What''s your imaginary age?

[robbie3982]

Great thread!

I''m 24, turning 25 on Saturday and I feel 25. 25 sounds so old to me, but at the same time, I feel old! I''m married, just bought a house and I''m in my 4th post college "real" job. I''ve actually been telling people I''m 25 since this past summer when DH turned 25. It wasn''t on purpose, but I just kept forgetting that he''s older than me. I think I''m going to feel 25 for a while. I''ve been over the party/bar scene since I was 22 and I haven''t felt comfortable in most clothing considered "juniors" for a while so I think that helped to make me feel old.

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 3/27/2008 6:00:03 PM
Author: 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.

Musey, very eloquently put... that's essentially where I was going with that.

It just seems like a disproportionately high number of people consider themselves "looking young for their age", which implies that the actual "look" for that particular age is probably younger than we all realize, overall. Media definitely skews things... but I was thinking more along the lines of the "real life" high school/college kids I've worked with who act and dress soooooo much older (the clothes, the hairstyles, the make-up) than my friends and I did, just 10 years ago in high school. I think there used to be a clearer line between adolescent and young adult... now it seems to stay pretty blurry up until you're towing around multiple kids, with a "mom" haircut and extra worry lines.

 

[Elmorton]

Musey and Ephemery, I completely agree with what you''re saying!

DH and I were out to dinner last night and there was a huge table of what we thought were "kids" (high school, maybe college freshmen) next to us. Then all of a sudden, I realized we''d quit talking and DH was STARING at the group. I asked what was wrong, and he said "They all have wedding bands on." Either they were a sortof "engaged and underage" support group, OR they were dressing/acting more like teenagers - and if that''s the face of "young marrieds," then we''re definitely "old marrieds" - which doesn''t seem right at all.

Maybe that''s why we feel like we''re having such an identity crisis! At our age, half of our friends are still into the singles bar scene and the other half is having kids (seriously - if I click over to "Photos" on Facebook, there''s this strange mix of babies and drunks). We don''t feel old enough to have kids, but not young enough to enjoy the social stuff that we did in college.

And - Hollywood isn''t helping. Halle Berry was starring in Queen when I was what...10? And now she just had a baby. Paris Hilton acts like a teenager, and she''s older than me. But then we have Miley Cyrus, who carries purses (and wears oscar gowns) that I drool over, and she''s 15.

No wonder I have NO CLUE how I should be acting/dressing/feeling at age 25! Since 40 is the new 30 and 60 is new 50, it seems like the twenties-thirties have become some undefinable abyss.

 

[Haven]

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.

It says you are my kind of gal!

And I''ll never stop eating string cheese, thankyouverymuch. I''m working on a stick from Trader Joe''s at this very moment.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

It varies by day, but in general I''d say I always feel older than I am. So I feel like 28. That''s always been the way it was. I''m an only child, and I grew up around adults mostly. I was always annoyed by people my own age, and to be honest I still am sometimes.

 

[nytemist]

Deco- I''m all about the pigtails. My mother HATES that. It usually launches into her ''when will you dress/act your age?''

Since no one can really tell how old I am, I still wear velvet skirts and dresses, my tops with the bell sleeves, my platform boots. I can get away with it since folks think I''m early to mid 20s. The oldest guess I''ve gotten in recent years is 28. Today is a good day; I feel about 16.

 

[CrookedRock]

This thread has been interesting to follow...

I have always felt older than I am, but I think it is finally starting to come together, but I still feel older. At 24, almost 25, I feel older than most of my friends that are 2 or 3 years older than I am. I don''t know, maybe its bc we have more responsibilities that most of our friends. Houses, toys... OK, Maybe just more expenses than others. Who knows. We also travel a lot more and I feel like our friends are always kinda shocked when they hear about us taking another trip, etc. Also bc we live together and none of our friends cohabitate, it just feels different... So maybe I feel 27, most importantly I am starting to look my age bc for so long people thought I was 18 (when I was 20-22), and now most people guess anywhere from 22-24 so I am happy with that!

 

[dani13]

Well, I am 29, but I actually feel quite a bit older than I am.....probably in my late 30's, early 40's....People have always told me I am an old soul, including my mother, who felt that way about me even as a child.....She said I was just as comfy hanging out with adults as I was with kids my own age!!! Fast foward to now, I have alot of friends in all different age brackets, and can relate to pretty much anybody....I guess that's a good thing...

 

[Deelight]

I am 28 but most people guess my age to be between 16-22. I am a little obsessed with my skin and keeping it looking good so I think that helps along with the way I feel, I actually look younger now then I did when I was younger .

I don''t feel 28 not that I am sure what that is meant to feel like and given what day it is I feel anywhere between a 10 and 18. For me I try to find joy each day in the simple things that make you happy and get excited about even the smallest things. My BF laughs at me when I all get excited and tells me I look like a little kid but he loves it as well that I can be that happy about something most people would find insignificant. I really think your age is a mental thing and affects you on the outside and how others perceive you.

Pigtails ROCK

 

[anchor31]

Despite what I said earlier about feeling old in school... With this bout of bad acne I''m having I feel like I''m 15 again. Not in a very good way though... Urgh.

 

[diamondsrock]

It''s so nice to hear that I''m not the only one who feels older than I am! I have always felt older than my real age. At 21, I felt like I was in my late 20''s pushing 30. I had no use for the usual party scene, getting drunk, etc....I was content to stay home and read. Now at 36 I solidly feel like I am 45. I was an only child and was around adults a lot, but I think this has more to do with just who I am. I would like to feel younger, or even my actual age would be nice! I feel like I am looking older than I am too, which I''m having a lot of trouble dealing with.

 

[FrekeChild]

Musey...about the old actors playing young people on TV...I had a fully developed woman''s body at about 12, and all the other kids made fun of me forever. I literally looked like I was 17 when I was 12-body wise. Face-not so much, but only because I couldn''t wear makeup (catholic school) and didn''t know what to do with my eyebrows. I''ve never had acne or any skin issues besides the random pimple every once in a while.

I think I''ve looked/felt 17 from 12 to now for sure, wow-that''s 13 going on 14 years...

 

[monarch64]

Date: 3/27/2008 8:41:12 PM
Author: 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

Gothgrrrl, I get carded every single time I shop at Trader Joes and have a couple bottles of wine in my cart. What really cracks them up is that my DL is half chewed apart because I accidentally let the puppy get to it about a year ago. They just love to tease me about the teeth marks on the actual ID and once they look at my birthdate (77) all is fine...I wish they would spend more time laughing over my birth date than the teeth marks!

I had orthodontic braces (clear, top and bottom) installed last April..I thought they would get me carded a lot more but I guess if I don't volunteer a smile no one knows anyway...when I do smile people say I look super young, like 22-24. It's kind of fun! ETA: I guess I never stated my "imaginary age." I think in my own mind that I am still 25, although I'm really 30 and about to turn 31. Time really flies...I can't believe I'm this old...certainly don't feel it or think that I'm that "mature!"

 

[Gothgrrl]

Monarch, that''s funny. A half eaten DL. I know what you mean about how time flies. I have 5 more months of being 30 something. I forgot to state my imaginary age, which is 28. I''ve been 28 for a few years now!

Gemgirl, I too can''t believe how many PS''ers are so young. Those darn young-uns!

 

[LitigatorChick]

Someone asked my age the other day - I am 31. I think my imaginary age is about 27.

 

[strmrdr]

somedays 12 other days 72 lol