It’s Official. I’m Getting Old.
Posted by Amy Sleep in October 16th 2008
I never thought it would happen. I never saw it coming even. Then suddenly I realized it. Yikes! I’m a big step closer to being old.
Now before you start spewing clichés like “age is a state of mind”, “you’re only as old as you feel” or even “with age comes wisdom” (although I’m kind of counting on these clichés to be true) I unfortunately have solid, quantifiable evidence that I’m getting old. And I set myself up for it even.
When I was a senior in college my roommate and I wrote the “Rules to Know You’re Old”. Of course, when we wrote them we thought there would be NO WAY we could EVER meet all the requirements. And, thus, we would never be old. We even purposely left things off the list like gray hair (we both already had some at that time) and saying things like “when I was young” or “because I said so”.
The rules we developed are pretty simple. You have to meet all of three requirements to be considered the dreaded “old”. Here they are:
Rules to Know You’re Old
You Must Answer “Yes” to All Three Items Below
- Meet 2 of the following 3 items:
- Own a home
- Be married
- Have a child
- Stay out late twice a month with “late” defined as:
- 1 am or later
- Does not count if you are in your own home by yourself or with hubby
- Own a minivan or station wagon
The one that’s currently keeping me up at night is, funny enough, the one about staying out late twice a month. I don’t know when it happened. All I know is I suddenly realized I can’t think of ever asking a babysitter to stay past midnight (and even midnight is a big night out!). And if we’re at a friend’s house for the weekend I tend to turn into a pumpkin (or a zombie) around 11:30.
I did try and regain some of my youth last month at our couple of trade shows when I was sans-kids (really. I was out til 3am even!). However, I’m quickly stepping back into my old self now that I’m home again. Who knew when I was 21 that I’d some day be older and responsible.
At least I can hold onto the “no station wagon or minivan” rule. Yay! I guess I’ll never REALLY be old! (just old-er – and wiser too, I hope!)
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1am? I didn’t even know there was a 1am anymore. I’m lucky I can stay awake past 10pm.
I’m guilty on the other ones too so I guess I’m pretty old.
I’m going to start asking for the senior citizen discount.
I never thought 30 was old, so I’m pretty ok for now. But, when 40 comes, look out–I’ll probably be a mess!
My favorite “old” saying these days is “the age at which I get old is a sliding scale” which I guess makes more sense when I say it than when I write it, but I guess you know what I mean?
I used to think 30 was old, and now, not so much!
I’m right there with you turning the light out way before 1am these days – I think I would be that way anyway, but my daughter is a very early riser too, so that is an added reason for my early bedtime.
Okay – I guess I’m old LOL I’m turning 30 next week but 30 doesn’t make me feel old. Being a stay-at-home Mom does LOL
How neat.. you all have this blog. I just found it through my best bud Nell’s blog.
I must be really old since I can say yes to all of that LOL. It’s funny when hubbs and I start yawning by 8:00 and when we were out dating would stay up all hours of the night being silly and crazy.
Okay, it’s me, the roommate. I am so relieved, because I thought you were about to say you have a minivan!!
But yes, nights can be tough. With kids, you can’t just sleep it all off in the morning anymore because they are up. Dependably. So I try to stretch that rule out a bit. Does it count if you are in your neighbors’ garage watching football? How about if you are on the couch watching a movie (okay, so I fall asleep and just happen to wake up after one to drag myself to bed)? Or if at least a couple times a year I make it OUT– bars, clubs, etc?
But really, I can’t be old because I don’t FEEL old. When we were young, I thought people with kids were old by default. But that isn’t me! I have kids, and responsibilities, and I love my life. I don’t mind going to bed at 11 (or 10) because then I can be there for my kids in the morning. And really, didn’t we always know it would come to this:
I DON’T HAVE A MINIVAN! So I am not old.