever changing age. i read a book once called _Mechanism of Mind_ (author’s name slips me, sorry) which theorized that the brain is incapable of replacing any one piece of memory with another. if that’s true, your method seems much more efficient in terms of capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/16 "2005-07-12T13:02:39Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > i read a book once called _Mechanism of Mind_ (author’s name slips me, sorry) I found this highly amusing. But I haven’t finished my coffee yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/17 "2005-07-12T13:41:48Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Hasn’t happened yet, and it’s been nearly 6 months since I turned 30. I’m still playing computer games and laughing at poo jokes. > > Nobody’s told me I have to decide what to do with my life, either **whew** Glad to hear it, cause I’m turning 30 in November. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/18 "2005-07-12T14:00:51Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I found this highly amusing. But I haven’t finished my coffee yet. 🙂 lol i read it over 10 years ago, cut me some slack. incidentally, his name is edward de bono [amazon link](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140137874/qid=1121177795/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/002-0155272-4384817?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-too-young-to-forget-how-old-i-am/312019/19 "2005-07-12T16:32:26Z")
I forget my age all the time. I was born in Sept of '79, so I guess that makes me 25 but I had to think about it. It just gets less important I think. I also forgot my home phone number once while I was at the library when I was a teen. Everyone laughed, but seriously I always called _from_ there not _to_ there! :smack: