Is anyone else totally shocked by their own age?

[Darkdiamond]

I feel like the last time I checked, I was around 29. I'm now 41 and feel like I've lost a decade! I've young kids, including a toddler so have spent the past 9 years pregnant, breastfeeding and in the thick of nappies, potty training, Paw Patrol and all things Young Kids. It has kid of blindsided me to the fact that I'm actually middle aged. In my head I'm late twenties and feel like things have been on pause since then (in a good way). I have friends around the same age with teenagers, kids at uni etc and I honestly don't think I'm old enough for that to even be possible, but it is? I was brushing my hair and caught sight of my hands and noticed they have aged a lot. Then I thought, yeah but you're in your 40s now! I'm still having regular periods, just stopped breastfeeding 6 months ago and I just don't feel any different!

Anybody else?

@StJulian2023, your post really moved me and I hope you've found some solace/happiness in the years after his death.

I'm wondering if we stop aging (in our mind) at the age when a significant event happened? This could also be children being born or something else.

Definitely had this thing where 15 - 20 years where my kids had their childhoods and everything was a blur.

How come my childhood lasted for 18 solid years and my kid's' childhood's seemed to last about 3 and a bit years?!

I turned 56 last month. For some reason I felt I could kid myself 55 was youngish. But 56?

I looked at myself in the mirror yesterday. My hair was swept back and it's very thin at the front. And, with the glasses, I'm my granny!

Lucky you. When my hair is swept back I look like my dad, who looks like his dad!!

Who had no teeth!!!!

Yup! I’m 57 and was out with friends recently and we were checking who had the next big birthday - I know it is a while away yet, but a friend who is just four older than me said her next big birthday is 70 and that felt incredible!

However, I have friends who haven’t made it this far, so I am thrilled to be alive and largely well.

It was years ago, but at one point a neighbour of a GM used to say, every time we met her, ‘Seventy-five!! And everybody says I’m wonderful!’ 😂

I hope I get make it through horrified to this.

At the moment I'm slightly convinced ageing is just a cruel joke and there's a gotcha waiting for me just around the corner.

This. Similar age, circumstances and feelings. A friend died at 44 and I think of what she has missed and am thankful for what I have, grey hairs, wrinkles and all.

I turned 60 in October last year, and I still have to remind myself regularly that I am now 60! In my head,I don't actually feel any different to how I did at 18. I can hardly believe that that was 42 years ago.

My old lady travel pass pic looks like DGM. Not happy about that at all.

DB and I had the 'need POAs done, don't we?' chat the other week and looked at each other with 'Fuuuuuuccckk, are we REALLY that old?' expressions on our faces.

I know I'm really lucky to be approaching 60 but omg it's sobering isn't it...

I think maybe it seems to jump so fast these days as people in their 20s are almost seem as still kids, while people in their 30s are now often only just buying houses, getting married etc. So one minute people feel like just leaving their childhood and the next entering middle age, all within about 10 years!

Really felt my age this week. I was catching a bus outside my former University. There were a load of students waiting for the same bus. When the bus arrived they all stood aside to let me board the bus in front of them. When I said they were they before me in queue they told me it was ok and to get a seat. I am 42 but feel 22.

Handsome young men keep giving up their seats for me on the tube. I tell myself it's not because I remind them of their DM (or worse, DGM).

I have noticed now that delivery men are much more inclined to offer to carry heavy deliveries upstairs to my flat, rather than just dumping them on the doorstep. I've lived in this house for 20yrs so lots of experience in that area.

I've also had seats offered to me once or twice. I quite like it! Overall I think people are more respectful which is nice.

I'm with you all. I had my baby at 26. Covid hit when she was 4. Now I'm 35 what the fuck?! When did that happen?? Covid has a lot to answer for imo. That whole thing feels like yesterday, but it was 4 years ago. 🤯

Our kids are grown up and the CEO where I work is 31, which is only slightly older than my oldest child. My manager was born when I was 17.

it is scary how fast it goes!

Totally agree, I'm turning 40 soon and feel like it's just hit me like a ton of bricks that I'm not actually 'young' anymore.

Obviously I know that aging is better than the alternative but fuck it's scary!!

I'm more shocked by the year tbh

I look at the youngsters these days and they do seem young

I'm 42 and remember being that age

The 1980s were only a few years ago, right?! It's only when I realise how old my 'kids' are I realise how old I am. 😳

I remember shopping with my gran as a child. She mentioned something about an old woman walking past yet she must have been almost the same age. I remember thinking eh…you are an old woman too 😄 Maybe my gran didn’t realise she too looked exactly the same as the person she was claiming looked so old. I think I’m the same now, I can’t believe how fast time has moved and it’s scary.

Im scared of death but I’ll be grateful to be lucky enough to get old. It’s a strangely terrifying thought.

The thing that always shakes me is thinking about how 60s music, movies and fashions felt to me in the 90s. A million years ago - a foreign world.

And then realising the 90s are like that to the nows.

I was on a TV programme once, and I was reminiscing about it with my Mum, yesterday. It was in 2001, which to me feels like a few years ago. It suddenly dawned on me that it was actually 23 years ago.

Also, I took my Mum to the GP recently as she had a number of issues. She said to the GP "Don't get old, doctor" the GP replied "it's better than the alternative" The GP also said that she used that line every day.

I'm 52 with a 12 year old DD. In my head, I still feel young. My body is totally fucked with arthritis though. The fact that I'm fifty something absolutely horrifies me, and I just hope I'm around a good but longer for my DD.