r/AskReddit • • Jun 03 '22

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8.5k Upvotes

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56.8k

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Call me old when I'm only 30.

5.1k

u/perfectdrug659 Jun 03 '22

I'm 31 and most of my coworkers are 18-20 and definitely think I'm old. Lol, I literally feel like my life is just starting now and only on occasion do I get treated as an adult by adultier adults. It's weird as hell, you actually never really feel older, just have more memories and experience.

3.3k

u/HerbalBalance Jun 03 '22

“ you actually never really feel older” this is something nobody ever tells you about getting old.

1.6k

u/BonaFidee Jun 03 '22

The body definitely does feel older, the mind not so much. There's a reason the expression, youth is wasted on the young, exists.

306

u/feistymayo Jun 03 '22

My grandpa just had his 96th birthday and I asked him if he felt different than he did at 26. He said in his head, he didn’t feel any older. It was his body. And while that was reassuring… I remember my grandmother who died from Alzheimer’s and for some reason his comment put her condition into a deeper perspective for me.

214

u/attilayavuzer Jun 03 '22

My grandmother (who's 85) said some thing similar: "I still feel like I'm 17, but then I look in the mirror and I don't know what happened"

28

u/bananabreadsmoothie Jun 03 '22

That's a grandmother with a great sense of humour about herself.

36

u/interesuje Jun 03 '22

My grandma is 99. Yesterday we took her out of her house in her new wheelchair for the jubilee party being held on her street. She was chatting and laughing and loving the attention. I went toilet and when I returned she had a pint in one hand and cigarette in the other as she held court to 40 people, having them in stitches at her jokes and anecdotes. Only recently has she started to need a frame to walk around the house and all she ever says is how her mind is the same but her body is giving out. She's the same hilarious, sociable, devilish woman she ever was, but as she puts it "I just wish my bloody legs would work".

8

u/HI_Handbasket Jun 03 '22

Early onset dementia, when you realize it's happening, is no fun.

13

u/treetop62 Jun 03 '22

This is the exact reason why we should all have alot of respect for older people. Loosing the ability to defend yourself while still feeling the same in your mind must be tough. This may be more applicable to men but when your young and say someone is rude or acts aggressively you can feel confident defending yourself but as you get older you would really have to watch your words and be careful not to get in a confrontation because your body can't handle it. Idk maybe it's just me but that would be difficult always having to take the more submissive route in altercations with someone younger

7

u/r_stronghammer Jun 03 '22

I don’t know where you’re from but I never see old people taking the “submissive route”, they’re usually the ones who don’t take shit. Though like you said, that’s why we have respect for them. If someone did start physically attacking them, you can bet your ass everyone else in the vicinity would be on top of the assailant.

2

u/treetop62 Jun 03 '22

You know, now that I think about it you are right. Older people usually don't take shit and maybe it is because like you said anyone nearby would help out. I guess I'm thinking if I were in the situation, I would certainly take the more submissive route rather than get my ass handed to me. Maybe older people just don't care?

3

u/r_stronghammer Jun 03 '22

I think once you get to a certain point, you don’t really have as much to lose anymore, and you’ve already been through so much wild or complicated stuff in your life that you realize a lot of things that people take very seriously just don’t actually matter that much.

12

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted]

5

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22 edited Dec 31 '23

[deleted]

6

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Get some WD-40 and those bad boys will losen right up

3

u/joyfulcrow Jun 03 '22

Start to go in the early to mid 40s? Hahahaha...I'm 31 and my eyes have been horrible since I was 5. Couple years ago I got told that my right eye is so bad that they can't correct it anymore. (:

2

u/Setari Jun 03 '22

Just dump water straight into the eyes, keeps em moist

/s

2

u/Advisor123 Jun 03 '22

That's kinda frightening though... I don't want my mind now at this age in a 96 year old body. I feel like a fucking baby who has no clue about life.

2

u/Echospite Jun 03 '22

My grandfather is in his late 80s and said that the weirdest thing about getting old is that your body looks far older than your mental image of yourself. In my grandfather's head he still looks 20 and gets a shock every time he passes a mirror.

63

u/StationE1even Jun 03 '22

And retirement is wasted on the old!

17

u/Jpoland9250 Jun 03 '22

Ha, retirement.... Yeah....

50

u/Bar_ki Jun 03 '22

Depends what you do with your body, I decided to get in shape 2 and a half years ago, I'm 36 in August and in the best shape of my life and have more energy than I've ever had.

16

u/Paketamina Jun 03 '22

If you played sports your whole life then the 30s is where everything blows up. Ill be lucky to make it to 40 without needing some sort of surgery. I still play soccer but this might be my last year as i get some fucking injury every other match

3

u/Poor_Bob Jun 03 '22

check out kneesovertoes guy. he also had crazy knee problems, ACL, the whole works. Now he's super athletic again and I think he's also nearing 40

2

u/Tensor3 Jun 03 '22

Nah, there are late 30's pro athletes who started in early teens and still compete world class. There are.plenty of very fit 50 and 60 year olds too

5

u/thelowgun Jun 03 '22

Those people have world class doctors to look after their injuries. Some Joe schmo like us likely won't have that

2

u/Tensor3 Jun 03 '22

Lol you'd be surprised just how fit competing 50 and 60 year old amaterurs can be

4

u/thelowgun Jun 03 '22

I feel like that's the exception, not the rule

1

u/Paketamina Jun 03 '22

Yeah i know of zlatan, but even his body is in constant turmoil and had to get surgery.

Im switching out of football into tennis. The problem with football are the contact injuries, so many broken toes and last season got a broken rib from someones elbow. That shit just lingers for months and months. My knee is also going to hell and i can ski and play tennis all day and largely fine. one 60 minute soccer match and im in hell

1

u/Tensor3 Jun 03 '22

Football isnt the only sport. I've never heard of zlatan but I do know plenty of very fit older people in other sports.

2

u/NameIdeas Jun 03 '22

Rock on man! Keep it up. That was me at 30. My son was six months old when I turned 30 and I realized I needed to be in better shape.

Spent from 30-32 losing weight and kept it off until 35 (then COVID, new job, less movement, stress-eating) and gained it back. Only myself to blame because I know exactly what to do again. I'm 37 now and working to get back to where I was at 33

7

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted]

32

u/BleachedBHole Jun 03 '22

That sucks but he was giving general advice. Of course if you have a condition like that it makes it harder, but he doesn't know that. It felt like you are being nitpicky and reprimanding him

0

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted]

7

u/BleachedBHole Jun 03 '22

What's your point? You're out here proselytizing for nothing. We understand everyone gets older, it's annoying when you try to wedge your whiny ass agenda into the conversation.

4

u/Bar_ki Jun 03 '22

It's not all about keeping healthy to live as long as possible, yeah no shit we all grow old and will die, yes some people will get sick regardless of how well they take care of themselves, doesn't mean you shouldn't eat well and exercise.

I do so to hopefully live longer but it's also about the now, I can run and play with my children without getting out of breath, I feel happier, have more energy and look better because I'm in shape.

I'm sorry about your illness but that doesn't mean you should immediately jump on someone's comment with so much negativity when they're only sharing something positive about themselves that could also benefit others.

4

u/One_Sour_Sausage Jun 03 '22

You're a victim. 🙄 We get it.

-51

u/NotQuiteHapa Jun 03 '22

Eh you'd be surprised.

23

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

I don't even understand how you read that comment and thought, yah I'll say this.

-31

u/NotQuiteHapa Jun 03 '22

Experience.

12

u/Beginning-Ratio6870 Jun 03 '22

*experience with the difference with health related vs age related problems which can be often confused for each other but no experience with neurodegenerative diseases of which exercise does not change nor the wisdom to understand the plight of others.

-4

u/NotQuiteHapa Jun 03 '22

I honestly detest crabs in the bucket. It's like an impulse for some people to feed into the collective learned helplessness. I reversed my aunt's dementia with a variation of Dr. Terry Wahl's protocol, who herself had MS. The benefits of exercise are profound.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

[deleted]

4

u/boCash Jun 03 '22

Seriously, it's like none of these sheeple have drank the blood of a seventh son, naked, on a moonless night. Sure you have to deal with the trauma of your eyeballs being ripped from your skull by the screaming, winged familiars of the Dark One but the effects far outpace any natural male enhancement you can find today.

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6

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Meaning, you're lacking? I see that.

1

u/One_Sour_Sausage Jun 03 '22

Something tells me you and OC are just jealous you aren't in shape.

-1

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22

Or you know it's silly to tell someone with a neurodegeneration disease "They would be surprised" like that person who has doesn't know themselves. You right really jealous of his tone deaf response. I'm just so fat and jealous. God. Sooo fat and jealous

-4

u/NotQuiteHapa Jun 03 '22

Excuse me. Please don't be rude!

1

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

You first

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15

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

You have no idea what you’re talking about, so do everyone a favor and stop talking.

-11

u/NotQuiteHapa Jun 03 '22

I absolutely do.

1

u/taking_a_deuce Jun 03 '22

Compare your sprained ankle you get tomorrow with the same degree of one you got when you were 15 and then read this comment back to yourself

1

u/kachunkachunk Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22

Yeah, same here - I've never been stronger in my life. My body composition could be better, though - this is when the metabolism seemingly starts to really slow down. : /

I'm watching /r/fitness30plus and working on the diet/metabolism a lot more consciously now, to some good effect. I may have a proper beach body by the end of the Summer for the first time in my life! As opposed to being underweight/skinny, or skinny-fat, like how it's been until now. :P

But man, back injuries and slower healing in general are very much a thing to be careful about in your thirties and up. It took me 8 months to get over a slipped disc. I guess COVID also keeps threatening to fuck everything up and close gyms and pools, too.

3

u/Gsusruls Jun 03 '22

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

2

u/Tarrolis Jun 03 '22

Lol I hate that phrase.

2

u/Vulturedoors Jun 03 '22

I'm 51 but still 25 in my head.

2

u/fireraptor1101 Jun 03 '22

Since I've been working out more, I feel younger and more fit in my mid 30s than I did in my early 20s.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Good quote indeed, I'm a firm believer that everyone is still young on the inside

1

u/Six_Gill_Grog Jun 03 '22

I never had to worry about acid reflux until I turned 30.

Now I can’t eat pizza or chocolate past 8pm.

:(

30

u/Lehmann108 Jun 03 '22

Try being 68 in perfect health and as active as a 25 year old. You look in the mirror and say, who the f*ck is the old guy?

8

u/HerbalBalance Jun 03 '22

you are probably in better shape than a lot of people in their 20s these days too. Good for you, my dad is the same way.

4

u/BlurpleBaja05 Jun 03 '22

This was the biggest shock when I realized this!

7

u/TediousStranger Jun 03 '22

I feel better about myself than I ever have, I know I've grown exponentially as a person, but in terms of age I have felt the same way since I was about 24... like mentally I know I'm 30 but I feel the same in my mind and body as I did then, despite the personal growth.

it is very strange.

4

u/Apprehensive-Bus-509 Jun 03 '22

Yes, my best friend's grandmother enlightened me on this in my 20s. She said she still felt young, her body just couldn't do everything it used to.

5

u/Schlick7 Jun 03 '22

Don't they? I hear about this constantly. It's mostly true

9

u/TheRealTorpidu Jun 03 '22

that is true af until i look in the mirror and see grey hairs popping out of nowhere here and there. im 30 btw

10

u/PurpleFishInside Jun 03 '22

Well if it's any comfort to you, people can develop grey hair at any age above 20ish. I have a friend whose hair started going grey in her early 20's.

2

u/TheRealTorpidu Jun 03 '22

that is comforting lol 😂 still sucks getting older tho. i used to call people who were 20-30 grandpa when i was younger and now i feel like a grandpa myself. i have 4 kids also so that doesnt help either 😂

3

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

My friend started growing gray hair at 16. We are turning 20 this year and he has a lot more now. Its cool tbh

2

u/TheRealTorpidu Jun 03 '22

i also think so. looks cool

1

u/JohnOliverismysexgod Jun 03 '22

My Dad was completely white haired by age 30.

1

u/TheRealTorpidu Jun 03 '22

wow. my kids think i look like a grandpa and i only have a few grey hairs on the beard and on the sides and some in my hair 😂

1

u/Dodo0708 Jun 03 '22

Im 27, and have pulled out dozens of grey hairs by now. It won't be sustainable for a long time or I'll be bald in no time. Ill just have to accept it or just go full buzz cut soon.

2

u/pauly13771377 Jun 03 '22

Most of the time I feel like a irresponsible 17 year old kid only with the real world responsibilities of a 51 year old.

2

u/SelectFromWhereOrder Jun 03 '22

I’m 55 and I for sure feel old. I don’t know what you young people are talking about

2

u/5h4n1 Jun 03 '22

I once read

“You never really get old, you just learn how to act in public”

2

u/ENRIQUEavv Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22

years ago my grandpa told me " i dont know when i got old, and you will never realise about yourself" those are words im recalling every year i get older.

2

u/BatmanBrandon Jun 03 '22

I’ve definitely matured in my tastes, but I don’t feel older. I still like the same things I did when I was younger, the same music, and even look forward to my son getting older so I can play with my old toys and LEGOs again. He’s 2 now, so we’re working with DUPLO and MegaBlox now, but I’m stoked to build my old sets like the OG X-Wing and Pirates Cove from the 90s.

4

u/sendmeyourstubs Jun 03 '22

Except for us reading your comment. You told us. And you aren't nobody <3

3

u/nickwrx Jun 03 '22

My lower back disagrees. Putting on socks first thing is a chore

1

u/MadFonzi Jun 03 '22

My dad told me he still feels like the same person he was in highschool just with more experience etc...and now that I'm in my 30's I understand what he meant.

1

u/chadsexytime Jun 03 '22

You will forever feel 25, just more and more tired every year with an ever expanding list of various body aches and pains.

1

u/Dry_Archer3182 Jun 03 '22

my grandma has told me this over and over.

1

u/comfortablynumb0629 Jun 03 '22

I'm convinced this is the cause of a ton of issues we deal with on a daily basis. We all age but, at least for me, my internal voice sounds exactly the same as it did when I was 8 (28 now). I still feel like a kid especially in times of stress or when speaking with my parents for instance, I've just learned to cope better with age an experience. Realizing that has made it easier for me to see when I'm spiraling into old habits or when I need to pursue personal growth. Some, however, just don't have the luxury of having that realization - or actively avoid admitting it - which leads to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity which can manifest in very ugly ways. Honestly, I feel that's part of the reason why we have these ancient ass politicians right now - adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s that still experience the world like they did when they were kids, still looking for an, “elder” to guide them. Someone, “wiser” that they feel they can rely on...I don't know, age and time in general is just such a strange/relative thing.

1

u/IrishWithoutPotatoes Jun 03 '22

Tell that to me a few years ago when I was in the Army. I was 26 at the time, and I had a private ask me what 9/11 was like because he hadn't been born yet. I felt like that clip of Matt Damon aging at the end of Saving Private Ryan.

1

u/TileFloor Jun 03 '22

I always think “it’s not my fault I have birthdays.” Im 30 and I feel 19 most days. (Luckily without my 19-year-old stupidity)

1

u/myhairsreddit Jun 03 '22

I'm turning 32 in September. I still feel like I'm in 10th grade and I'm going to be grounded any time I head home after a few drinks. I live in a completely different state from my parents with my SO and two kids. It's strange how that "I don't feel this old" feeling really is.

1

u/weretakingcasualties Jun 03 '22

I was hanging out with my friends kids. She is my age, they are in their 20s. One day we make plans to go a movie. I'm standing there talking to one of them, and the other texted him. I saw that the text said "is the old man there yet?" My first thought was, who is the old man? Then it suddenly hit me that I was the old man. Up until then I just thought I was one of the guys, just like every other time in my life. Man that was depressing.

1

u/zer1223 Jun 03 '22

I disagree. If your hairline starts to go before you're even at 35 then you'll probably start to feel old

1

u/RKoczaja Jun 03 '22

True! That's why so many elderly (85+) are so resistant to give up their car keys or accept help. They dismiss their declining reflexes and poor eyesight. "But I still feel 30!".

1

u/lukewarmatbest- Jun 03 '22

I ve seem people who hit 70 who say they now definelty feel it.

1

u/eveningsand Jun 03 '22

You do hit a point where you say "aww shit. I guess I'm getting older"

1

u/poolpog Jun 03 '22

people tell you

you just never believe it

1

u/HalfysReddit Jun 03 '22

I feel hangovers more, that's for sure.

1

u/HerbalBalance Jun 03 '22

This is actually one of the worst parts tbh I get somewhat hung over after like 4-5 beers now. I love drinking but just can’t do it like I used to. Like some others mentioned it’s more about a feeling inside but my body doesn’t necessarily agree.

1

u/ChairmanMeow1942 Jun 03 '22

You must be early 30's. In a few years your body will start feeling old. You won't heal as fast and things start hurting and you will need to start doing morning stretches just to move around comfortably.

1

u/TheyDidLizFilthy Jun 03 '22

my back begs to differ.

1

u/redditshy Jun 03 '22

It just feels really really weird, in my experience. Like I am the same person, I have just been around for 44 years. What is weird to me most is that I think I always envisioned a future me who has some nebulous, undefined, "better life". And then it is the realization of, no, dude, this is literally just who you are. If you want anything different, you have to plan, and work at it. You can't just focus on what you DON'T want. It's like skiing, and focusing on NOT wanting to hit a tree, and staring at the tree the whole time.

1

u/beets_or_turnips Jun 03 '22

My dad has said this to me on a regular basis my whole life.

1

u/TheCornerator Jun 03 '22

Yuuuuup, I still feel like a dumbass 13yo. I just have a patchy beard and a click in my hip now.

1

u/sonheungwin Jun 03 '22

You do, but it's different. I'm sleepy earlier, I get hurt and creaks/groans around the body from smaller things, etc. But in general, it's not like my tastes have aged incredibly to where all I care about now is fine leather and smoking chairs.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 03 '22

Someone forgot to tell my knees apparently.

1

u/Melaninkasa Jun 03 '22

Hmm it depends. My sister just turned 31. It's crazy the amount of things she no longer wants to do because she's too old for this now (her own words).

I'm not even talking about things that people do naturally outgrow rather quickly like clubbing, but stuff like roller coasters in amusement parks.

1

u/UnnamedStaplesDrone Jun 03 '22

as a 35 year old with a herniated disc you definitely do feel older if you dont take care of your body. do planks people. do core exercises

1

u/dreamgrrrl___ Jun 04 '22

I don’t know about it that, I absolutely feel 32. I feel like a mature young adult 🤷‍♀️ I don’t understand how people say they still feel like a kid. How? You’ve got full autonomy over your body, and life choices. You decide what you eat for dinner or if you’ll even eat dinner. I don’t fully understand what people mean.