When Did You Start Realizing Your Age?

When me and my friends used to chill in the ghetto of our village and all kinds of folks were dropping by when we were hanging outside there was often a dude in his 30's hanging with us. I never had any concscious notion that he was at least 10 years older than us, except in the end he brought it up himself with all kinds of subconscious remarks. I guess he was noticing and feeling the age difference himself.
I then concluded that it was such a pity he made it a thing when we (I verified with my friends if they ever had the feeling this guy was at least 10 years older than us and if they ever thought it mattered in some way: they didn't. Well they were aware but they just couldn't be bothered by it. We all noticed and thought it was pointless how the guy himself complained about it sometimes and made it some kind of issue though)
Now that I am in my 30's I notice I can hang with people 10 years younger very easily, but I noticed some of my friends with who I do the same things with as 10 years ago (chill, listening music etc.) can make a conscious thing of it! Like they feel too adult or something to hang with someone 10 years younger. He even tried to (subtily and probably subconscious) make me feel conscious of it (like hey what's this youngster doing here. Are we hanging with kids these days. Look man, I am 30 I don't hang with 18 year old kids anymore ). It seems such a nonsense and lame. It did made me realize my age but I am glad I am not feeling it like my mate :-D

 

my group of friends cover a wide age range from 21 to 35, I don't ever feel old around the youngsters in my group because they're cool as hell or they wouldn't be hanging around. But I have a 21 year old coworker friend and I definitely feel the gap with her. She's the spoiled princess type and there is a cultural gap there too, she just comes off as shallow and not interested in the same things as I am. And she'll probably grow up and still be that type of personality and ill feel the distance 10 yrs from now too.

the same was true when i was in my late teens, early 20s too. There were some older people who were just cool as shit and got along well with everyone and I never felt the difference then there were people who you just knew hung out with kids because they couldn't function with people their own age and it was a little creepy.

 

when i was born, it wasn't until i was like 13 or 14 that i realized i wasn't 80. this had nothing to do with puberty, which mine began somewhere around 9 and a half.
from then on my internal perception, i never real though of myself as older then 12, until sometime in my mid 20s. then it still seemed like i was 16 until somewhere in my mid 30s.
its still hard to believe i'm over 40 now. none of the things that were supposed to magically happen at any given age did. not that i ever really expected the real universe to work that way.
so realizing my age, i'm not really sure what that concept is supposed to mean.
recognizing the universality of personal responsibility for our statistical influence on the kind of world we all have to live in, yes, i figured that out by the time i was 12 too.
as for the rest of it, well, what rest of it?

 

I had a moment last week at the fair when I was on an old roller coaster that I've ridden probably 100 times in my life. This time, however, I felt like I was going to die and I was so scared I couldn't even scream. I really felt my age in that moment.

 

There's aspects of maturity and life dealings that would tell me I am ageing, but I don't really feel it still. Kinda like ,y first post and I turned another year older since that. There was a moment when I was in bed on my birthday and things felt slightly different, or at least I thought they should feel different. But it all goes back to normal very quickly.

 

I remember being a kid and how excited I was when I went to take a leak in the middle of the night, and discovered I had pubes. I went back to bed and that same night I had dreams of suddenly looking in the mirror and seeing a long scraggly beard on my child-like face.

 

:unsure:

 

Physically....pretty recently, like the past few years. Pops,cracks, pain....tried to do a cartwheel a couple of years ago and about broke my neck. Who knew I couldn't do that anymore?

Mentally....whenever I'm around 20 somethings or read nonsense from kids on here! Makes me feel like a curmudgeon.

 

It started for me as soon as I graduated from college. I was still living in a small college town, so everything good around me seemed to be only for students.

"Are you going to the big concert Friday night?"
"Can't get in, don't have a student ID anymore."
"Oh man, that must suck!"

Most recent reality check: Having to wear reading glasses.

 

Bought some beer yesterday and they ask year I was born, (don't ask for ID, just the year, lol) I say 1959 and feel like I'm about 100.

 

On the bright side: I know people in their 20's who have to wear reading glasses, so maybe not really an age issue :-D

 

Yeah, but as for me.... it's a sign where the body shows a stop-sign, signaling 'Hey meeeehn, your eyes are worn out- toooooo old to read on their own as in your youth. Get some glasses!'
So, for some ppl an aging issue :-/

 

So yesterday afternoon there is a knock on the door and I go answer it and there is a young woman there asking for my wife.
I tell her she isn't home and then realize it is one of my daughters old friends and an ex-scout. She had just graduated last spring and was back home.
I go out to talk to her while I'm internally freaking out a bit because my mental image of this girl is as a skinny, crazy 12 year old and now there was an attractive young woman standing in front of me.
Like I said, it is usually when I run into one of my kids friends I haven't seen for a while and then marvel at them as young adults that my age sinks in.
It's kinda cool to see these kids grow up into young adults.


oh, and the first thing she said when I went out was "boy, you look really good for your age."

 

I realized my age fairly young. I had two older sisters and was constantly being told I was not old enough to do the things they were allowed to do.

I looked pretty young in my 20's and was carded until I was about 30.

I felt old the first time some clerk in a store called me ma'am. I still hate being called ma'am.

Around my 40's my arthritis started kicking in along with other aches and pains. That is the most noticeable for me since I can't do things that I used to do when I was younger. After having my hips replaced (2006, 2010) I move with more care and am afraid of falling. I do walk faster than my 92 year old Dad. Trying to walk at his pace makes me feel like I am going to lose my balance.

I wore glasses since first grade when I could not read the blackboard. A couple years ago I had cataract surgery and technically don't need to wear glasses now but even though my opthamologist says I don't need glasses, motor vehicles (with their superior eye testing equipment) have determined that I do indeed need glasses when I am driving.

Getting older comes with ups and downs but I will admit I am more grumpy these days. There are so many stupid things going on in our world.

 

About 10 years ago.

I was at the time talking with my Mom and thought gee she is starting to look older. Then it hit me if she was getting old then so was I.

She is currently 88 and spry and healthy so I guess if that is old, then I am ready to line up for it.