I love the compliment:
“You look great…”
Then the compliment killer
“…for your age.”
Gad, this thread is depressing.
It seems that all chance of romance goes out the window after you turn forty. Might as well just retire to the day room and watch TV.
Oh, buck up. My best friend got married at almost 50. She just had to stop trying to marry gay and/or married men, learn to clearly state her intentions, and give up on Mr. Perfect and settle for Mr. Pretty Damn Okay.
One day, my husband went for a haircut, and the haircutter asked him if he wanted to have his gray hair dyed. He was not amused, but I was.
The next day, we had to have a plumber come out to fix the washer drain, and my husband was holding our then-4-month-old son. Plumber said, “Oh, your kid dropped off your grandson for the day? He’s cute.” Husband snarled, “No, it’s my son.” The plumber recovered quickly, and said, “Way to go, dude!” I almost fell over laughing.
I was less amused when one of my in-laws mentioned that I would probably recall certain events in history, like the moon landing and Watergate. I wasn’t even born until 1970, so Watergate didn’t even register on my little toddler radar. (I guess I should be thankful that she didn’t expect me to remember the Kennedy assassinations.)
Oh, and I just love hearing my teenaged step-daughters refer to Nirvana or Pearl Jam as “classic rock,” or to Led Zeppelin as “oldies” music.
Now, now its not theraputic to sit and watch tv all day. Come to the activity room and have some juice and cookies before bingo. (Sit beside me, we’re about the same age and we can mutter about the young rec staff that don’t remember life before the GST)
I’ll be in the gym trying to do a situp. 
I understand the hot tub is open later, though.
(If my 82-year-old aunt has no problem going in the hot tub at my cousins’, I sure don’t.)
So, Friday night JustThinkin’ and I were headed out to a concert. She mentions to the waitress at the diner we stopped at that we’d need the check, as we had a concert to catch.
“Oh, really? Who are you going to see?” says the young pup.
“The Wailing Jennies - a folk group.” we reply.
“Cool!” the pup-waitress replies, “My dad likes that kind of music!”
Sigh.
As did I, as do I…
Heh heh. You have experience, and you can do it better at 50 and above - if that’s what you mean by romance. 
If you mean the other thing, my brother just got married at 52, and my wife’s best friend got married at 43 or so.
How do you think those of us who graduated in '69 feel?
(Playboy cartoon of the time - two young women, watching New Years Eve festivities as the year turns from '68 to '60. One says to the other “We’re going to have to put up with sniggering the entire year.”
Not long ago, at least it doesn’t seem so long ago, my 13 and 15 year old daughters were all ramped up about this great song by this new group called Jefferson Starship.
New? :dubious:
I don’t think so, girls.
I went over to my LP collection and pulled out Surrealistic Pillow and cranked up White Rabbit. Then I had to explain about how the Airplane had become the Starship. And about Grace Slick. And about the White Rabbit. And Alice. (Go ahead, just try explaining to kids that age why the meanings within a song had to be couched in metaphors.) Ended up sending them to the Library to get the book.
Swore I’d never try that again!
Couple of weeks ago, my youngest daughter’s son, my now 15 year-old grandson, stopped by the house while I was converting some old vinyl to digital.
Spinning on the turntable (What’s That???) was Led Zepplin III - Since I’ve Been Loving You. I backed up a little bit and blew him away with The Immigrant Song.
Three hours later, a new convert to “Classic 60’s & 70’s Rock” was born. Though he do tend to lean towards the heavy metal stuff, he had me burn a copy of JC Superstar to take home with him …
He thinks I’m pretty cool for such an old fart. :smack:
Gonna go crank up some Iron Butterfly, and reminisce about the day … 
And, yeah, Get off my lawn!
Lucy
He who actually does remember when Richard M. Nixon was merely a Vice President.
The network team was having lunch with our Cisco account rep, a twenty-something brunette, when I noticed Donald Sutherland a couple of tables over. I thought I’d bring it to her attention - she shot a glance in his direction, said “Who’s that again?” and I improvised a brief Donald Sutherland biography.
“Oh”, she says, comprehension dawning. “Kiefer’s dad.” :smack:
At work last week, I see a very young man walking with one of the managers. Manager man is pointing things out and explaining their function, the kid enthusiastically nodding along, and I say to my coworker how nice it is to see someone taking advantage of Take Your Kid To Work day or whatever it’s called.
The coworker starts cracking up and is nearly in tears as they approach us and the Manager introduces this kid, this sneaker-wearing, doesn’t need to shave, bobbling adam’s apple having, hasn’t finished his growth spurt gangly kid as our new management trainee.
I was riding a bus and a hot young blonde teenager started flirting with me. I’ve always looked young for my age and like all men, I enjoy the attention. She told me a story about a sleazy older car salesman hitting on her. I asked her how old was the care salesman. He was 32, tiwce her age. I was 32 at the time. I laughed and told her that I was the same age. She refused to believe me. I saw her around the neighborhood a few times and we chatted. I played the role of the “cool uncle”. A few months later I moved to another part of town.
Years later I’m in line at a neighborhood store and there’s this blonde in line ahead of me. She looks familiar, and keeps glancing back at me. It dawned on me…
“Pam”. I said. She turned, so it was her. I refreshed her memory and we had a laugh. Then a tall kid with hair in his eyes & tight jeans with holes in the knees comes moping up to her. He’s wearing a studded belt, the whole retro look. Retro being what was popular in the early 80’s, when MTV was new & I was a soldier, supposedly an adult. A decade before this kid was born. As they talk I realize that he’s her son. He was born after I met her on the bus.
Dude! ::high fives::
I remember getting a new “I Like Ike” button.
The 56 Christmas parade when the 57 fins first arrived in town.
Changing my baby sisters diaper, she is 54 with a PHD now.
When that funny acting guy Elvis first started singing.
I watched the news when the Berlin Wall went UP.
I remember the day the music died.
Mom started disowning her kids when they hit 60. Only 3 out of 8 she still admits are hers.
Cool co worker (although very very young) and I discover through facebook that my mom’s (youngest) brother is married to her mom’s sister. So my cousin “Angie” is also her cousin Angie. She is shocked Ive never hung out with Angie, and we decide to all go for drinks one night.
Angie is 19, just hit drinking age. She is the same age as I was when she was born… We are becoming friends, but the fun part is filling her in on family dirt. Why does Aunt so and So act this way… Don’t you remember our uncle Frank? No. Then I realize, that “uncle” Frank was divorced out of our family 10 years before she was born.!
Yesterday at a neighbor’s bridal shower with my 18 year old daughter (the neighbor who used to babysit my kids, but I digress). Said neighbor has 2 older brothers, one of whom also used to babysit my kids. They came in the room (a large church hall) and were looking around the room. I sorta gave a wave and a smile and they approached our table. I thought to myself, how nice that 2 good looking (although married by now as well) men will still cross a room to speak to… my 18 year old daughter. I might as well have been wallpaper. I got a “oh, and hello to you Mrs Rigby” as an after thought.
I kind of wanted to die, actually. That one hurt. (didn’t help that one of the brothers is drop dead, Abercrombie ad gorgeous).
My daughter ate it up–2 guys, aged 24 and 26 thinking she was hot. <mom here, trying to be nice and not be jealous as hell>
Other than that, I’ve also had the rotary dial phone funtimes with my kids, the typewriter and telling them how my mother could not get a credit card in her name alone etc. Some things have changed for the better!
A little thing I noticed is me killing this thread… 
Maybe I’ll spend today researching assisted living facilities.
Another: My parents’ wedding pictures. They were both younger than I am now, and so fresh faced and happy. Not much younger, but three or four years makes a little difference.