To think I’m officially old now? What was your defining moment?!

[moggo]

That’s it. I’ve now officially hit old age. Went to a concert with my daughter this week and it was standing. I was on the fringes of a mosh pit and it was very annoying. My feet are still bruised, my hips and legs are killing me and I can’t hear anything. I’m still absolutely exhausted too. I’m 58.

When did you have your epiphany?

I can’t judge ageing on physical grounds as I developed arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues in my mid 20s, so for me it would have to be mental shift. Not quite sure what to look for but don’t think I am quite there yet in my 40s!

I see your Nan shock and raise you mine. I was in Clarks looking for shoes for my son when a very elderly lady started talking to him. She then turned to me and enquired, "and what does he call you? Nana? Gran?"
He was 3 and I was 40 😩

OMG Did you lock them in the supply cupboard?

61, just in from a 14 mile run. I haven’t had my old age epiphany yet. I don’t go gigging but mainly as half the bands that I have loved are semi retired now.
I have decided not to get old as I don’t really have the time.

When, at the age of 43 I told someone I’d become a grandmother. Instead of saying ‘wow, you’re very young to be a Nan’ they just said ‘ah, lovely. Congratulations.’

Mid-50s here. I went to a gig with my teen DD and her friend, as U-16s had to be accompanied. Now I actually like the band and wanted to see them, but fuck me if I'm standing up for 2.5 hours being shoved around on a sticky floor while trying to have a plastic glass of wine. So I asked the staff if there was anywhere to sit down. I meant like a seated area or balcony, but they led me to a nice room in the back with tables and chairs. There I found several middle-aged women sitting around reading, knitting or working on laptops. It was the old giffers who want to sit down room! I was sad to miss seeing the band but I could still hear them and sitting down was a no-brainer.

When the lovely lady on the supermarket till asked me if I was keeping myself "warm enough" during a particularly cold snap.
I am 126 but don't need to be reminded!

When a new colleague started work and in a twist of fate, he was from the same small-ish town as I grew up in over 100 miles away. We were chatting about the bars and pubs that are still there (me being down with the kids😄) and he said something along the lines of ‘ I bet you were in the same bars and pubs as my mum in those days…’ it took me a few seconds to realise he was actually right and I was old enough to be his mum😳

Oh, this thread makes me want to cry. 😭 I'm 54, and have seen my favourite band seven times in the past three years, and the singer solo ten times in that time, travelling all over the country. I need a walking stick to get about due to nerve damage in my foot and lower leg from a previous injury, but every time without fail I would be right on the front. Happy to queue to ensure this. I've always hated sitting at gigs - boring! Yes, I would be knackered afterwards, but it was worth it!

Then I had a fall last month, broke my wrist and hip, and sustained even more nerve damage to my foot and leg. Now I need a walking frame to get about, and I don't know when or if I'll ever get back to just using a stick. I fear that my days of standing at the front at gigs may be over for ever, and that just sucks big time. ☹️

The grey didn't bother me, but it's all generally getting a bit sparse (apart from the ones half way down my thigh obv). The sparseness bothered me for some reason - I've got grey hair, wrinkles, post menopause.
I (obv) don't let it impact my life in any way and am otherwise not old (according to my peers, I don't ask my teenager).

Ouch. I've had that painful response to standing listening to music for as long as I can remember, so no extra problem there for me. Hope you are feeling better now
I think for me the moment of truth came when colleagues who I vaguely thought of as broadly in my age group started saying things like 'My Mum (once My Gran!) likes that too.'

A bright young thing on the tills at TK Max said "ooh I like your coat, where did you get it?" feeling suddenly modern and up to date I told her and then she replied " I think my mum would really like it, going to tell her where to shop"

63, and recently did a zoom meeting. 😱 Seeing myself looking ancient was NOT a confidence boost. But, thankfully, I feel fine physically so I may look ‘officially old’, but don’t feel it yet.

Have you ever watched Vicious? It stars Ian Mckellen and Derek Jacobi as a gay couple who have been together for over 4 decades and spend much of their time bickering and sniping at each other as they negotiate their later years. Anyway, there is a glorious episode where they go clubbing and as they go in they see their reflections and say "oh look there are people here who are older than us...." then realisation dawns!

I was born old.

I think between 60-70 you get, "no age to go" if you die, and if you have kids, 40-50 is "kids are still young too". 30s is "so young too", anything below is "what a tragedy".

I've always struggled standing at concerts since I was young due to back issues so that's not necessarily an age thing, I wouldn't stand now in my 50s though, I'd be knackered as well as having lower back pain.
I'm a few years younger than you and I'd say my 'old' moment is just have so many ailments, I'm on the wait list for a hearing aid as well (although not specifically age related hearing loss, it has exacerbated the existing loss).

Just last week a nice guy at a newsagents was being very helpful with directions to a certain shop... but the way he addressed me and tilted his head to one side was so very 'how to be nice to an old lady' that I wanted to headbutt him!

I loathed Zoom meeings for that reason, the horrible realisation that my face did not match my spirit. I was always complimented on my looks in my younger years and I am ashamed to say that I was rather vain. That dread day when you look in the mirror and think "oh dear, it is personality from now on" . It must be so difficult to be a real beauty and gradually to see it all ebbing away

70. Mainly because I did loads of Am Dram with small groups who were looking for idiot women who were happy to prance around on stage playing much younger roles. A red head - my hair seems to have darkened rather than gone grey, so that helped, and I was always fit with good posture. Then a mild bout of Covid resulted in Long Covid, and fatigue hits if I do much. It also gave me terrible brain fog. I could easily remember pages of dialogue before Covid - suddenly, I couldn't remember 4 lines. Do I feel old now? Yes- but still lurk in New Look with my granddaughters! Onwards and upwards!

This season of Call the Midwife caught up to my birthday 😃

I was about 35 and came home from town with a lovely new pair of shoes but I did not immediately put them on and start parading around the house while gazing at my feet in delight.

I bought some slippers in Tesco and the checkout girl went " Ooh, granny slippers!!"

I am 66 though.

I read somewhere recently (of course i can't remember where) that two dramatic periods of accelerated aging are early 40's and early 60's.

Ugh