to feel I've become middle-aged and irrelevant almost overnight?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

I've just turned 47. And I don't know what's happened! I use to understand memes and cultural references, but now I understand barely 1 word out of 10 in my DC's conversations.

I crave old-fashioned values like kindness, punctuality (I never used to be punctual!!!) and reliability.

Bits of my job (marketing) annoy me now. When people talk about "creating stories" I just think, "oh shut up, you ponce".

I buy things because they look well-made rather than cool.

I crave silence, and reading, and little treats with a coffee. My face scares me if I don't have make-up on. I'm suddenly into gardening.

I'm realising I've probably blown my chances to be a best-selling novelist and TV presenter/Instagram influencer, but I'm finding I'm not really that bothered about it.

My DH is 2 years older and he pusses me if when he suggests going to gigs in the pub, because I've been doing that for 30 years and would just like a nice dinner party, really.

I feel I've gone from young to old in 6 months. Is this normal? Is this how it happens?

I wake up with a hangover after a late night.. without having drunk any alcohol. It's a riot.

Im 26 and im just like this! I don't know how to even pronounce meme!

Now I don't go anywhere near the edge, even when I'm crossing the road

Thanks for making me choke on my coffee :)

Yep, I hear you on all those things! I actually chose to watch "spring watch" when it was on and enjoyed it too! I used to be up until 1am, now it's sleep time around 10. Also have got into gardening and I like "peace and quiet". But with all that comes the joy of not giving a shit! That's a definite bonus.

Yes but I've been like this for a while. It seems my age increase is directly proportional to my inability to give a fuck about most things.

However I do work in a creative role and really struggle with the batshit I have to listen to everyday. I don't understand how some of my colleagues (older than me) still function in this space.

I was at a meeting last week and I cringed so much I think people thought I was fitting or having a stroke.

My question/challenge is: what should I do...suck up the bullshit for the next 20 years and be glad I have a decent job or do something different And if so what??

Answers on a postcard pls

I think I need DH to embrace his age more. I'd like us to be partners in ageing. How can I encourage that?

I'm going to bed at 10.30pm with a Mint Madness, and he's staying up learning to play the guitar.

I need him with me. Moaning about bunions or something. Even just Googling a new soup recipe.

I got excited the other day as realised the benefit of doing the housework in an apron. Granny but genius!

Yes, I relate to all of this! I've just turned 50 and no one pays any attention to me, which is kind of cool in a way. I also work with lots of young women and they are all cold and hungry all of the time. I'm fat and suffering from hot flashes. Ah well, I had my day!

You can be young all your life if you have the right attitude. Try to keep yourself fit and stay positive - other countries are not so obsessed with age. It's just a number at the end of the day. Having said that, at 47, I do have an interest in my garden that was never there before.

Think of the mortgage! Think of your life insurance premiums! We'll have no spontaneity here, thank you very much!

Only choose a new life plan once you've researched it, created it a dedicated Pinterest board, and asked yourself - what would Judith Chalmers do?

In the meantime, you can make up your own wank-speak and send them scurrying to urban dictionary. "I think that idea is very adrenal. Let's tomato-plant next week."

I just had my bunion "done." Life changing OP.

I'm 41.

In fairness, I was never an edge dweller, and am delighted that people my age are now catching up with me.

I saw an unusual bird in the garden and had to look up what it was. Wtf? When did I start caring about birds?
Or watching Antiques programmes? I thought I had longer but it seems I’m ready ...

Four months until my 47th and so far I have developed acid reflux and acne and enough facial hair to stuff a couple of decent sized cushions.

I so know what you all mean. I'm 71, been there and coming back again. Not repeating my 20s, though, no way.

Pussed off is when my cat disappears and sleeps under the hedge because he's having a bad fur day.

I crave silence, and reading, and little treats with a coffee. My face scares me if I don't have make-up on.

This has been me since early teens

As a child my favourite things were crocheting, watching Ground Force and learning the etymology of words. I'm in my early 30s but I think I've been middle aged for most of my life - hopefully this doesn't mean I'm about to be hit by a bus.

What is a meme

I'm realising I've probably blown my chances to be a best-selling novelist

No! Mary Wesley's first novel was published when she was 71 I believe, and she wrote about ten more before she died.

I think it's getting to a level of life experience where you are able to recognise fleeting silly pointless bullshit (or any mixture of the above) for what it is and just deciding to not bother with it because life is too short to engage with this meaningless shit forever.

In the instance of the latest slang...blah blah blah...it'll be gone in five seconds flat to be replaced by the next even more idiotic and cringe-worthy set of stupid made up words or words that used to mean one thing temporaily meaning something else...amazeballs, woke, fat, dope, sick, reem...oh fuck off with your faddy words...you sound like bloody idiots.

Congratulations, OP, you are a grown up with all the wisdom garnered from the knowledge you've spent 47 years accumulating, working through and storing away in your brain's filing cabinets.

It can make you seem like an old grumpy bugger on ocassion though, I do admit, but you have to embrace the serenity that ignoring faddy new crap can bring.

www.comedycentral.co.uk/inside-amy-schumer/videos/inside-amy-schumer-last-fuckable-day

I'm 44 and I had to get my DS (aged 10) to explain what a meme is as I had no idea. I love a spot of gardening and a nice cup of tea and I've got arthritis in my big toe so high heels are torture. I find drinking even in moderation makes me feel like shit now for a couple of days and if I miss a night's sleep or go to bed late I also feel like crap the next day.

I'd love my DH to want to go to a gig though or at least to see some live music. Mine is a boring bastard who prefers computer games, berating the kids about their homework and pottering on his lawn. I'm definitely raging against the dying of the light (albeit in a comfy pair of trainers )

Same as cook I'm 33 and feel the same way! I hope I'm not middle aged!

I HATED gardening when I was younger. Would groan with boredom when my mum switched on Gardener's World. It was just deathly dull and I was never going to be that old and boring.
In the last year I have been seen admiring my godetias, cultivating my second batch of sunflowers and standing in awe at the beautiful black lace elderberry tree at the end of my garden.
Heaven help me.

I can identify with all of your comments! I've embraced my inner grown up in recent years and enjoy gardening, telling off other people's kids and occasional top lip waxes. Actually, no, I don't enjoy the waxing, but am looking forward to the age when I stop because I can't give a monkeys about my whiskers either.
I was eyeing my silvery grey regrowth (hair on head, not lip) recently and wondering when I'd let it grow out rather than colour it.

What is a meme? I hear people talking of them, no idea... I'm 40's and love sitting in peace/watching a bit of catch up tv and knitting. I like Radio 2 for music, 1 is just noise.

Loving this thread. I checked out comfy shoes for the 1st time last week, and was really taken aback that I wasn't even conscious of doing it until a few seconds after returning them to their shelf. I'm still recovering from that one.

I couldn't imagine working in media. I worked in a similar area and wouldn't have a hope of getting back into that , which I'm very glad of.

Taking up gardening also crossed my mind recently.

I'm 4 years older than you OP

It really does happen, then.