I reaaaaally don’t want to do this. Even on my 34th birthday, I still felt like I could call myself “young.” Very soon I’ll be closer to 40 than 30, and as silly and superficial as it sounds, I don’t want to be that old yet. Yet tomorrow, I will be outside the most highly sought-after market of 18-34 year olds.
There are so many things I thought I would’ve accomplished by now. Graduated college (will do so around the end of next year), have gotten married (still looking for Ms. Right), and have been a homeowner. I’m not grown up yet. My age does not reflect where I am in life right now.
I’m sure a few 50- or 60-somethings will look at this OP and get a good chuckle, and I know I’ll be chuckling as well when I’m your age. But right now, this seems too real, and I’m aging faster than I’m accomplishing things.
Is there any way I can bargain for just another couple of weeks of being not-35?
I turned 35 a few days ago. My parents didn’t send me any money as a birthday gift, just a text message. It’s the first time this has happened. I was wondering when the time would come.
Well, here we are. I guess I’m officially old now.
Agent, I’m about six months behind you, and feel the exact same way. Was recently at a get-together with a bunch of old friends; I was the only one among them who wasn’t a college-graduated, child and spouse-having homeowner.
I’m exactly 3 months older than you. I guess I’m “lucky” because everything past 30 has sucked so far so it didn’t even occur to me that 35 might be worse.
Well, they know that I don’t pick up the phone on my birthday. I freaking hate birthdays. “Yay, you’re even older!” Yeah, thanks a lot, that’s exactly what I’m trying to forget.
There’s one good thing, though, about being 35 and not having the house, the wife and the kids. If things had gone a bit differently, I could so easily have ended up having those within the past few years. But I didn’t.
And it’s such a relief!
Now I’m old enough to know that no, I really don’t want that, I will never have it, and if I had, knowing myself, things would have been so unspeakably much worse than they are.
It’s not all good, though. The career and money situation is a different story. Yeah, I would have taken all that. I really would.
I have to say that all in all, 35 feels a lot like the way I thought 30 was supposed to. I breezed past 30. Didn’t bother me one bit. But 35? Yeah, there’s some panic going on. I need to get my shit together, or else. Because I really don’t have it together. And I’m noticing that when you live your life at 35 the way you did when you were 25, the world isn’t cool with it. The rules have changed.
“Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita, mi ritrovai per una selva oscura.” Not sure what to do about it, either. Except that I hear that when you’re walking through a dark forest, keep walking.
Means you could have been having this angst just exactly 35 years ago. OP, 35 seemed old at the time. Now? Not so much. Just enjoy yourself and hang around with older people all you can. I’m sure most of the congregation at the church I play for think of me as “that nice young man”.
You know you’re getting old when your parents stop getting you toys for your birthday, and start getting you clothes for your birthday instead.
For females, you know you’re getting old when people stop saying You’re good-looking and start saying You’re looking good.
Not necessarily. You think being 35 is the shits? Wait till you’re 50. Then wait till you’re 60. Then wait till you’re 70! Etc. It just gets shittier and shittier.
I’m almost 44 (December). It was hard to not trust my farts as being just air anymore. (Write that down for the 40th birthday, man. Seriously! Post-It on the dashboard! You’ll thank me.)
However, you should damn well celebrate! It’s another year of life accomplished, and there’s no bother in weighing it as a good or bad year. You’re still here, you’re good, enjoy it, treat yourself.
Happy birthday fellow July 29er! If it makes you feel any better I’m the big 6-0 today. Know what? Doesn’t feel any different than 30, or 40, or 50 to me.