Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I could no longer pull off all-nighters at age 21 (I'm 23 now) and suddenly required at least 6 hours of sleep every night to function. That's when I felt tangibly older, body-wise.
Also, at 21ish, when drinking alcohol started making me sleepy instead of "drunk" and euphoric. That bodily transition really sucked.
I'm not a retiree, but I've had some recent events remind me that I'm not as young as I feel or once was. What events caused you to realize that time is passing and you aren't so young?
For me, it's been like this.
1) Great aunts and uncles are all but gone. My grandmother's side started with ten, now down to three. The other set of great aunts and uncles are probably 60% deceased. My own grandparents are pushing 80.
2) My parents helped me move this weekend and they asked tonight if I had been to the gym lately. I remember my dad got me my first gym membership when I was 14...in 2000. He was 42 then, 56 today, and in fourteen more years, will be seventy.
3) My first girlfriend out of high school was 35 then and had an eight year old at the time. That girl turns 18 next month.
4) I'm closer to 30 than 25.
When did you know you just weren't so young anymore?
There have been several instances that told me I'm no longer a 'spring chicken'. The first time was probably when I realized that my oldest GREAT grandchild was going into 2nd grade! How did he get to be 7 years old so fast??? He's now 9. Then I realized that all my kids are 50ish. My youngest daughter will be 50 this year, other daughter 51 and son 56!
A couple of days ago, at work, I felt like everything that could hurt did! From my head to my feet it was one thing or another. My job is stressful, a lot of pressure and lifting, bending, turning and just constantly on the move. So much for 'just standing' behind a register! lol I know I need a total back/hip adjustment and then about an hour of good deep muscle massage. Feeling like a puddle beats feeling like a rock! Yeah, I know I ain't so young anymore. Phooey!!
It's REALLY weird when you think about something in the past and you have nearly perfect recall of the occasion so it seems like just a couple of years ago. In actuality might be 20 or even 30!
Of the generation before mine, I have one aunt left on maternal side of the family and my mom on the paternal side. All the rest are 'gone'.
When my eyes broke
After a couple of years needing brighter light to read something, cursing various things for having too small printing on them etc, I got a pair of cheaters from a dollar store.....it was like magic, I could see again
I was 43 then, now 3 years later I need glasses to exist.
It's been gradual. I noticed my night vision failing around 45. I hurt my back at 42 at work and was never quite the same (although was much relieved that it doesn't affect horseback riding).I think the kicker was when I was 48, got a new mortgage for 30 years, did the math… that's when I went back to my former job, the one with the old-fashioned company pension. Did the math on that, too.
I'm now 61. I don't have an "old" feeling/thought, but do find it stunning to talk to co-workers in their 20s and have to really watch my cultural references and mentions, plus, apologize that I don't text. Some of those co-workers are approaching the age (or I'm approaching the age) where they could be my grandchildren if I'd been really careless young woman who birthed the same!
I consider 60 a major crossover, because you're technically in the last quarter of your life. No way around it.
I look at young people at my job or see them around town and think, "It's your turn now."
Actually, I still feel young. However, the first realization of my age came when I fell and fractured my wrist into a bazillion pieces and needed a plate and screws put in. That was 3 years ago, when I was 61.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When?
