That question is priceless but I want to broaden it a bit. What was the moment that something you said, thought, or did made you realize "Ok, I am officially old"
For me it was the shirtless Abercrombie models that stand outside the store. The 1st time I passed by them, the 1st thought that popped into my head was "omg that little boy isn't wearing a shirt. I wonder if his mom knows he's here, shame on these old ladies for looking, that's somebodys little boy" I wanted to go give the kid my jacket! lol My 19 yr old daughter laughed and laughed at me. Jeff Foxworthy should've been there to say - "here's your sign." So, what was your 1st clue?
First time I heard a Led Zeppelin song in a Cadillac commercial. Sigh.
What in the world?! OLD people drive Cadillacs!!! Oh, right, nevermind, I get it. Has it REALLY been 30-40 years?
:(
Maybe the first time someone called me ma'am, and the time I went out to a bar for the first time in years with a gf and no one looked at us.
But other than that, at 54 I still don't feel "old." Wise and experienced, but not old. It helps that I don't lust after the Abercrombie models -- they look like babies to me. But, there are a couple of 40 year old hot little youngsters I could still go for...
There are things that make me feel old but nothing so far has made me consider myself officially old.
My grandma lived to be somewhere around 102, that is old. She didn't really seem old until around 95 years. This was in the eyes of a child looking at a six year old looking at an 80 year old. A 16 year old looking at a 90 year old....you get the idea, I have a long way to go. Hell to grandma I am probably still wet behind the ears and I am 44.
I was in an appointment with my endocrinologist and realized I'm old enough to be his mother.
Some years back when I was still living in CA, I was driving a group of teenagers. They were talking about never having experienced a "real" earthquake (as in a HUGE quake, not the little 3.0s). I was just about to say, um, hello, the '89 quake?! When I realized they hadn't even been born yet!
I realized I'm "old" because I would much rather be at home in bed asleep before 10 than out partying. I am not aware of what is here and now in terms of anything trendy and I do not care to learn. Another huge one for me is the fact that I've got enough medical issues to make your head spin and none of them are typically attributed to anyone under 50. I've also found that while it is true you can be friends with anyone of any age I ____@____.com under the age of 25 as just kids and can't possibly imagine what we would have in common. Haha
My first clue....My 24 year old nephew lives with us, one night he was getting ready to go out wtith his friends, it was about 10 pm and I was on the couch in my jammies ready for bed. In the back of my head I heard a conversation with mom from 15/20 years back, she was sitting on couch ready for bed and I was heading out with my friends, she says I remember when my night was just starting at this time and now it is ending, I must be getting old! lol, I had same conversation with my nephew!
One of mine (there have been many, since I'm now 50) - the other day, hubby and I HIRED our son in law to hook up the surround sound system to our TV. I am usually a very tech savvy person. Truly way more so than most people my age. I just GET technology. So I looked at hubby and I said "there was a day when this would be a challenge for me, and I would work until I figured it out. Now, I just plain don't care." It's easier to pay son in law $20, dinner and a six pack than it is to figure it out!
I guess for me there were several things:
Realizing it has been over 10 years since I graduated HS.
Having school aged children.
Seeing teenagers do stupid things in public and thinking to myself "They're being stupid"
Watching America's Funniest Videos and not laughing at some things I would have laughed at before because I now wonder if they go hurt.
- when the Drs you see are YOUNGER than you.
- When I first thought that the Harry Potter kid was freaking gorgeous in his Broadway PR advertisement..... and then realized I could be his mother.
- I was at Schnucks buying stuff for Mexican night, which included tequila and margarita mix.
I said - "Oh you probably need my driver's license since it clearly says you ID anyone who looks less than 40".
he said - "nope, I don't".
I said "oh yes you do".
He said " nope, ma'am..... really, you're good. I don't need your ID"
I then proceeded to, apparently, act my age.... and lecture him!!!!!!!!!
- My ex SIL, who is 1 year younger than me IS A GRANDMA.
Yeah...when your gynie is the same age as your nephew! LOL
Just realized that in one year, my oldest will be in middle school! Whew! Yeah, I'lll only be 30, but I'm old. Just this last weekend I had to dye my hair to cover the grays that my 4 year old has given me!
Hmmmm, maybe when I told my husband I was uncomfortable with him getting Playboy?
He asked if I felt insecure thinking he was comparing me to the models and I said, "No, I looked like that at 19 too. But It creeps me out that you are looking at girls that age - I am old enough to be her Mom." At first he said, "No , you're not." So I did the math for him.
Okay, maybe that was when MY husband realized I am old! : )
(and yes, he stopped getting them:)
yesterday was by birthday, so I already was feeling old.... but it dawned on me that a year from now, my firstborn will be a senior in high school, and my baby will be starting kindergarten.
I guess I'm a dirty old woman! When I see a hot, shirtless 19 year old, my thoughts are not about his mother ;-) Yes, I could legitimately have a 19 year old kid, but I don't! I still love hard rock, going to concerts and staying out all night (it just takes longer to recuperate). There are types of clothing I no longer wear -or brands I should say -that I think anyone who looks like they're in their early 30s or beyond needs to stay away from (and Abercrombie is one). I'm 42, but I can't imagine considering myself "old."
I remember in Home Ec class in high school, our teacher was allowing us to listen to the radio. Led Zeppelin was on and she made us turn it as she said it was giving her a headache. I remember thinking "man, she's old!" She was probably in her thirties. LOL Now at 40, I cannot listen to heavy metal or basically most of the rock I loved as a teenager. When I realized it, I thought "well I guess I'm officially old!"
I have had a few of those moments when I think... hmmm... I am too old to be part of this 'scene'... but nothing as dramatic as what some of you have mentioned. But then, I come from a relatively long line of older persons, kinda like what Jo W mentioned. My mom's mom was 93 when she passed. My Dad's mom was 90 when she passed.
My own mom and dad just turned 70, and they live alone, are in good health, and work outside on their acreage almost daily. They garden, use a tractor (my dad's retirement toy), cut down trees, burn yard clippings, and monitor their fruit trees they planted in the last 3 years. They do all this without assistance! It has only been in the last year or so that my dad has stopped actively talking about getting a cow, a horse, and some goats for the yard. My mom says they don't need any of it, b/c then they'll be "trapped" at home caring for them instead of free to pick up and go visit and travel and such. They still make a weekend trek up into the mountains to cut down their own Christmas tree every December on my mom's birthday.
Then there is my husband's uncle/aunt, who also just turned 70, who the uncle retired and has almost completely renovated their house in the past year (put in hardwood floors, painted every room, ripped out and redid both bathrooms, etc). And he has always had a "bad back" and she has severe allergies and asthma. She just cut back on her hours at work too (she works for herself as an IT contractor).. she is now down to about 40 hours a week. She was doing 70/hrs a week before they went to Hawaii a few months ago.
These are the kinds of people I STILL don't see as old yet. And they have a FEW decades on me.
I'm only 43. I figure I'm not even halfway there yet....
A friends child became a grandparent. I though OMG, I can't possibly be "that" old. I could be a great grandparent. NOT ME!!!!!
Total eye opening event though.
When I first began to worry that the constant screaming on anything shown on the Disney channel or Nickelodeon was going to make my ears bleed, that was my first clue (and I'm only 35!).
When my 18 yo daughter started an office job and came home the first day and said everyone she works with is old. I asked her how old she thought they were and she said, ".....at least 30". I started to ask what that made me in her mind, but didn't want to know. I really don't think of myself as old or feel old, but at 46 a 30 year old seems pretty young.
This just happened to me this weekend! I'm a huge baseball fan and have been my whole life...I was watching my Cardinals play the Dodgers and the announcers said that Andy Van Slyke's son was playing for the Dodgers! Wait...what? I remember growing up and watching Andy Van Slyke play! His son can't be old enough to play in the majors! I had to call my dad and he just laughed. Then, Tony Gwynn's son stepped to the plate for the Dodgers. Are you kidding me?! The players I watched growing up now have kids playing in the majors! It's a little depressing...and I'm only 32!
When I found out a little girl I used to babysit is having her 2nd baby :(
I don't necessarily think I'm old, but I did find it funny that retro day at my daughter's school this week was 80s! And a few months ago I heard Huey Lewis and the news on the oldies station!
At 41, I still don't feel old, but I did catch a glimpse of it when I realized years ago that I was old enough to be the mom of my high school students. Now it doesn't bother me at all, but when I first realized it, it startled me a bit.
