When Was the First Time You Felt "Old"?

[DVC2004]

Post inspired by my current surroundings. I am in my early thirties but I feel very old right now. I am travelling on business and the coworkers here that I am working with are all fresh out of college! I feel like I could be thier mom even though the age difference is probably only 10 years. LOL so help me feel like I am not alone here. When did you first feel the generational gap?

[SBETigg]

Some years ago, when watching the Olympics and I realized most of the Olympic athletes were much younger than I was. I remembered when they all seemed so grown up to me and suddenly they were all kids! Ouch.

I feel old this week because I'm dropping my firstborn off at college this weekend to start his first year.

[azdisneymom]

I felt old when we elected a President who was younger than me. Then again this week when my youngest left for her freshman year at college.

[Phantod]

When I talk to younger folks about their music, or I catch a list of the current "hit" songs....and I have no clue who ANY of the groups or singers are. That started happening a long time ago.

I think shortly after the Beatles broke up.

[badkitty]

When the kids I used to babysit graduated college...

[Aggie97]

I think it was when my little sister started high school. I was almost 16 when she was born. We lived apart in different states or countries from the time I went away to college (she wasn't even three at the time), so it was hard to imagine her all grown up. She is starting her sophomore year in college now... ugh!

[Tinkerfreak]

A few years ago my neice and I were listening to the radio and she said she liked a song and I said "I have that record in the basement" she asked me what a record was. Had never seen one only cd's and a cassette tape once or twice.

[Mousemates]

When I realizewd both my kids were in high school.

[Emme&TeddysMommy]

When my two year old pointed out "Mommy why is your hair two different colors?" I was mortified I am only 31.

[nyobabe2]

Well this is an almost everyday occurance with me because of the kids...but I have 2 major instances that stick in my mind.

About 4 years ago when I was 34 I visited my niece at college and stayed the weekend in her dorm. That was an eye opener and kind of depressing. Everyone she introduced me to looked at me like I was ancient! I guess I am in their eyes!

2nd time was driving my 7 and 9 yr old to school last year and was singing something on the radio and they we're looking at me out the corners of their eyes saying "yeah mom, that's enough"

Gotta love it!

[TheMartellFamily]

I am in my mid- thirties and I felt it when I had a doctor that was younger than I was.

[LauraF]

I know what you mean!

I'm in my early thrities too, and most of the my colleagues are around 25. It's not as much an age thing as a stage of life thing - I have a house, pets, a steady relationship and (reasonable) financial stability. They have apartments, hookups, go bar crawling, and struggle paycheck to paycheck.

I recall those days, and while I'm glad I'm past them, I have plenty of stories of my own to tell to help them realize I'm not that different from them.

[RAIDER]

Many years ago when i went to a club with my workmates and suddenly it hit me that i looked like a sad old man when all the young girls were around ....

[BigRedDad]

When I don't have the energy to do everything I want in a day. I guess the "old" bug really hit me on Dec 31st last year. My dad passed, I am the youngest sibling (just turned 39), and I am the one that has to keep the family together.

I really don't feel old. I am getting older, but I still prefer to have fun rather than worry about it. I have a 3yo DD and she keeps me busy. She is also the reason I am fighting to get back into shape. Not even close yet, but she is the goal.

[sportsguy2315]

I work at a science camp every summer, and the kids bring something to take apart and reinvent their device. Anyway, at the camp I was at a couple weeks ago, one of the kids had a cassette deck on the side of this old school radio that I was helping take apart. Upon finding the deck, I asked the kid if he knew what a cassette is. He gives me this look like "You're crazy". I then ask if he knows what a CD is. Still no luck. I then have to tell him the evolution from cassette to CD to iPod/mp3. Man I feel old!

[Ian]

Three big ones for me:

1. I'm a big music guy and used to be up on all the current bands. One day I turned on the radio and I kept hopping from station to station and couldn't find a single song I knew! From that day on, I only listen to my iPod in the car.
2. This day will forever stick out in my mind. I'm in my office at home and I have music blasting from my PC. My daughter, then 2 years old, is walking by with my wife and to entertain her I start jumping around, dancing, and singing to the song. She looks at me and screams, "STOP IT!! YOU'RE NOT COOL, DADDY!!" When a 2 year old has figured out that you aren't cool anymore, that's pretty much rock bottom.
3. When I turned 40.

[Disney Doll]

I work at a university and it really hit me last year when freshmen had birthdays in 1990. I mean the 90's were just a few years ago. You can't come to college if you were only born in the 90's, right?

Also, the college where I previously worked still had a few carbon forms that had to be completed with a typewriter. I once asked a student worker if she could type up a form for me and she looked at me like I was nuts. She had never seen a real typewriter.

[Jeff G]

Three big ones for me:

1. This day will forever stick out in my mind. I'm in my office at home and I have music blasting from my PC. My daughter, then 2 years old, is walking by with my wife and to entertain her I start jumping around, dancing, and singing to the song. She looks at me and screams, "STOP IT!! YOU'RE NOT COOL, DADDY!!" When a 2 year old has figured out that you aren't cool anymore, that's pretty much rock bottom.

At least you think you're cool.

This year it's starting to hit me. I had to plan a 40th birthday party for my best friend, my DD turned 13 and I had my 20th high school graduation.

These events made me think.... I was 17 when I graduated and now I'm celebrating 20 years being out, ouch. I remember with detail turning 13 and I also remember thinking how old my parent were when we celebrated their 40th birthdays.

Until this year I never thought of myself as old but that is changing.

[drummerboy]

When I was a teenager in the 60s, the 30s seemed like the stone ages to me. To a teenager now, the 60s must seem neolithic.

[drummerboy]

On the other hand, they say that you're only as old as you feel, so some days I'm 100+ and some days I'm still a teenager.