To ask how you know you're old? (Lighthearted)

[movingonok]

A friend's niece with the surname Taylor is having a daughter and considering the name Elizabeth. I mumbled about how it's a lovely name and were they a fan? Silence. Explained more about Elizabeth Taylor and met with blanks. They didn't know what I was on about.

I'm now clearly old.

When you teach at your old school and what you learned as 'current affairs ' is now history.
It was Events of 1986 when I was a 6th former.
When you have a birthday and a student asks your age and says " wow I didn't think you were THAT old, Miss".

When you are the designated driver and all the drunk people are really really irritating and you long for your sofa, your cats and a quiet night in watching casualty.

It was a lesson on the Chernobyl disaster as history and I remember walking into the classroom as a 6th former and being told what happened by our teacher.

Mid sixties. I’ve started doing ‘old lady’ things apparently. Talking to my cat as though he understands me. I always have sweets in my pockets. And I now like fish !!

Chain Reaction came on the radio the other day, and I commented that I think of it as a "new" Diana Ross song. It was 39 years ago.

I was saying to younger colleagues,how Northern soul singles go for stupid money
What's a single?.

When you save (dry, fold up, and put in the car for safekeeping) the plastic bag poncho thingy from a music festival because you never know when it might come in handy again.

Having said that I've just asked my 17 year old to help hang out the washing and she said the words "oooh new pegs".....so there is hope!

I have kitted out my car for most eventualities. Little first aid box, torch, notebook, pen and Ibuprofen in glove box. Jumper neatly folded on back seat (just incase). Umbrella and old fashioned paper road atlas in storage pocket on the back of driver's seat. Picnic blanket in boot.

I find it immensely comforting.

I don't feel safe running upstairs in mule slippers! Ones with backs only now .

To be fair that sounds like a great day!

(We may be similar ages :-D)

Making a weird noise when standing up or sitting down.

Getting the old person discount in Iceland without being asked (I was fuming!)

A kid telling me in the olden days people used to use chalk and blackboards.

When instead of going out and suffering crowds and loud music on a Friday night I realised I'd rather stay home and drink herbal tea to be fresh for 8.00am yoga on Saturday.

Also the absolute thrill of delight when someone cancels a social engagement last minute! It happened on `Saturday. I was all dressed and had done my makeup when the dinner guests cancelled due to stomach bug in the family.

I made the appropriate sympathetic noises and assured them I hadn't gone to any trouble (whilst looking round at the set table, opened bottles of wine and kitchen full of food), then ran upstairs to put my PJs on. I packed up/froze the dinner as appropriate, made a plate of the best bits for my own dinner and settled down to watch Strictly with a dry martini, a delicious solo meal and no washing up to do.

I used to have my car kitted out with all kinds of 'just in case' stuff in my 20s - spare clothes, sleeping bag, paracetamol (and for some reason a portable BBQ) - in case of impromptu parties meaning I had to sleep over or in my car !

Instead of music stations I now have my car radio tuned talk radio - in particular to Radio 4 and I get very grumpy if anyone messes with it !!

when children that I taught dance to for years are now bringing their children to my dance classes. That makes me feel really old, that and my knees.

I have finally come to the realisation that I can go out for the day or I can go out for the evening. I cannot possibly do both.

Being intolerant to other people and their stupid conversation i.e. going on endlessly about their fav subject or telling me how to do something as if I were stupid or senile.

When I mentioned to a colleague that I first got a Facebook account in 2005 and she said she wasn’t born then 😩

Although I have never felt so young and hip as I did last week. We have a fifteen-year-old Saturday girl who just started and we were both wearing the same trainers 😎

I have t-shirts which are older than my mid-30s colleagues.

Oh God yes, this !! And the realisation that rather than go out for the evening I would much rather have a nice bubble bath and watch a good film in my jim jams with a glass of wine and some nice nibbles !!

I have a pair of Pepe jeans from way back when I was a size 10 - circa 1985. Couldn’t get one leg in them now, but somehow I can’t seem to throw them away !! They’re also not very well worn, suggesting that I wasn’t a size 10 for very long !!

When your memories are more important than your dreams.

When offered a seat on a bus while on holiday by a person who looked in their twenties. That was bad enough but the same happened when in a large city by a woman who looked my age!!!

Am I that annoying older person who now chats with shop assistants and barristas? I think I am.

Me and another colleague of similar age were chatting to a much younger colleague and we mentioned 'Live Aid'. Younger colleague said 'oh yeah, I learnt about that in history at school'. FFS.

A little more serious note, but relevant I think. Being diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year in my mid sixties. Although the prognosis is good it really pulled me up and made me feel my mortality. Up until that point I’d been jogging along, as you do, until the news made me realise that actually, no, I’m not going to live for ever, but hoping that this isn’t going to be what finishes me off !!