# Rarely discussed milestones in adulthood **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432 "2010-02-02T20:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/41 "2010-02-03T05:17:57Z")
This doesn’t skew nearly as old as the rest of the thread, but: The day you notice that the people that you knew as fresh faced newbies in high school (/college/gentleman’s croquet club and finishing academy) are going to be graduating soon/have all graduated. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/42 "2010-02-03T05:52:31Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > This doesn’t skew nearly as old as the rest of the thread, but: > > The day you notice that the people that you knew as fresh faced newbies in high school (/college/gentleman’s croquet club and finishing academy) are going to be graduating soon/have all graduated. Not as bad as the day you learn that a few of the kids who you used to _babysit_ have now graduated high school. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/43 "2010-02-03T07:18:38Z")
My oldest will be starting high school next year. That makes me feel old. I can’t even imagine how old I’ll feel at other of her milestones (college, wedding, first child, etc0. My strangest recent experience was in November when I had an oral surgeon who I swear didn’t look old enough to legally buy a beer. And then I did the reckoning on how many years of college, etc., one needs to become an oral surgeon. Damned kids these days! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/44 "2010-02-03T07:22:39Z")
The first time you go to a wedding without any of your family members present. The first time you go to a funeral without any of your family members present. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/45 "2010-02-03T07:28:01Z")
The first time you disappoint your children. The first time your children disappoint you. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/46 "2010-02-03T07:38:52Z")
The day you realise you do not care about an advancement. In stead you realise you are counting how much longer until you will be retiring and the years are single digit. How about the day you are not offended if you get an senior discount, in fact you are asking about one. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/47 "2010-02-03T09:21:37Z")
When the(Muslim) President of the United States(Where’s that birth certificate?) is younger than you are. But only by a year. When I’m playing one of Barry Manilow’s ballads on the stereo and I realize it’s too loud. Oh, my gawd that damned hippie music is making me deaf. I’ll never listen to that \*Weekend In New England \* with the volume up again. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/48 "2010-02-03T09:34:18Z")
I realized my parents were old when they started talking about retirement. My parents have always had grey hair in some form or other. I’m pretty sure it’s because I was born that that’s what caused it. I realized I was old when I heard Welcome To The Jungle on the radio, then went into the store to buy beer. The sign on the counter said “If you were born after today’s date in 1987 we will not sell you beer”. Appetite for Destruction came out in 1987. I bought that album in middle school. ☹ I have no SO. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/49 "2010-02-03T13:18:50Z")
Your first hemorrhoid. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/50 "2010-02-03T13:22:30Z")
The first time you realize that the phrase “the rest of my life” is actually a finite number of years. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/51 "2010-02-03T13:23:38Z")
You notice that your nose and ear hair are turning gray. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/52 "2010-02-03T21:15:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > That first sentence in my last post should read: > > “In 1999, I couldn’t recognize a single song from that years Billboard Top-10 (of the year) by title. Not saying I wouldn’t have recognized the tune, if played to me, but I wasn’t able to place a tune to the title.” I was recently asked to recommend some cool, new, underground music to a friend (since I apparantly have a past rep for being eclectic and having my finger on the pulse of what’s hot). Well, my hottest trendy pulse was around 1990. Mark my words, though, this Bjork girl will be one to keep an eye on! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/53 "2010-02-03T21:21:55Z")
The day when we were married over half of our lives. (And we didn’t get married early.) In a similar vein, the day I realized that the time between when I learned about transistors and today was greater then the time between when I learned about transistors and when they were invented. The day we elected a president much younger than I am. (Curse you, Obama!) And in the off topic area, I live across from an elementary school,. and the mothers of the kindergarten kids look like jailbait. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/54 "2010-02-03T22:27:34Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > I’ll add another: The day you recognize you’re asking advice from your parents, not because you need it, but because it makes them feel good. > > I also recall watching my dad ‘grow up’, and can pinpoint just when he stopped treating us ‘kids’ as kids and started mellowing out enough for us to be friends with him. The day when your parents come to YOU for advice…especially about something financial… ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/55 "2010-02-03T23:14:47Z")
When I learned to cook, rather than just patch together sandwiches, soups, salads, and egg dishes, I became an adult. When your parents start making plans to “move to Florida for the winters”. Florida is where people to go die, IMO. The first time you’re invited to a wedding as part of a couple. The first time you attend the theater with friends (instead of family). The first time you give to charity on your own. The first time you are responsible for someone else’s well being. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/56 "2010-02-04T01:03:08Z")
…I think this thread has drifted into “milestones in getting old”… Anywho, the first time I bought groceries on my own at my new apartment. I spent probably only $30. But I remember distinctly the experience of being 14 and my family bringing home all of the groceries from shopping. I would ask if I could eat something and my father would issue a heavy sigh and say sarcastically, “Go ahead, we bought it to eat.” I never understood his attitude until I stood there looking at my meager supply and thinking how I would feel if a 14 year old boy walked in and started plowing through all the food I just bought. BANG! - Adulthood! ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/57 "2010-02-04T01:11:32Z")
For me one milestone that I think goes unnoticed by most was when I could say with some confidence that I had worked the worst job I would ever have. I made donuts at a supermarket and at some point when I had a decent paying office job I just knew I would never have a job that bad again. I have a seventeen year old and I am also floored that I am friends with some of her friends. So odd. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/58 "2010-02-04T02:06:35Z")
> [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](#): > > When the(Muslim) President of the United States(Where’s that birth certificate?) is younger than you are. But only by a year. **Abby\_Emma\_Sasha** , this kind of comment is what we in these parts call threadshitting. We have GD and the pit if you want to question Obama’s qualifications. Don’t do it again. **Ellen Cherry MPSIMS Moderator** ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/59 "2010-02-04T02:08:59Z")
[quote=“Polerius, post:1, topic:527432”] [li]The day you realize your parents have become old[/li][/QUOTE] Yeah, had that one, strange feeling. Also, the day I realised that by my age, my father was married, had one child already, was waiting for another to be born, had a mortgage and a nice house and a rather pleasing Lancia sitting outside the house. I got the one child bit done, but I have to thank my ex’ for forgetting the contraception “several times” for that bit. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432/60 "2010-02-04T02:14:11Z")
When all the guys your age take Cialis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rarely-discussed-milestones-in-adulthood/527432.md?page=4)