When did you start to feel old?

United States
April 5, 2011 1:34pm CST
Yesterday I was working with a 20 year old kid, and we got talking about quitting/being fired and how it affects your future employment. I began to tell him about this story of me getting fired from one of my first jobs. This job I had was right across the street from a really popular night club. I asked him if he'd heard of it.. I knew the club had been closed down awhile, but everyone in this area who is around my age knows of this club and knows it used to be the most popular and longest standing club in our area. So I asked him if he knew of it.. and he didn't. I said "Well, it was really popular in the late 90's, early 2000". Then he actually said to me "Well, I'm only 20." As if I was ancient or something for having been at this club he'd never heard of. Suddenly, that made me feel old! When did I become old? Yikes! When was the last time someone (or some story) made you feel old?
5 people like this
29 responses
• India
6 Apr 11
And why do you need to call a 20yr old ‘kid’ LOL I started feeling old quite some years back and even now, small things throughout the day, point their fingers at my graying hair. Just yesterday, we were all chatting during lunch time and someone was playing a popular Hindi song on the computer…suddenly the tune sounded so familiar and suddenly it dawned upon me that it was a very popular song of our youth…90’s…it seemed so old now (almost from another era) and the fact that I couldn’t even recollect the name of the movie, added to my embarrassment and feeling of belonging to an ancient era. I just said so and the lunch time crowd broke up into two groups…one of my age group and around and the other of the younger lot who’ve only ‘heard’ of such songs, old songs of another era (our era in fact, just the decade previous to theirs so not very old actually but the way they started discussing, it made it sound like so old)…but otherwise, if left to my own high horse, I don’t think of myself as old at all (at least mentally) LOL But I must add this… we had a lady working at our office for some six months or so (she’s left now)…she was like very ambitious and believed that you need to look young and bright to be successful and dressed accordingly…when she was very new and mutual introduction was going on, she asked my about my family and I said ‘one kid, 12 yrs) and asked her similarly when she suddenly looked very surprised and hurt and exclaimed ‘my BABY??? Why! I’m myself still a kid’…LOL so there are people like that, too!!!
• India
8 Apr 11
She's about 40/42 and would spend half the day in the washroom dolling herself up
• United States
6 Apr 11
I don't really feel old either, and I know that in reality I'm not old yet.. but of course it depends on who you're talking to. My kids think I'm old.. my mother thinks I'm young.. So how old was this lady who thought she was too young to have kids?
@alottodo (3056)
• Australia
6 Apr 11
I have 4 children and my youngest is going to be 33 next month! do I feel old? no... not really I go out dancing, I do my garden and mow the lawn and I have my daughter's friends whom are all young and my grandson [ he is 24]all around me and no one considers me old.... we often have dinner parties and is fun to have all this young people around me, they play guitar, they sing,play drums, actually we all sing! may be that is why I do not feel old...besides you are as old as you want to be...and me? I don't want to be old...I Am mature but old? I don't think so.
• United States
6 Apr 11
I wish I had that attitude.. I don't like aging!
@alottodo (3056)
• Australia
6 Apr 11
You can acquire the attitude! and remember we are as old as we think we are....aging is going to happen where we like it or not...but at the end of the day is up to us to decide how old we really are.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Apr 11
It was when somebody your age started talking about feeling old...
• United States
6 Apr 11
Knew that was coming!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Apr 11
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
6 Apr 11
Some months ago I visited a doctor who was filling in for my doctor who was n maternity leave. after the usual physical examination he then announced that I was in quite good health for an elderly person. This really shook me up. So I looked around the office and asked him where the elderly person was as he could not be referring to me. He ended up apologising but I have to tell you - the feeling was not good.
• United States
7 Apr 11
I remember you telling us this. I'm sorry the doctor was such a jerk! Are you going to find a new doctor for your next physical?
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
8 Apr 11
I signed up my kids for little league last week, and they already had a couple of days practice this past few days. After practice, my son wanted to play on, so we started throwing some balls around. We were in the field for a good 45 minutes when I asked my son if we could go home already. My arms were already feeling a bit sore, and I was already getting winded from all of the running as we threw some crazy pitches too. My son still wanted to go on, but I was already feeling a bit old. All I wanted was to go home and sit on my old man couch, and watch my old man TV show.
• United States
8 Apr 11
Nobody over the age of 20 has the energy to keep up with a kid! I give you kudos for even trying.
• Philippines
6 Apr 11
well i hope not this early, im only 31 years old, and i still feel like im in my 20's, lol =D but i do feel the age gap between me and my kids when they are playing games on the internet which i havent heard of =D they'll explain it to me as if i can never understand what they are playing! and then they'll say "mama its the most popular game on the net, haven't you heard of it!" yeah right, im not into games, son =) im old enough for those things....... ooooppppssss, there it is...... i admit it!!!! im old! argh! =D
@GardenGerty (160624)
• United States
5 Apr 11
I began to feel old when I began not taking good care of myself. I feel old every time I come online and run into people your age, as you are so mature, and you are about the age of my children.
• United States
6 Apr 11
I feel a lot older than I am.. and the thought of aging scares me.. so I don't like the fact that I'm getting older.
• Canada
5 Apr 11
I honestly don't think about my age very often... but, back in June, my older daughter turned 20. That made me stop and go "whoa" for a minute LOL Everyone around me made a bigger deal when she turned 18 (and legal here) but for me it was moving out of the teens and becoming 20 that got me. Feeling didn't last though, fortunately :) When people ask me how old I am, I generally have to stop and think about it
• United States
6 Apr 11
I get that feeling everytime one of my kids has a birthday. It scares me that they're growing up so fast too!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
5 Apr 11
That's hard to say since I am old! LOL..actually...I have been at my place of employment for 25 years....and everytime one of my coworkers kids stop by I feel old...especially since alot of them were just kids when we started working together and now some of them have their own kids! That makes me feel old!
• United States
5 Apr 11
Seeing children age does make me feel old also. I remember when my preschooler was an infant and hubby and I wanted to go out for a night but we had trouble finding a sitter. One of the teachers at the twins' preschool told us her daughter was a good babysitter.. but she was only 14 years old. I was terrified about leaving 4 young kids in the care of such a young teenager.. but I did and it turned out fine. Awhile later I ran into the babysitter while she was working at the grocery store. I asked her what grade she was in school now.. and she said she's a freshman in college! OMG!
@daeckardt (6237)
• United States
12 Apr 11
I think I first started feeling old when I realized that kids who were graduating high school were born the year I graduated from high school. Now it is to a point where their kids are close to graduating high school. I know I went to the wedding of a coworker who was about my age and I couldn't believe that someone my age (I think I was around 40 at the time) could have a kid that was old enough to marry. I guess the fact that I never married or had kids made me feel like people my age should have kids that old, but I guess I never really grew up...mentally that is!
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Apr 11
iT DOESN'T TAKE SOMeone or a story to make me feel old. All i have to do is look in the mirror every morning at this old mug & i know i'm old. Having a son 51 doesn't help either, lol.
• United States
5 Apr 11
I also start to feel older when I think about how old my kids are. One of them is almost 14.. I don't feel old enough to have a 14 year old.
@gaiza12 (4884)
• Philippines
21 Apr 11
I was never told that same thing as your friend did nor does other people think I'm old. It's a good thing I am petite and small so people will not actually think that my real age is a bit old already for me. And I don't think of my age that much so I really don't feel that old..nor ancient .
@LadyDD (515)
• Romania
6 Apr 11
I don't feel really old but I feel I'm getting old. This happened first when I realized I need glasses for reading. I was about forty two years old. Now I feel I'm getting old when I feel tired after three-four hours of physical work. But I guess this is also because I'm a woman and have some chronic diseases.
• United States
6 Apr 11
I have many of those same problems.. so I guess that means I'm super old!
• Canada
5 Apr 11
interesting, he must have been a baby at that time and so you probably in your 40s, hmmm..... I am 51 and my children always think that mom still needs a lot of growing up to do because I joke a lot, dance a lot and mix in with almost all ages quite well. I think I can never get too old, just have fun and enjoy!
• United States
6 Apr 11
I didn't need to feel any older.. thanks! No.. I'm just barely 30!
@jdyrj777 (6530)
• United States
6 Apr 11
Im 55 now and i dont feel old yet. In facty many people live to be 100. So im guessing 50 is middle age. Thats the way i see it.
@4ofmyown (1119)
• United States
8 Apr 11
Last night when we were talking to the kids about things that changed since we were kids, one of the boys asked us if we had to use feathers to write with when we first started school!!!
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
6 Apr 11
I have felt old for quite some time now. I am disabled and my body acts like it is ancient. I also get a lot of programs for Sr. citizens, and I am sure that doesn't help. Another thing that makes me feel old, is seeing children that I remember being born turn 30 or so.
@pogi253 (1596)
• Philippines
6 Apr 11
Never consider age as being anything but just a number. There are a few things in life we have no control over, such as when we were born. As long as you have your health, you can do just about anything you find an interest in doing. Just learn innovative things that you haven't learned before, don't worry if it's too "young," nothing is.
@tessa9 (1085)
• Philippines
6 Apr 11
I start feeling old when I turned 16. I am 20 right now and I just feel like I should have accomplished so many things at my age which I know may should absurd to some because 20 is not really that old but I feel that way. I don't have friends that are in the same age as I am. They will be either 3 years younger or 3 years older. My younger friends are always saying how old I am. My younger friends have been nagging me more of my age when I turned 20 last year because I am no longer a teen. I'm really scared of growing old. I want a couple more years to live my life as a teenager.
6 Apr 11
i felt being old when i was in college. when i felt being independent and find myself what my future will be.