One of my biggest pet peeves (fairly recently developed) has to do with my age and, consequently, the age of my peers or people who I interact with…which is ridiculous as I will explain. It is when I hear:
“Oh wow, I’m so old.”
or“Oh wow, you’re so old.”
…coming from mouths of people (or referring to people) in their late teens up to their late 20’s. (I start giving a little slack to late-20’s people. You guys really are kind of old…haha) When/Where/How/Why did this start? If someone said this within my hearing distance, I used to occasionally point out to them one obvious fact:
“You’re not old.”
Then I would get all sorts of weird (and offended?) looks or an awkward pause with expressions looking like they’re searching for something to say, like I said something they were not expecting at all (which they are not…but this is also ridiculous, considering how young they are).
You’re in your freakin’ 20’s (or teens). Okay, you might not be talking about physical, chronological age measured in years… Although a conversation that goes something like:
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-_____”
“Wow, you’re old”
…sounds like physical age is the measuring stick. I remember a terrible high school APUSH teacher who didn’t teach me much history once said something. He said that age doesn’t make you mature, but responsibilities do. So…are you married? Do you have kids? Okay, maybe you have a job or two to work, a few bills to pay, but does that make you old? But I’m kind of going off on a tangent now…we’re talking about “old,” not “mature.”
Oh, you feel old you say? Right. And no one can argue with feelings right? Whatever, okay, you’re old.
Seriously, why are young people so worried about this? Or is it that referring to yourself as “old” is the cool and/or popular thing to do? Maybe it has become some sort of badge of….whatever. I really don’t know, but I think there are too many young people who actually believe that they are old.
In my experience, there are three major types of people when it comes to this subject:
1) There are these young old people, who are not old at all but are just maybe delusional — mostly right out of high school, in college, or just out of college.
2) Then there are people who are usually not that annoying at all and are much more tolerable than the people who motivated the creation of this entry (see #1), and they are, quote-unquote, “old.” After these people get “older” they lose the quotation marks and can be referred to as kind of old. You can tell that they are “old” because they are constantly reminding you of how young they are. But these people are still not really old.
3) And then finally there are people who are truly old. You can tell they are truly old by looking at one thing: whether or not people who are older than them refer to them as old. And I’m talking about everyone older than them can call them old. A 25-year old and a 23-year-old calling each other old doesn’t count. Ask a 45-year-old if they think those two are old. Then ask a 75-year-old if the 45-year-old is old.
Then ask an 85-year-old if the 75-year-old is old, and you’ll probably get a different answer (e.g. “Yes”). So everyone else worrying about “being old” should take a deep breath and relax because you don’t even have to start worrying about “being old” until you’ve reached this point. The truly old people just don’t care much about it and rarely bring the topic up because they know they’re old and they know you know they’re old…which can be sad for some of them, I suppose.
Or
The fortunate ones realize it doesn’t matter.
Songs of the Day:
Bob Dylan – “Forever Young” / (album link)
The Beatles – “When I’m Sixty-Four” / (album link)
Peter Bjorn and John – “Young Folks” / (album link)
Stars – “Ageless Beauty” / (album link)
Oh man, I’m that kind of person. My friends and I are always complaining how old we’re gonna be each year. Like, “Oh shit, we’re turing 20 damnn we’re getting so old!” And it’s been like that ever since we were gonna turn 16. It’s pretty funny and redundant that it’s actually become a ritual now, without even realizing it. It has become this subconscious phrase, even though we don’t really see ourselves as old or whatever.
I think I am one of those not old people who feels old. But then I am 29 and I think this is a terrible age to be. Not in that the year so far has been terrible, but 30 sounds so…adult. And it’s staring at me straight in the face. Then again, the previous poster feels the same way about 20. So, I suppose I should just shut up because apparently this could never end. 🙂
I also find it silly for teenagers and 20-somethings to call themselves old. Although I’ll admit that lately I’ve been feeling old-er. You see, I teach kindergarten kids, and they’re only 5 years old. They have no idea who the Hanson brothers are, they know of only the current-state-of-Britney Spears, etc. I mean, they were born the year I graduated from high school! So of course, I feel “old” when I’m with them, but I don’t necessarily go around saying, “Oh wow, I’m so old.” Because, well, I’m not.
Juice: It’s people like you who inspired this entry(!). haha…but I agree, it really is almost sub-conscious for the newly entering “young adults.” I think I almost got sucked into it too, before I realized that I thought it was annoying.
Kristiane: It’s people like you who made me slightly edit this post (it’s a previous post from an older blog I had). Responsibilities do take their toll…not speaking merely physically, but I do think there is such a thing as “mental/stress age.” But I think loading up on “mental age” (i guess it would be mostly through experience) is good, but maybe it’s about finding the right balance — walking that fine line — between taking on enough to be mentally sage and capable while not having that “age” take a toll physically as well? I have no clue…I’m a little too young to have a clue about that. It seems awfully hard on paper and I imagine everyone fails at it.
As for me personally, I really believe I stopped keeping track of my age at 18. There is a slightly weird and sort of complex reason why/how I’ve pinpointed this but I won’t go into it because every time I try to explain it to someone, they walk away thinking I’m weirder than they thought I was.
Sally: That sounds like an awesome job. Kids are so much easier to hang with than adults, in my opinion. haha….maybe they’re lucky they don’t know who the Hanson brothers are/were. Although…it’s kind of sad that they will never know the strangely catchy joy of “Mmm-Bop.”
anyhow “life has no REW button” I am not advertising sony but any second of our life I think is suitable for a special thing. u can do in latter but maybe not just like its proper time.
after all I think if u want to do or start sth in ur life the sooner is the better! never is too ate!
It’s quite amazing how young people want to be viewed as mature and wise while old people want to relive the good old days. Young people nowadays are much smarter than those in the past. They don’t want to be perceived as some spoiled and immature brats — they just want a bit more respect, that all.
I think you’re right. I never really thought about it, but maybe it is more information, and improved and more universal education that causes this…”trend.” Because it seems to be a fairly recent thing. I don’t think it was happening even in early to late-mid 20th century…
But when most of us young people today point out how “old” we are, we tend to want to complain and lament our “aging,” not be proud of how wise we are. And it’s almost like a peer-pressured reflex; even though I wrote this post, I’m sure I’ve done it on occasion in the past.
I still agree with your comment though…maybe on some level, it’s sort of like super-attractive people calling themselves ugly — just a round-about, indirect way of getting affirmation.
I’m 28 and don’t feel a day over, um, 28. I remember the first time I felt “old” though…I was 24, working at a special event for local high-school kids hosted by the UW (my alma mater). I had a serious reality check when one kid, probably 15 or 16 years old, addressed me as “ma’am”. MA’AM?!?!?! I’m not a MA’AM!!! Your mamma is a ‘Ma’am’…your grandma is a ‘ma’am’…I most certainly am NOT a ‘ma’am’! From that day forward I have maintained that 1) 30 is the new 20; 2) 40 is the new 30; and 3) Geek is the new Sexy.
hahah…where did number 3 come from? Not that I’m arguing, I’m a firm believer in that fundamental truth.
I enjoy this “new mission” of yours…and can only hope it continues. (it’s okay, I won’t set the bar too high…you’re allowed a few non-hilarious, regular comments every now and then)
omg I’m 22 years old and I feel ancient at times but that’s because I’m a sophomore in college and felt like I should have graduated by now. I know I’m really not old. I just feel silly being in a class filled with 19 year olds lol. But you make a very good point. People in their teens and early 20’s are not old. I see people in their late 20’s to early 40’s as being of normal adult age, not necessarily old. Now if your over 60… you’re old.
I know what you mean. I too am on the extended college plan. But I think I tend to look at it more as me having to “catch up” to the other people my age. Although…I do occasionally look around and think, “Damn…I should probably pick up the pace.” So yeah…I know what you mean…
60 seems to be a reasonable age for old-status. I’m hoping technology will help me out by then. Like a robotic arm or hip or something.