Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs <<Liberty Belle: Not to sound nitpicky, but I'm hearing more and more of this lately. Shouldn't it be 'a while before I reach my 30s, much less my 40s'? I'm starting to worry I'm going nuts, just like when I hear 'I could care less'.>> Ah, but I did that on purpose! I deliberately switched the phrase around, hoping that someone with intelligence and decency would find the error of my ways! And you, yes you, LiBel, were the only one who found it! I will send you some ice cream! Since there is no official one, I am awarding you the Unofficial LaughingPlace.com Eagle Eye Award for Grammarticular Excellence! I for one can't stand it when people want to "axe" you a question. Or ask "where you at?"
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<BTW... Ther proper term is "child-free." ;-) Hee hee hee hee...>> My observation regarding this term.... we use the suffix "free" when describing undesireable things. Hence things can be fat-free, caffeine-free, whereas good things have the prefix "less" attached to them: pennyless, hopeless, etc.
Originally Posted By u k fan This is an interesting topic for me as I turn 30 next month. I've always had quite a young outlook on life (no kids, live with my mother, have an interesting job - but no great career) and most people think I'm younger than I am. I even got ID'ed a little while ago so turning 30 has made me look at my life. Well, actually turning 29 made me look at my life and I realized that some of my passions had taken a back seat and kind of figured that at 30 I would have an epiphany and suddenly take up the piccolo or something so I decided to get a jump on things and started when I was 29. I found 3 things I wanted to do and got going. First, was singing. I'd always enjoyed singing so I've joined a chior and had HUGE praise from our leader who herself is an opera singer. She genuinely said I could be one of the best in the world. I love to drop that into the conversation every now again (especially when I'm singing along to the radio in full Mariah mode, lol). Secondly, I've started writing again. I'm working on a musical and have had very good comments so far. I actually find writing easy - that's not to say it's good, but it's always come easy. And lastly, I'm trying to lose a little weight. Not a full blown diet by any stretch, but I've all but given up soda and it's made an amazing difference. I'm now shopping in stores that I couldn't before. I can't tell you how cool that is. So all in all with a month to go before I hit 30 life is good. In my head I'm still 18 so I guess that makes me club 18-30!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan On the subject of inner age, I don't know what age my Dad feels, but at 66 he still referee's men's soccer games and works as a play leader with young children. All this with a rare spine condition that could have put him in a wheelchair 20 years ago and he's never even taken so much as an aspirin for it. Mind you, he can still be a miserable old fart at times!!!
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>Mind you, he can still be a miserable old fart at times!!!<<< And therein lies one of the perks of getting older. I find it liberating!
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Well, what an interesting topic to find the day after my 34th birthday lol. All I can think now, with my birthday barely a day old 'wow, next year I will be 35 dum, dum, dum, dum, dum!!!!' Yes, for me, my WOW moment was definitely my 30th lol. I was freaking OUT!!!! I can't believe my girlfriend at the time put up with me so much. She was 8 months older, had it, celebrated it with stride (ie, got well drunk ) and simply went to work the next day. For me, I was contemplating life: 'where am I now', 'where am I going', 'what have I accomplished that I thought I would by now, blah, blah, blah!!' It was an odd year for me, because until the 8 months or so before that birthday hit, it was no big deal and then out of the blue one day, WHAM!!!! "Oh my god, I'm turning 30!!!!!!!" And from that point on, I just can't stop thinking about age. Now when I hear someone's age, I immediately figure out the year they were born. When I hear someone age's who is older than me, I immediately calculate how many years until I get there myself and so on. Turning 30 sort of screwed me up lol. And people are right, I do have an 'inner age' and for some reason its 27. LOL, don't know why, I think a lot happened that year for me and it was the first time I went to DLP AND TDS, so yeah always memorable lol. Anyway, its odd. I do like hearing, "Wow, you don't look that old" lol. But then, when I get 'compliments' such as, 'Wow, you look 'young'', all of a sudden in my head I tell myself 'is being in your freaking 30's old???" I now get defensive when I hear someone (usually a teenager lol) calling someone in their 40's 'old'. I mean, I will be there in a few years, although still a few, and so I get offended lol. It is a weird time for me. In some ways, my life hasn't changed all that much then when I was 10 years younger. STILL very single lol, basically doing the same job, if only in a different country, have the exact same hobbies, kind of the same friends, some as young as 24 now and so on. Yes, there is this driving need to think about marriage and kids and all that, but I have no interest in quenching it lol. But, I am alone and dare I say it, lonely. The last few birthdays have hit me how lonely I am actually. I was ALWAYS a relationship orientated person, just not a forever-committed one . Not sure if that would change, but yeah, I would LOVE to have a committed relationship with someone again, especially since I haven't had it at all in my 30's, odd. For some reason, I just feel I should at least be AIMING for those things and I guess being in some kind of relationship would at least get the ball rolling, but dating here just as hard for me, ESPECIALLY since I'm in my 30's. Most women I meet all seem to be 24. And nothing wrong with that lol, but yeah, I like people a closer to my age and when I meet those women around my age group, they have this idea I'm nowhere close to their age lol. Not really so much looks as it is just my perspective on things. To some of them, I guess I act like 'a kid' for some who has already been married and divorced, got kids and at one point had a mortgage. For me, I spend most of my time travelling and have a pair of the Golden Mickey Ears I got at DL from the 50th anniversary sitting on my TV (yep, very true lol). Of course, I been on my own since I was 19, had a job every year since I was 16, pay my own bills, save my own money, rely on myself and never anyone for a thing. But, I guess because I don't have 45 year mortgage payments, child support and $20,000 in debt, I'm looked at as less responsibe and mature lol. But, I hear what people are saying and yeah, GREAT thread Lisa. I only came here because Mr. X and others (you included ) wrote me a happy birthday and the next post below that one was this one, so it was like it was calling me or something lol. So, those are my thoughts. Even though I admit age sort of bothers me, for some reason I'm not actually afraid of TURNING older, just BEING older if that makes any sense lol. Like others have said here and what I said already, I'm 34 and I look and feel like I did when I was 22, although a few more lines on the forehead lol. I was home in LA and found a pair of jeans I wore in college hanging in my room, a size 31 and still fit like yesterday. It felt good lol. I keep in shape (relatively lol) and been blessed with decent genes. I look at my uncle who is 55 and he can easily pass for early 40's (but have the attitude of a 70 year old now ...you think **I'm** cranky when talking about DCA, try spending a day with him in it lol), so yeah, a lot of it IS you and how you react towards life, although medically it will catch up to you someday I guess. And its SO true about how your grandparents just seem sooo much older than your parents at their age now. I still remember when my grandmother was 55 and we were at Knotts Berry Farm and the CM gave her the senior citizen discount rate (then 62 IIRC) because she was sitting on the bench looking tired and bitter before we went inside and the teller just assumed she was much older. Nearly 25 years later and I still remember that. NOW, take my mother who is 59 years old and she just LOVES life!!! We go to DL together and she buys all the cutest DL stuff, Mickey ears and dresses like a 20 year old. Its cute too see and some of you HAVE seen it whoever subscribes to the LP Facebook group . For god sake, her favorite TV show is 'Big Brother' and 'The OC' lol. It's hard to believe my mother is 4 years older than my grandmother then because when I'm home, we go to the movies, hit the beach, spend a week at DL and etc while my grandmother spent younger years just staying at home, cooking dinner and minding her garden, and only left the house on occasion. She was basically 'old'....of course my mother doesn't cook and has never owned a garden lol. Sorry for the looong post here, but great thread Lisa, I have to say again. It's the first time in my life I actually want to be like my mother now in about 30 years lol.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice <<My observation regarding this term.... we use the suffix "free" when describing undesireable things. Hence things can be fat-free, caffeine-free, whereas good things have the prefix "less" attached to them: pennyless, hopeless, etc.>> fkurucz... I love kids... OTHER PEOPLE's kids. For me, there was no desire to have them. ("Undesirable" sounds so cold, though... *L*) Therefore, in my case "child-free" is definitely the correct term. I may have, however, spoken out of turn with regards to my friend Lisa. If I did, I'm truly sorry. I know she'll still love me.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 I'm right there with you wAnderingalice. I love kids but not sure I have it in me to have my own. Plus, my clock has ticked, tocked, the alarm went off and I'm now too late for the party. ;>
Originally Posted By friendofdd My "wow" age was forty. I didn't really mind getting older, but it was the year a big thing happened to me in my work and my youngest turned 13, making me the father of three (count 'em, three) teenagers. I am anticipating my next birthday as a sorta' "wow", since I will then turn seventy. I don't feel old, but there are physical indications that my body doesn't work as well as it once did. When I meet LPers at DLR, I'm usually at the tail end of the group. Some of you are kind enough to slow your own pace to match mine and I love you for it. If I could go back to a younger age, I wouldn't do it. Life experience really does tend to make one more understanding, kind, wise, etc. If I were advising all you "old" folks, I would say welcome each year with JOY. Then live it as if you truly do love it. You'll be amazed how you can create your own positive, beneficial attitudes.
Originally Posted By wonderingalice ^^You, dear fodd, are anything but "old!" Your spirit and sense of fun are absolutely inspiring! And Lisa... I hear ya, honey! *Hugs*
Originally Posted By u k fan Now that I'm turning 30 I have been thinking about the fact that I have no children then I thank my lucky stars that I have no children and move on!!!
Originally Posted By Lady Starlight Well as for me, I think age is just a number of how long we have each survived on this earth. I'll be 41 in September,but in my mind I still feel like a teenager for the most part. Though my body tells me different and keeps reminding me every day it's WAY older.LOL I have to be mature about certain things,but I will forever have the "Peter Pan Syndrome". Gowing old is mandatory, but growing up is an option. That's my story and I'm stickin to it! ;-)
Originally Posted By Lady Starlight Ohh yeah, I haven't hit my WOW age yet, don't think I ever will. I'd still add the 1/2 to my age is I could. lol Matter of fact I think I Will... I'm 40 1/2..lol I did notice that my nightstand used to have perfume bottles and pretty things onit,and now its been replaced with Tums, Flexall ,Ibuprofin and a glass of water. OMG!PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just don't let me wake up to find my TEETH sittin in there too!
Originally Posted By beamerdog friendofdd, service dog Jack and I will walk along with you ;-) I'm not known for walking too fast for anyone, lol.
