Two more words: Ear Hair
I “realized” I was middle-aged when I reached my 37th birthday, having looked forward to the event from back when I was in my 20s. That was a decade ago. I get AARP publications and I still get carded sometimes when I go to buy alcoholic beverages.
On my 74th, I’m declaring myself officially “old”.
I am now 43 years old.
I got bifocals about three years ago, because it was physically painful to look at anything closer than an arm’s length away with my regular (VERY near-sighted) glasses. The optometrist didn’t believe I was old enough to need bifocals, though, so he wrote the script wrong. His office had to pay for the new set of lenses when the first ones didn’t work. (I LOVE our optician!!!)
My older child will be a freshman in high school next year. Normally, this is not a sign of middle age, but since I was nearly 30 when she was born, I feel like I’m getting pretty close to it.
My younger child is still in elementary school, and I do NOT have the energy to put up with elementary school functions anymore. (He was born when I was four days shy of 33.) I honestly don’t see how mothers who have children in their forties can make it through elementary school and preschool.
The college freshmen I teach don’t look that much older than my daughter.
I have started paying attention to how “old” women wear their hair. I like long hair in a ponytail, and I’ve worn it that way for as long as I can remember. There aren’t many “old” (meaning all-gray) women who have long hair.
I was considering cutting my waist-length hair off this week, and giving it to Locks of Love. However, when checking the requirements that Locks of Love puts on donations, it specifically states that they want hair that can pass for a child’s hair, and that it takes time to weed out gray hair. Now I’m wondering if I have enough not-gray hair to do them any good. (Anyone know of something similar for not-so-young chemo patients?)
Now when I open my mouth, chances are my mom will be speaking. It’s uncanny.
Another big moment was when I made Jell-o shots for the annual tailgate party. Hey! Jell-o shots! I can’t be middle aged, right? However, this world view fell apart, as I also brought moist towelettes. Would you care for a Jell-o shot? Yes? May I offer you a moist towelette? Here you go. I realized most of my friends were middle aged as well, because they were equally, if not more, impressed with the moist towelettes.
Greying hair, progressive lenses, and a possibly arthritic foot. That, plus I’m basically an old fart anyway. And only 41! Ah, th’ joys t’ come … :dubious:
The bifocals were a hint, the junk mail from AARP was a clue, but menopause was the clincher. Yup, I’m headed into geezerhood. Fortunately, I have a husband who likes older women. 
38yo
Big, thick, wiry gray hairs on the top of my head
Having to hold my cell phone out four feet in order to see what numbers I’m dialling
Groaning when I stand up
I catch 55 year old women giving me the eye. I’m invisible to 35 year old women.
Only when I look at my driver’s license or some other reminder of my age do I realize that I am 61!
Otherwise I feel pretty young, and downright immature at times!
I can no longer remember names or words.
I think about gas mileage and pollution.
I don’t care about money so much anymore.
My career has become a job.
My long term outlook now is about three years.
My short term outlook is one day.
I try not to let things bother my anymore.
I get enough sleep.
Peace and relaxation are two of my highest values.
Time is my most valuable commodity
I got a save the date notice for my 20th high school reunion on the same day my husband picked up his first set of “multifocal” lenses.
Kiminy:
Not enough, that’s for sure!
Mmmm, long grey hair!
I’m only 29 myself, but old moments:
Don’t call me ma’am. I hate it.
Three white hairs, right in my bangs.
Chatting with a friend on IM (or e-mail, I forget) who abruptly stopped and said, “Wait - you’re turning 30 this year?” :smack:
Talking to a friend about the year I started my period - 1987 - and realizing he’d only been *six * at that time.
Realizing my father is turning 63 this year - retirement age.
A bunch more, but those are some good ones. The doozy, though, was talking to my cousin’s kids a couple of weeks ago. The boy is like 18 and he’s calling me *Buaji * (Mother’s sister).
Aaiiii.
I feel like the fabulous one-hoss shay… in that, once I hit fourty-six, everything fell apart all at once.
43 here,
Multifocal lenses–check
White hairs appearing on my chest and head-check
Knees getting creaky-check
OTOH, I like a lot of contemporary music and am usually the one to turn my 26-year-old (that’s right, he’s 26 and he adores me) partner onto the newest bands. I work out faithfully and am burning off the winter fat to get back to a 34-in waist (which was 38-in. in my Shamu phase). I look forward to the future with the lessons learned from the past. Sure, I’ve probably lived more than half my life already, but it’s the quality, not the quantity, that counts.
I’m excited about my life, about learning new things and having fresh experiences. Aging and death are inevitable, so for as long as I can, I intend to live life hot and hard until they toss me into the boneyard.
I’m 49.
When I turned 45 I thought “Ok, I’m officially middle-aged”. Not sure why 45 meant that to me, I probably won’t make 90.
Anyway…
Reading glasses about five or six years ago.
All my kids are now old enough to rent cars, and too old to be covered on my “family” health insurance.
The stairs look longer and steeper than they used too.
I’ve got a two-year-old granddaughter!
On the plus side…
I’ll likely never be bald, and my hair is still not gray (although it’s looking like that will happen pretty soon).
My wife still puts up with me.
I’ve got a two-year-old granddaughter!
A recent aquaintance came over to my house. During the visit, she picked up a picture taken about 12 years ago of me and my husband and asked “who’s this with your husband?”
I was quite surprised, not realizing that I could have changed so much. Hair is a little shorter and darker, but other than that, I thought I’d aged pretty well. Damn.
There are so many of these that gave me a chuckle or I was nodding my head in agreement.
I’m just a tad over 40. My oldest is graduating from high school in May and turning 19 in September.
A few years ago I had my rear end length hair cut to mid-back length because women my age just didn’t have extremely long hair. (Other than Jane Seymour, and, um, I’m no Jane Seymour.) Last year I went in for a trim and when I came out my hair was barely to my shoulders. I think my stylist made it clear she thinks my hair is still too long. I won’t be going back. Thank goodness it grows fast and is back below my shoulders already. I’m not admitting to the odd grey hair yet, but I have been concerned that it can’t be long and gray and still be attractive, but I did see one woman recently with long grey hair that was just beautiful. It gives me hope.
and AHunter3
gives me encouragement that I might just be able to pull it off.
Grats to those of you who haven’t even had an ahhhmightbeaging moment yet.
I really didn’t mean to imply I wasn’t enjoying life at my age. I quite like where I am in life and the challenges I have are not at all age related. Well not that I know of.
So not to be one sided about this, on the immature side, I love my sons World of Warcraft game and blow way too much time on a regular basis pretending to be a pony tailed, pick pocketing rogue with a lousy sense of direction, and a mean backstab and kidney shot. Can someone remind me where Dustwallow Marsh is? I’ve forgotten. 
Oh and I’ve never had them or even seen them other than on prime time T.V. but this just cracked me up. Thanks for sharing!
I’m 41. My kid is only 6 so he doesn’t make me feel like I’m getting old, but I work in a college and I see that this year’s incoming freshmen were born 2 years after I graduated from college!