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Original poster

Tell me about a time when you felt old

283 replies

Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:11

This is absolutely ‘just for fun’ on a wet Sunday, so please take this in the spirit that it’s intended!

I was at an 18th birthday party a few weeks ago. I went to the buffet and there was hot and cold food (think curry and sandwiches) so I had a plate of both. A lovely young man behind me, asked where I was sitting and whether I needed help, carrying one of the plates back.

Im able bodied and 44 😆 but appreciated the sentiment

Your turn!

OP posts:
KimberleyClark · 15/02/2026 13:42

ultracynic · 15/02/2026 13:40

When my kid did a family project at school, and wrote “my parents were born in the 1900s”

Just now,when I realise that to me the 1900s means the years 1901-09!

ultracynic · 15/02/2026 13:40

When my kid did a family project at school, and wrote “my parents were born in the 1900s”

Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:40

Bettysnow · 15/02/2026 13:38

A young colleagues shock when she realised there had been no mobile phones/ Internet when I was young!
She couldn't understand how we learned/ revised or kept in touch with friends. She was shocked to learn that I had to walk to friends houses and knock the door to speak to them

Or when meeting up, you made plans and needed to stick to them! No texting that you’re running late, or venue change!

OP posts:
Imicola · 15/02/2026 13:39

Theonlywayicanloveyou · 15/02/2026 13:37

Have they been living as hermits over the last 12 months?!

Show quote history

It was before their comeback tour, a few years ago. But i kind of thought of it as similar to not knowing who the Beatles were, or Elvis, when i was growing up.

Bettysnow · 15/02/2026 13:38

A young colleagues shock when she realised there had been no mobile phones/ Internet when I was young!
She couldn't understand how we learned/ revised or kept in touch with friends. She was shocked to learn that I had to walk to friends houses and knock the door to speak to them

Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:38

Theonlywayicanloveyou · 15/02/2026 13:37

Have they been living as hermits over the last 12 months?!

Show quote history

Honestly, my husband told someone he’d seen them 6 times and they replied that they hadn’t realised they’d done that many past gigs!

OP posts:
Theonlywayicanloveyou · 15/02/2026 13:37

Imicola · 15/02/2026 13:36

When a couple of my younger colleagues were discussing music and had no idea who Oasis were. I felt so old!

Have they been living as hermits over the last 12 months?!

Theonlywayicanloveyou · 15/02/2026 13:36

Basquervill · 15/02/2026 13:23

I don’t feel old, actually, but I increasingly feel that people younger than me have a very limited scope compared to me… they just have less experience, and that looks like a disadvantage.

This is very true but it’s an advantage that it impossible to use - because externally it is perceived as a drawback (eg at work)

Imicola · 15/02/2026 13:36

When a couple of my younger colleagues were discussing music and had no idea who Oasis were. I felt so old!

Simonjt · 15/02/2026 13:36

A waiter asked if my son knew what he wanted to order, it was my husband who is only six years younger than me! Plus I was only 31 at the time, thats before I had all my gray hair, god knows what they’d say now.

Last year I started doing hyrox at my first ‘big’ competition when the announcer was announcing everyone I was the “oldest competitor of the day” 38!

We were watching a film where someone died, I can’t remember what it was, anyway, our son said he’d never been to a funeral but he would probably get to go to mine quite soon.

RosesAndHellebores · 15/02/2026 13:35

Last time I bought a ticket at the station. The chap asked if I had a senior citizens rail card. I am 65, but the indignity!

Oh and in A&E five years ago, "you're over 6p, so I'll assume you are retired". Er no (and still not).

Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:35

Mum4589 · 15/02/2026 13:34

I was told not to come into work when it snowed, in case I had a fall. I was 49.

Bloody hell 😆 I hope you told them that you used to wear your heels on nights out, even when it snowed

OP posts:
Echobelly · 15/02/2026 13:34

When I first started seeing posters for music artists playing Wembley and had no idea who they were because I'd never heard of them. That waning of my pop culture awareness started happening in my mid 30s.

When a younger workmate told me they'd love to use a fax machine.

When I realised I was born in the 'late 1900s'! 😆

Mum4589 · 15/02/2026 13:34

I was told not to come into work when it snowed, in case I had a fall. I was 49.

LittleMy77 · 15/02/2026 13:34

Explaining to our newer colleagues, the concept of the internal post envelopes we’d send memos etc in, and the mail room team that would do 3 x a day deliveries

Same with call conferencing; the sweating responsibility of being the person with the webex conference host codes and urls for calls, and having to use shitty phones to call in, and knowing if you disconnected the entire team would drop. I remember printing off 20 sets of presentations every Friday for project update meetings as no one wanted them electronically- that’s prob only about 11 years ago!

Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:33

maddiemookins16mum · 15/02/2026 13:30

I’m 61, two weeks ago I was training some new starts at work, none of them were born before 2005.

I’ve got undies in my knicker drawer that I purchased before 2005!

OP posts:
Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:31

bumphousebump · 15/02/2026 13:29

The other night, 4 of us out for a pizza, 3 late 50s and one in her 70s, all fit, able, all own marbles, dressed well. The 17 year old waitress was eyeing us up like we might all die on her shift, looked like she wanted to explain what a pizza was to us, and was amazed we were out late and having a cocktail….and I suddenly had a shift in thinking, of ‘oh shit, this is how people might start treating me’….

This was exactly how I felt! It was the sudden realisation of someone else’s perception. It did tickle me because I think my brain stopped aging in my late 20s 😆

OP posts:
Theonlywayicanloveyou · 15/02/2026 13:31

When it turned out a colleague had been born the year I graduated.

BloodyHellBob · 15/02/2026 13:30

@DreamingOfGeneHunt OMG! That made me laugh! I can even hear it being said Grin

Sandcaaarstle · 15/02/2026 13:30

Every time I look in a mirror 😩

maddiemookins16mum · 15/02/2026 13:30

I’m 61, two weeks ago I was training some new starts at work, none of them were born before 2005.

bumphousebump · 15/02/2026 13:29

The other night, 4 of us out for a pizza, 3 late 50s and one in her 70s, all fit, able, all own marbles, dressed well. The 17 year old waitress was eyeing us up like we might all die on her shift, looked like she wanted to explain what a pizza was to us, and was amazed we were out late and having a cocktail….and I suddenly had a shift in thinking, of ‘oh shit, this is how people might start treating me’….

Original poster
Newbie8918 · 15/02/2026 13:28

EmotionalSupportBiscuit · 15/02/2026 13:26

Explaining a fax machine to one of our apprentices. Their mind was utterly boggled that we didn’t just email stuff.

Wait until you tell them that we used to block the landline whilst we used the internet!

OP posts:
EmotionalSupportBiscuit · 15/02/2026 13:26

Explaining a fax machine to one of our apprentices. Their mind was utterly boggled that we didn’t just email stuff.

Iwantsandybeachesandgoodfood · 15/02/2026 13:26

When I was a teacher one of my students asked if I was born in the olden days, the 1900’s. I had to laugh and agree that I was.