What''s your imaginary age?

[FrekeChild]

I'm 25 (26 in 28 days! AHH!!

) and most of the time I probably average about 17 with how people make me feel.

When I've done something that I have to confess to BF about (messing up something usually, or wanting cupcakes, etc) I feel about 3/4.

When I'm at school I feel about 45. All these girls flitting around in high heels and mini skirts and me in sweats...

When I go to the bars I feel about 65. I'm almost always the DD and people down there are young and STUPID. Yes it's a good idea to puke your guts out in front of the police officer asking how much you've had to drink and where your "sober" friend is that is driving you home.

When I get carded I feel about 35. I got carded a couple summers ago and the guy did not believe it was me. He stood under a lamp post studying me for about 10 minutes asking me when my birthday was, what my license number was, how tall I was, etc. All of my friends (4 of us) had gotten in and were waiting for me by the door. I was 24 at the time, and THE OLDEST ONE. By more than a year.

Another time I got carded buying a rated R movie. The kid was just barely 18 I'm sure. I had to go out to my car to get my drivers license, and when I gave it to him he said, "Oh wow, you're way older than me." Well DUH. And thanks for reminding me.

So, people who card me think I'm about 16-20. People at school seem to think I'm 19-22. Older people-like 40 and up- seem to think I look about 17-22.

Apparently they don't notice all the gray hair I'm sporting recently. Maybe they think it's highlights?

I'll stick with my mental age being about 19. I'm always surprised when they let me into the bar. Probably because of the jerk doorman at that bar, but also because my hair was really dark in my license pic (the dye covered up my grays

).

And for the record I think I'll go natural and be gray. For a while I might put in some blond highlights to help mask it, but once they start to take over...thats all folks.

 

[Erin]

I''m 32 but I feel 38 or 39.
So many of the new hires here are all in the 25 range. The thought of hanging out with them (and I have many of times) doesn''t really appeal to me because what is considered fun isn''t the same. They all know I''m older but don''t actually know how much. I dress with the sophistication of someone in their 40s. But I guess these are work people. On the weekends if I go running in a tshirt and running pants with a ponytail and no makeup I get honked at by teenage boys - perhaps mistaking me for one of their classmates? Plus everyone around this town gets married and pregnant at 22 so I must be the old spinster...

 

[Delster]

Date: 3/25/2008 7:35:42 PM
Author: Haven
And this is really the best--last week I pulled a student out of health class to talk about something, so we sat down on the ground in the hallway. After about ten minutes another health teacher (whom I''ve MET multiple times) comes walking down the hall and says ''Shouldn''t you two be somewhere?'' so I said ''Yes, we''re just talking about some issues we''re having in class,'' to which she said ''Well, you two can''t just pop a squat and have a chat here in the middle of the hallway whenever you feel like it.'' Of course my student is rolling on the floor with laughter at this point because he figured out what was happening before I did. I honestly thought she was irked that I pulled a kid out of class. So, at this point he looks up and says ''Mrs. Confusedteacher, this is Miss Haven, my English teacher.'' She apologized profuself and quickly retreated into her classroom.

Oh Haven, I''m sorry but that is hilarious!

I''d say it happened me about four times so far that I''ve been crossing campus on my way to give a lecture and I got stopped by someone doing a survey about the experience of being a freshman at our university and would I mind answering a few questions?

 

[Steel]

I am surprised that so many PS''ers are so young! I imagine some of you to be at least 10 years older!

I think it is a great question and thought most of us would consider ourselves older not younger. Even since I was 16 I have never though of myself as less than 25 ish and now I feel late 30''s +. I have never ever felt young! I am actively looking forward to retirement

!

 

[Delster]

Date: 3/26/2008 9:28:19 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady

OMG THAT HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I had such a grand wee chuckle to myself ten minutes later standing at the lectern and watching 500 genuine freshmen scribbling down my every word...

 

[anchor31]

I''m 22, turning 23 in 6 weeks... I''d have loved to be 21 forever. I loved being 21 and I still feel 21. When I''m at school though I feel almost 30... The partying, the miniskirts, the commitment phobia... Sheesh. Those I know who are at the same point in life I am are about 30.

 

[Kayakqueen83]

Funny you should start this tread, Elmorton! I am turning the big 25 in a month… and I’m a little weirded out by it. Somedays, I feel like I’m 25 other days I feel like I’m 17!

A couple of months ago at work I was in a meeting with some men from the FBI. These were older men (in their 50’s) and had been with the agency for years and here they are listening to little old me and taking notes. It was a very surreal experience. All of a sudden in my head a little voice pops up and says “How did this happen??? These guys are really listening to me? I feel like I’m supposed to be on a field trip or something!”

Of course it’s been a long time since field trips but at that moment it was almost like all of a sudden I was in a place in my life and I had no idea how I got there. It just happened so fast!

Funny thing is, I was engaged at a young age and always thought of myself as being more mature. (Little did I know how unexperienced I was at the time!) Now that I AM actually a “grown up” I feel like it happened out of the blue!

Most days I feel like I’m 25. I’m still young and do fun things but now I just go to bed earlier then I did at 18! I love the age that I’m in now. Living on my own, having a really grown-up job, but still just starting out. It’s exciting.

 

[VegasAngel]

Well, I''m 28 & feel my age. I wish I was a little older not younger.

 

[Linda W]

Oh Good Grief!!!!!

I must be the OLDEST PS''er on here!!!

I don''t feel my age at all, well, uh... sometimes I do. When I am around my friends, I still feel 17 though. I have kept in contact with a lot of my high school friends and we get together regularly (that is when I still feel 17) HA!!! In my head though, I feel 35.

In September I will be 59!!!!! Isn''t that disgusting???? This will be the last of my 50''s

Linda

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 3/26/2008 9:29:27 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 3/26/2008 2:16:23 AM

Author: FrekeChild

I''m 25 (26 in 28 days! AHH!!

) and most of the time I probably average about 17 with how people make me feel.

When I''ve done something that I have to confess to BF about (messing up something usually, or wanting cupcakes, etc) I feel about 3/4.

When I''m at school I feel about 45. All these girls flitting around in high heels and mini skirts and me in sweats...

When I go to the bars I feel about 65. I''m almost always the DD and people down there are young and STUPID. Yes it''s a good idea to puke your guts out in front of the police officer asking how much you''ve had to drink and where your ''sober'' friend is that is driving you home.

When I get carded I feel about 35. I got carded a couple summers ago and the guy did not believe it was me. He stood under a lamp post studying me for about 10 minutes asking me when my birthday was, what my license number was, how tall I was, etc. All of my friends (4 of us) had gotten in and were waiting for me by the door. I was 24 at the time, and THE OLDEST ONE. By more than a year.

Another time I got carded buying a rated R movie. The kid was just barely 18 I''m sure. I had to go out to my car to get my drivers license, and when I gave it to him he said, ''Oh wow, you''re way older than me.'' Well DUH. And thanks for reminding me.

So, people who card me think I''m about 16-20. People at school seem to think I''m 19-22. Older people-like 40 and up- seem to think I look about 17-22.

Apparently they don''t notice all the gray hair I''m sporting recently. Maybe they think it''s highlights?

I''ll stick with my mental age being about 19. I''m always surprised when they let me into the bar. Probably because of the jerk doorman at that bar, but also because my hair was really dark in my license pic (the dye covered up my grays

).

And for the record I think I''ll go natural and be gray. For a while I might put in some blond highlights to help mask it, but once they start to take over...thats all folks.

*THWAP*

Whats all the "*THWAP*"ing about?
I wish I looked older in a lot of ways. I don''t feel like most people take me seriously most of the time...And I can''t believe I''m turning 26 so soon. It feels like it''s been a couple months since I turned 24...I remember being about 10 and thinking that 25 years old was OLD.

 

[LittleRock]

WOW....what a great question. Well, in real life I''m 36 and when I say that out loud I think...that cannot be right! cuz, I don''t feel like I''m 36 pushing 37. I do get told I look younger, which I am always grateful for! My dream age would be 24ish, that''s when I felt life had really begun for me. I got married, had my first baby a few years later, it was all the right timing ...

 

[nytemist]

This is a great thread!

I feel much younger than I am. Now, this sounds strange, but every time I have a physical my dr. loves to tell me that "it''s great for your age; there isn''t anything wrong with you." Not meant as an insult ar anything, or that once you''re a certain age you''re supposed to have problems, just that so many of her patients are or have been on meds for something or another, or have developed an illness by the time they are my age. I''ll be 37 in October.

Lots of situations make me feel younger. Except at our usual Friday night hang out place, I almost always get carded. Dh does too since neither of us really look our age. The funniest time was a few years ago we went to this bar and the door guy thought I had a fake ID! He studied it and then called over a manager to look at it. I couldn''t help but laugh! I said to him "I can call my dad and he can confirm how old I am." I was 30 or 31 at the time. I guess it didn''t help that I had my hair in pigtails. Then here at work, they all think I''m much younger. When my boss was new, he and I started talking about the metal/high school days of the 80s and he says ''wait- you aren''t old enough to have done some of these things/seen some of these shows...'' I said yes I am. Turns out I''m almost a year older than him!

The only thing that makes me feel old is looking at the Britney wannabe''s everywhere I go . There is NO WAY my dad would let me wear low cut tops, really short skirts and make-up at 12-14. Especially since I developed real early. Oh, and a lot of the sutff coming out today that is considered top selling music. Give me my disco and metal and goth underground any day!

With working out, eating right (most of the time) and great genes from my parents, I feel and look about 25. Hey college students hit on me, so that''s a good sign!

 

[Matata]

I''m 53; from the neck up I look 40ish; from the neck down...well, nothing is in its original location; I feel young in my heart and mind; I don''t intend to age gracefully, I figure it will take a good $50,000 to put everything below my neck back in its original location, then another few thousand to polish and shine it up.

 

[UCLABelle]

I feel like I am at least 25 or 26, but I am just 22---I graduated from UCLA at 18, went to grad school (twice) right after....so if I had been the average age of my classmates, I would be about 25 or 26 (at least)....

 

[Kayakqueen83]

Date: 3/27/2008 12:50:52 PM
Author: UCLABelle
I feel like I am at least 25 or 26, but I am just 22---I graduated from UCLA at 18, went to grad school (twice) right after....so if I had been the average age of my classmates, I would be about 25 or 26 (at least)....

WOW UCLAbelle! Congratulations for completing college at such a young age! You must be one smart cookie!

 

[Linda W]

Matata,

LOL, LOL, Ditto on everything you said!!!!!!

Linda

 

[baby monster]

For years, I felt like I just graduated from college but when I got a big promotion at work and had to start supervising people, I instantly felt older. Even my father commented on how much more mature I look. It seems that I''m taking the additional responsibilities and stress really close to heart

 

[Keepingthefaith21]

Date: 3/25/2008 7:16:06 PM
Author: TravelingGal

I LOVE my 30s. It''s just been fab.

Oh TGal I delight in hearing this! I''m inching up on my 30''s and I''ve felt a little...meh about it. Maybe I''ve had it all wrong and my 30''s will kick the butt of my 20''s

In my head I''m about 22...oh god how I wish I really was!!!!

 

[diamondringlover]

I feel like I should be around 28 or so...I am only off by 20 years

 

[ephemery1]

Hmm... this is a hard question to answer!

I''m 28 but still think of myself as mid-20s... I have 2 younger brothers and it''s hard not to assume I''m closer to their ages (22 and 26) when I''m with my family. I''m often told I look young, but I think that''s mostly because of how I dress... long hair, no make-up, casual clothes. On the days that I''m being a therapist, I do try to make myself look older, because clients tend to prefer somebody who "looks the part."

I am always carded, but as DH (used to be a bartender) likes to remind me, they are supposed to card anyone who looks younger than 30... so I don''t read too much into that!

My friend and I were talking recently about how SO MANY women in their mid-late 20s claim that everyone tells them they look younger than they are.

But the truth is, in general, teenagers are dressing/looking older these days, and 20-somethings are presenting themselves as younger. So overall, EVERYONE really does look younger than their perceived image of what 25-30 "should" look like. All a matter of perception. Just something interesting to think about.....

 

[musey]

Date: 3/27/2008 3:56:26 PM
Author: ephemery1

My friend and I were talking recently about how SO MANY women in their mid-late 20s claim that everyone tells them they look younger than they are.

But the truth is, in general, teenagers are dressing/looking older these days, and 20-somethings are presenting themselves as younger. So overall, EVERYONE really does look younger than their perceived image of what 25-30 'should' look like. All a matter of perception. Just something interesting to think about.....

True, but then what is the standard of comparison? Amount or lack of wrinkles? Skin condition in general? Most everything else can be changed on a whim--hairstyle/color, makeup, clothing, even body shape. Even skin can be changed, in recent years, pretty convincingly.

I think it's less how people are dressing and more what image of any given "age" is being portrayed in mass media. TV/Film, etc... all of that really effects our "image" of any given age, and people are consistently cast well under their own ages. Remember those 15/16-year-olds in Dawson's Creek? All the actors playing those characters were 20-29, so playing up to fourteen years younger than their age. I was in early high school when I watched that show, and I remember thinking that they didn't look like any high school kids *I* knew. The kids I knew were mostly gangly and awkward, these people were filled out, looked physically "mature."

Anyway, my perspective in being told I look younger comes directly from that, as most people I ask about that subject are casting directors. They usually tell me I look 18, but could be cast at 14-17 (I'm 23). However, if you lined me up with other 14-17 year olds, I'd certainly look out of place. I used to list my age as 20-25 on my resume, because I figured 2.5 years on each side of my actual age would cover it pretty well. I changed it to 17-21 after getting that feedback.

ETA: Also think about what actual teens (as opposed to actors who are cast as teens) are getting attention now... Jamie Lynn Spears, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson (when she was a teen), Lindsay Lohan... these girls at 16 looked a LOT more developed than the girls I knew at 16.

All I know is that when I go out with my friends who range from 20-26, I am the only one who consistently gets carded. Even the underage 20-year-old slips by unnoticed. Meh

 

[princesss]

I don''t know, my internal age changes a lot. When I''m out with my friends and DDing because they all decide they need to get drunk and I don''t really care about getting so drunk that I can''t make it to work in the morning, I feel 35. When people ask me if BF and I are going to get engaged soon, I feel 17 and want to yell, "But I''m not old enough for that yet!" In general, I feel about 25 (only a few years older than my actual age of 21). I''m always the one who is organized, and focuses on what needs to be done next instead of being content with graduating with no idea about what I''m going to do.

 

[musey]

Oh, and also, 100 years ago a 50-year-old was getting pretty darn old. Now 50 is people like Ellen Degeneres, Fran Drescher, Ann Curry, Kim Cattrall... the whole "40''s the new 30" thing is a lot more meaningful than it sounds.

Our perceptions are likely having trouble catching up with new aging speeds, as that slows down more and more.

 

[Fancy605]

Cute thread!

I am 25 now, but when I turned 21 umpteen billion years ago, I decided I was not having another birthday because 21 is just fabulous the was it is. So I was "21" for several years. I celebrated my "2nd 21st birthday", my "3rd 21st birthday", my 4th "21st birthday," but then I finally gave in and turned 25. I think I will remain 25 for several years. Of course while jokingly saying, "Oh, it''s my 2nd 21st birthday" to people, I can never actually bring myself to really lie about my age. I dunno. I just don''t lie well.

Of course, I guess my true imaginary age needs to be about 15. I work at a middle school, and I''m all the time being mistaken for a student.

 

[Gypsy]

Depends. Sometimes I feel forty. Othertimes I feel like I''m a first year law student at 20. I''m thirty two... so I guess it averages out. I don''t feel 32 though. 29 maybe. But not 32.

 

[isaku5]

It depends on the day and the circumstances. Today, I''m 95; on a good day I''m 45; IRL I''m 65 and fading fast

 

[Gothgrrl]

This is my last year to be in my 30's. Though a lot of people say I look like I'm in my late 20's. Just the other day, I was at the grocery store getting dinner and a nice bottle of wine. They asked if I had I.D. So I whip it out, and they give me the look over. Maybe because I had no make-up on, had my glasses on with jeans and a really large t-shirt on. My co-worker told me her clients children saw my once and asked if I was with an older man. I had to laugh, because my hubby is not much older than me. I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life.

And to Linda.....the mind is young...the body...not so much anymore....LOL

 

[gemgirl]

OHMYGOSH is all I can think right now. You''re all so..........young! I''ve been 39 and holding for quite some time now. No one EVER guesses my age correctly, so I figure if people think I''m 39, then I''m 39 dammit!

I was sitting in my girlfriend''s husband''s dental office last week with another girlfriend of ours who is ten years older than me and another patient who walked in, asked my girlfriend something about her daughter (me!). I didn''t say a word, I just chuckled under my breath, but my friend was appalled.

39 and holding. That''s my motto.

Good skin care, good bras (Body by Victoria, it''s worth the investment), youthful haircuts and stay thin. Weight and hair color have more to do with looking young or old than anything else.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 3/25/2008 6:08:14 PM
Author: mimzy
in the meantime, i am trying to do as many immature things that i can including, but not limited to, listening to bad pop-punk, eating string cheese, going weeks without doing laundry, eating lucky charms and leaving the bowl on the counter and wearing fleece jammie pants with sheep on them and shopping at forever 21....all things that are not in any way appropriate for an adult to do.

UH-OH ... what does it say about *me* if I''m 40 and still doing all of those things ... while sporting braided pigtails.

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 3/27/2008 9:54:01 PM
Author: decodelighted

Date: 3/25/2008 6:08:14 PM
Author: mimzy
in the meantime, i am trying to do as many immature things that i can including, but not limited to, listening to bad pop-punk, eating string cheese, going weeks without doing laundry, eating lucky charms and leaving the bowl on the counter and wearing fleece jammie pants with sheep on them and shopping at forever 21....all things that are not in any way appropriate for an adult to do.

UH-OH ... what does it say about *me* if I'm 40 and still doing all of those things ... while sporting braided pigtails.

And I do all those things, while having weekly sleepovers at my best friend's apartment. Seriously... after gorging ourselves on gummi-worms and vegging out with the newest reality TV, we climb into the same bed and giggle ourselves to sleep.

Regularly. Got one planned for tomorrow night.

I asked my mom recently if she was still having sleepovers at the age of 28, and she explained that no, she had 3 children at the age of 28. Somewhat eye-opening.