Signs of middle age

[Devastated999]

After many years of feeling that I was an imposter as an adult, I have suddenly jumped to feeling decidedly middle aged (and very happy being so).

The reason being, my sudden overwhelming obsession with gardening. I am spending all my free time either in the garden, or researching plants, watching gardening programmes and spending all my spare money on plants (even though I have run out of space for them).

I know that gardening is for anyone of any age, but for me it reminds me of my garden obsessed parents, therefore a middle-age hobby (for me).

What made you feel/accept the you were middle-aged?

We had some medical students in our department the other day, they honestly looked like high school kids to me ( not even year 11 age either). I’m soo old 😂

Actually repeating what my dad used to say “is that supposed to be music?”

Oh and the oof! when getting up or sitting down.

Realising that a few choices my parents used to make that I once thought were boring are actually the best choices. Like:
Good vanilla ice cream really is the best flavour
Traditional anything, almost always is better than a fashionable one. (see fancy hot x bun flavours, also mince pies, and things like Gin and cakes)
Quality not quantity. Buy cheap, pay dear is true.
Also, when your GP looks about 14.😞

Sorry to hear about the gardening, OP. I swear that I came home from my 40th birthday bash and thought 'The delphiniums are coming along nicely but they look crowded in that bed, I must do some weeding at the weekend.' And I had never done an hour's gardening in my life before that.

Needing reading glasses, thinning and greying hair, creaky joints, sagging face, weight on the belly that won’t shift.

In my head I haven’t changed at all which makes the above so difficult to accept 😩 I’ve always loved NT visits and anything historical but also love bouncing to loud music. Luckily all the old bands I like are still touring so I can be in my happy place with all the other middle aged teenagers.

I have just started to attempt some gardening. I’m not very patient but wanted to reduce the veggie bill and have a bit of colour in the garden. No idea what I’m doing.

The grunting noise when sitting/bending/standing up, as PP have mentioned.
Not understanding words my teenager uses. Or him laughing at phrases I use which I think everyone knows, like "slapdash" or "airy fairy".
Saying "ooh, lovely!" when a tea shop comes into view on a day out.
Big comfy pants and elasticated waists.

Preferring radio 2 over radio 1 and having no idea what’s number 1 in the charts.
Seeing fashions come around for the 2nd time.

Being scared of falling over.

Had a heavy fall in the garden last winter and spent the week feeling totally shaken up tearful.

That sounds like perfection!

I accept that a lot of middle-agedness comes from the (bastard) menopause. Eyesight plumeting, weight skyrocketing, greying hair, being stiff and afraid of falling, memory dissapearing and the saggyness of skin. And, that’s all negative for me.

But I am loving the garden being my focus. I actually feel obsessed with it. I finally know what my parents feel about spending all their free time gardening. My only fear os the slugs and snails thwarting my plans.

I was born to be middle aged! I love everything about it. I have nothing to prove to anyone, nothing to fight for its a special kind of freedom. I dont apologise for being me and doing as I please. The kids are self reliant and I am not needed so much its fabulous. Yes the body is less willing than the mind but for all the creaks I absolutely love my life.

Knowing where all the nicest local toilets are and making a mental note when you discover a new one

@Devastated999 yep - i think it’s when you feel satisfied not feeling you have to do anything ‘much’ -

I no longer feel that 6pm is absurdly early to eat dinner.

Prefer my cat to people
Happy in my own company
My garden is my happy place

Being on a flight last week and finding out the person flying the plane was 26

Ok I'm 64 so pretty old, but my ds is 25. He's a child, when did children start flying planes.

In all seriousness well done to him, his mum must be very proud. I barely trust my ds to drive his car.

Policeman now look about 12 to me and the idea I might have to call them to come help seems ridiculous.

Oh and learning my first love is actually dead. I mean he died early at 50 but still. That's the boy I used to be mad about and he's fricken dead. So I must be pretty old as well.

I always thought I’d stick at 30 in my head. But mid 40’s a few aches and pains and I now feel a bit old. Reading glasses, grey hairs and my child’s teachers looking like they should still be at school themselves.

Grey eyebrow hairs - the horror, the horror

Big pants, comfy shoes, 1000 piece jigsaws, talk radio and early nights.

I saw a meme recently about when you're young and you drop something, you just pick it up. When you're old you wonder if you actually need the thing you dropped.

In the supermarket this week I inadvertently knock a bottle of wine off a stand. It didn't break but it did roll under the display.

I decided I didn't need it.

I just turned 50 and was most excited by all of my beautiful trees and plants that I was bought.

For me, it was when I started to care more about the birds, the garden and the countryside, than I did about my appearance, going out and relationships.

It may sound odd to some but I just realised how insignificant I was compared to other things.

it was like having blinkers removed - I could suddenly see what was important and what was bullshit. I developed a keen interest in the weather, astronomy and walking and was all the better for it.

Seeing news readers that are younger than me.
Waving at cars to slow down along my road.

That going out for an early dinner, followed with reading a good book by the light of a scented candle, and then going to bed early with a man who loves me......is my perfect Saturday night.