When did you first feel really old?

[Fenella]

Having a teenager has made me feel quite old generally but
things creep up on me.

this week I watched the video of those teenagers listening to Phil Collins for thé first time and then went to their YouTube channel and saw the video of one of them listening to Dream On by Aerosmith. I kept waiting for him to reference the Eminem song with the sample as something he’d recognise the song from.

then I googled and realised that in itself was bloody 18 years old and not in any way a modern song

i also only know the songs on the ‘rétro’ bit of now albums, haven’t known a proper song on it for quite a few releases now- I always swore I’d never be out of touch music wise like my mum!

 

[Lauren1994]

I don’t feel old yet as I’m 26 but I used to think 35 was the age classed as “old”.. since getting older the number has got higher it went to 40 then 45 then 50. I’d say “old” is when you can’t have kids (for females) and you’re going through the menopause. For men I’d say it’s when they get too tired or weak to be able to work (so basically just a bit younger than retirement age).

 

[Peachy9]

I've started to struggle to get back up again. I seem to make lots of 'ooh' and 'errghh' noises when doing so. Never used to happen, and I remember my parents doing it and I always said I wouldnt be like that.
Good incentive to get back to pilates though.

 

[NitrousOxide]

I'd never noticed so many young people until this Summer during lockdown. They are EVERYWHERE, big groups of them. That made me feel really old and uncool. I'm 32, I think. (Also around last year I started forgetting my age haha).

 

[Mycuppatea]

When I realised I had become invisible. It is actually very liberating. Nobody notices me anymore and I am free.

 

[Pixipoppy]

I’m 31 and in my head I’m still 21. At work in my office there’s a lot of new graduates who are 22/23ish and I always just assume I’m “one of them”... I don’t feel like I belong with the 30 somethings who are all married with kids. It’s slowly dawning on me that I’m that annoying woman who thinks she’s down with the kids and tries to hang out with them all the time. I think I’m one of them, they probably see me as a colleague but not a peer

oh and also when I realised that kids going to uni this year were BORN in like 2002.... I started my period in 2002

 

[Gembo]

I’m only in my 30’s and starting to feel old and it’s really depressing me. I kind of still feel young in my head but only yesterday I had the thought that in a few years I won’t be able to have children. Not that I want them but it feels quite significant to go past that point. I can’t believe I can say I’ve been friends with someone for over 20 years, I can’t believe some of the songs I still listen to and feel are current are 20 years old celebrities I watched on TV growing up are now in their 50’s and 60’s. Ugh!

 

[LittleMy]

I’m 31, and while I don’t feel old in my mind (still feel like I’m in my early 20’s and still can’t believe I have two children and am married now), I feel old in my body. I’ve worked in care homes since my late teens and I’m definitely feeling the strain. When I moan and groan trying to get up, that’s when I feel old. Or when I look in the mirror after a night shift.

 

[Kim Mild]

When my parents died. They have both died during my 30s. I felt a change after that.

I've mentioned on tattle before that people seem to think I look younger than my age and I feel much older than they think I look .
Obviously the 'you are as old as you feel ' only applies to young at heart geriatrics
Yes , I am old enough to have a teenager.

Sometimes, it surprises me how long ago thinks were that I think of as recently, like new songs that came out 20 years ago .

 

[F the dust.]

Not yet I'm 41 and feel great so not sure.

 

[Gembo]

When my parents died. They have both died during my 30s. I felt a change after that.

I've mentioned on tattle before that people seem to think I look younger than my age and I feel much older than they think I look .
Obviously the 'you are as old as you feel ' only applies to young at heart geriatrics
Yes , I am old enough to have a teenager.

Sometimes, it surprises me how long ago thinks were that I think of as recently, like new songs that came out 20 years ago .

My parents both died in the past year and a bit, quite close together and I think that is a really pivotal moment. I think about what they were doing at my age and how if I die at the same age as them I only have another 32 years. And it makes life seem incredibly short, seeing the end of their lives makes me feel like I can now see the end of mine. It’s without a doubt made me feel older and think more deeply about time and age etc.

 

[Trolleydollycoffeelover]

My first ‘old’ feeling was when I was about 23 believe it or not in the doctors when they asked me if I have any children- in my head I was still a child myself!
in work when people talk about ‘when they were a kid and had their first smartphone in school’ - I was 25 when the iphone came out.
A girl (born 1996) asked me ‘who are Spice Girls again, is that the one with David Beckham’s wife in’
Talking about travel and holidays- youngsters have only ever used or can remember the Euro so they get confused when I said pesetas, deutschmarks etc. Also when they weren’t aware of the fact that before 2006 we didn’t have the 100ml liquid rule on planes!
Oh and trawling through Facebook when I see classmates becoming grandparents in late 30s!

How could I forget- seeing my beloved Take That in an oldies/gold/classic compilation.

 

[Cookiecookie]

I'm 40. A couple of years ago, this very attractive bloke was on TV, and for some reason they had his birth year up. I remember thinking 'that can't be right?' and literally having to count out how many years ago it was Then it dawned on me I'm an old git who lost track of time.

Also, trying to explain that there was once a pre-internet/smartphone etc time to my 10yr old. Anything like that makes me feel as old as my grandma!

 

[Trolleydollycoffeelover]

When my parents died. They have both died during my 30s. I felt a change after that.

I've mentioned on tattle before that people seem to think I look younger than my age and I feel much older than they think I look .
Obviously the 'you are as old as you feel ' only applies to young at heart geriatrics
Yes , I am old enough to have a teenager.

Sometimes, it surprises me how long ago thinks were that I think of as recently, like new songs that came out 20 years ago .

Same, I still think Busted, Girls Aloud etc are current not to mention TV shows like Footballers Wives. I rewatched FW the other week and it was only when I saw their chunky tellies, Jane Norman hanky tops and Nokia phones it hit me

 

[Definitelyme]

When I said one day “that makes me feel about 40!” And realised that actually, 40 isn’t all that far away, so I’ve had to change it to 50

 

[UnknownTattler]

The first time I felt old was when I had just turned 16 and I got my National Insurance card with a letter saying 'it's never too early to start saving for your pension'

The most recent time was a couple of weeks ago when I saw a Twitter thread about young teens thinking Taylor Swift's Love Story was 'a new TikTok song' instead of an old song that was released 11 years ago actually TikTok in general makes me feel really old

 

[Definitelyme]

Oh and people used to be shocked when I told them I had kids and said I looked too young. But I realised a while ago nobody has said that in quite a while

Lastly, when I found out a girl I used to teach when she was 11 is now a teacher herself. Pass the zimmer.

 

[Trolleydollycoffeelover]

I realised that nobody ‘has a single out’ anymore and it’s all downloads or streaming oh and I feel so old as I refer to TV shows by asking what channel it’s on and the youngsters look at me and tell me Netflix!
Don’t get me started on Friends being described as retro either

 

[Mememememe]

When I turned 30.
I don't feel grown up enough to be 30 and I was so scared at just how fast my life flew by and knowing that as I get older it will go quicker.
I don't feel mature or wise enough to be in my 30s, I should, I have children a home a job etc
I think it's because I had my children in my early 20s. I missed out on my 20s.just plodding along trying to survive. Not doing anything for my self. Not achieving anything other than being a mother. Didn't go anywhere. Didn't meet new people. Didn't experience anything outside of my family home.
I know things will change as I get older and I can start getting MY life back.
It just feels like one day I was 20 with my life ahead of me. Next minute I'm 30 with kids and I've not done anything.

 

[Platypusfattypus]

I don't. I'm surprised when I say my age as I thought I'd feel more grown up then I do. But I had to grow up quick so that might have something to do with it