Fifth Avenue Forum

I generally feel and think more youthful and try to maintain that outlook.

BUT, there have been a few points in the second half of my 52 years where I realized I wasn't as young as I once was.

That first smack of a raindrop on a bare scalp.

Waking up stiff, but not in the good way.

Being called "Sir."

But this morning hit another milestone. Flipping through the stations, I came across "Paradise City" playing on the "Oldies" station.

Sigh.

For any of you more experienced posters, when did you receive notice of your aging?

Mine was the first time I took senior pictures for a 17/18 year old and I had graduated with the kid's parent. That made me feel old.

I turn 40 this year and for the first time I realized I didn't just graduate High school last week.

I also realized that by the end of this decade all of my kids will have finished High School and be adults themselves.

I'm not old, but seeing players getting drafted into pro sports being born in the 2000s is whackadoodles

I'm not old, but seeing players getting drafted into pro sports being born in the 2000s is whackadoodles

That's how it starts. Welcome to the Old Guys Club.

When my youngest graduated from high school.

Welcome to the Old Guys Club.

No. That's not true. That's impossible.

Brushing my teeth at 27, I hurt my back leaning over to spit out the toothpaste.

Having kids has accelerated the feeling of being old. I cannot keep up with them by any stretch of the imagination

By this time next year, I'll have been in the workforce for half my life.

I'm not old, but seeing players getting drafted into pro sports being born in the 2000s is whackadoodles

Yup, same. The kid's in this draft were not alive during 9/11...bananalands.

But I act young and have a very "young" lifestyle...so I'm good for now...

Wasn't the first time (would say that was when I was coaching high school frisbee and the freshmen from my first year graduated), but I went to a friend's house for the Super Bowl this year. He has two young kids (8 and 4). It reminded me of when my parents would host people when I was a kid, and I either had to go to bed or do things in another area of the house. I suddenly came to the realization that I'm the "adult" now.

last Sunday when I hurt my back lifting

There were little things here and there that I picked up on, and most of it was already mentioned here. The music you grew up on now being played on era-specific (later classic rock) radio stations. Seeing friends with kids, then seeing those kids with prom/graduation/boot camp/college grad pics on FB.

Most recently it was in our office, where everybody was joking about being old. I laughed at them and said "pffft, amateurs." All of my coworkers in my hallway are late 20s to mid 30s. I think the oldest among them would be 35. I guess on the plus side, none of them knew I was in my mid 40s. On the downside, there are now plenty of old man JS jokes that go around.

the first time I said something was "20 years ago" that didn't happen when I was still in school. just recently I've had to say "30 years ago". that ****'s painful.

When quoting classic movies landed with a thud.

I'm 39 and just started skateboarding and doing martial arts, so in that regard I feel pretty damn young, but with the knee and shoulder injuries that went with that and didn't go away so fast, I can say it's the first time I felt old.

When my daughter started college.

This is easy, it was about 5 years ago at the Winking Lizard in downtown Cleveland and I realized I couldn’t read the beer menu.

Co worker the other day in a meeting said “Could you enlarge whats on the screen for the 40 year old in the back?” And I said uh-huh, that’s how it starts. You’ll give up and go to the eye doctor soon enough.

I'm not old, but seeing players getting drafted into pro sports being born in the 2000s is whackadoodles

Sid getting drafted (one year younger than me) is when the true reality of the dream being over hit me.

Emotionally - when i first noticed my hairline was receding.

Physically - I still feel ok there, only thing I've noticed is that my appetite and metabolism are changing.

I was doing pretty good until my oldest turned 45 and I got in my 70's Almost everything seems to be harder to do. Sure glad snow removal has not been an issue this winter. And when I forgot my wife's birthday I knew I was old.

I'm 39 and just started skateboarding and doing martial arts, so in that regard I feel pretty damn young, but with the knee and shoulder injuries that went with that and didn't go away so fast, I can say it's the first time I felt old.

I'm 38 and those are guaranteed injuries in my mind. My first one was at 27, pulling a hip flexor doing yoga.

High school, when other students thought that I was "Jump Street"

I turn 37 in May. I don't feel old by any stretch, except for occasional lower back pain. I am a kid at heart, love rolling around on the floor with my daughter, and chasing her outside.

For me, I am obsessed with chronology/time. For example, last year being the milestone that my high school graduation was halfway back to my birth. I'm always thinking about how many years have passed since X. I think being in my 30s (and still adjacent to my 20s) helps...40s will be interesting.

The "blank looks".

I always get them when I reference a "MAC machine." (Which is all the time, because I never say "ATM")

I also remember a specific instance, chatting with (who I now realize was a much younger) co-worker about the dish soap in the kitchen at work. I was talking about "Madge" and "dishpan hands" and he looked like a deer in headlights. I felt effing old that day.

For me, I am obsessed with chronology/time. For example, last year being the milestone that my high school graduation was halfway back to my birth. I'm always thinking about how many years have passed since X.

ME TOO.