Someone recently said the following to me with a straight face: "You know you're getting old when all your friends start having babies on purpose". Ah youth.... It is an interesting perspective - one I used to share...but that was oh so long ago and it got me thinking....what constitutes getting old?
You know you're getting old when your favorite song in high school is played on the radio as a Golden Oldie.
You know you're getting old when you get more excited about buying a washer & dryer than you do about buying the newest music from your favorite band.
You know you're getting old when your oldest child gets their drivers license.
You know you're getting older when your YOUNGEST gets theirs. (Where is the lane on the highway lined with old tires and bumpers like they have at the bowling alley?)
You know you're getting old when your kids graduate from high school and are picking out a college.
You know you're getting old when you attend weddings from the pews instead of on the altar wearing the ugly I'll never wear this again dress or ill-fitting tux. (Bride & Groom excluded)
You know you're getting old when the kids who show up to the party who refer to you as Grandma or Grandpa. (Who are you and where are your parents?)
You know you're getting old when the funerals you attend aren't for ancient relatives you barely remember, but for a beloved Aunt / Uncle / Cousin who is gone too soon.
You know you're getting old when you feel like you need to card the doctor who comes in to examine you. (What? Are you like 12?)
You know you're getting old when everyone in the bar looks like they're out past their bedtime. (And put some clothes on!)
You know you're getting old when you lose your filters and tend to say whatever is on your mind to whomever without regard to where you are.
You know you're getting old when fiber cereal is starting to sound like a good plan. (But I still won't eat liver & onions.)
You know you're getting old when you can't remember where you put the car keys...and they were just in your hand.
You know you're getting old when you find the car keys in your coat pocket...right where you stuck your hand moments before.
You know you're getting old when you can totally empathize with your aging dog's stiff joints, aching muscles and total resistance to going out in the rain. (And yet she looks at me like I'm insane if I offer to hold the umbrella for her.)
You know you're getting old when you wake up one day and realize that you probably should have started saving for retirement 5 years earlier.
You know you're getting old when the optometrist says "Bifocals"...or worse "Trifocals".
You know you're getting old when your purse would win prizes on Lets Make a Deal because you have literally everything but the kitchen sink in there. (I'll take Door #3)
You know you're getting old when naps sound like a great way to pass a rainy afternoon. (My creaky old dog thinks so, too!)
You know you're getting old when you discover that you are the family expert on how to remove a stain. (Just give it to Mom...she knows how to get that out....)
You know you're getting old the first time someone calls you Ma'am or Sir. (With the exception of my friends and relatives who are in law enforcement. Then it's Sir or Ma'am all day long).
You know you're getting old when you go to a movie that references an historical event from decades ago and you realize that you remember watching it on the family black & white RCA TV while your father messed with the rabbit ears to get better reception.
You know you're getting old when you still think that cursive writing and algebra are things you'll eventually use. (One day...coming soon...getting closer!)
You know you're getting old when you can actually remember what we did before cell phones, computers, caller ID and Xbox.
The litmus test for "getting old" is a moving target and slightly different for each generation. Is it true that age is only a number and you're only as old as you feel? I don't know....give me your opinion on age.
