What's different about your age than you thought it would be?

Nothing has come to pass.

I am most assuredly a grown up now that I have hit 46, and what surprises me the most is how much I still feel like a kid. I don’t mean the “young at heart” kind of kid, I mean the, “I really don’t feel like a grown up” kind of kid. Sometimes I am truly shocked when I realize how old I actually am. When I was young my mom seemed so old and so grown-up, and she was only 38 when she died, it boggles my mind to realize I am eight years older then she ever was.

@DaphneT Are you saying that you expected something to happen and nothing has, or that you have yet to encounter anything different from your expectations?

I’m still young, so it’s hard to answer these questions because I don’t really think of my teenage self as a mature and clear-thinking person. I think many people are barely the same person anymore once they grown out of being an emo teen that knows nothing of the world, since that isn’t really a default or average outlook on life. It would make more sense to compare my 26 year old self now with myself when I reach 36 or something.

@Blackberry I think you’ll be surprised to find that @SuperMouse is right on (I know I am!)

I think your 36 year old self isn’t going to see your 26 year old self as much different from the teen one. Or from the 36 year old one for that matter.

I don’t think I could even conceptualize being in my twenties when I was eleven. I hadn’t thought about how long I would be in school, what it would be like having a job, or when I would move out to be on my own. I had no idea what being an adult was like. Even becoming a teenager was baffling at that age.

Honestly, I’m still petrified of going out there in the world.

I thought by now I would be dead. ~

@muppetish So… in contrast you’re saying now that you do think about what life will be like when you’re 44?

When I was 15 I never thought about my future lol. It was always the moment of the now. If I did think about it, I pretty much figured that that I’d be dead by now, or, that I’d have some really boring career or be married or something. In that respect, I guess now I can say I’m pretty disappointed, or would be, if I minded that none of that stuff happened.

Not much different today actually, if I muse over at what it’s gonna be like when I’m 60…besides the whole marriage or career thing. XD

@6rant6, a bit of both, but mostly the first. Expectations were not fulfilled, I’m a disappointment to many around me, most people think I’m a pain in the neck. None of it did I envision when I was half my age.

@6rant6 Yeah, that makes sense.

I am learning that chronological age does not correlate perfectly with functional age. I thought 50 was about as old as a person could get. But here I am started to creep very close to 60! I feel for the most part age is all about attitude.

@EverRose11 Attitude and meds, maybe.

I probably didn’t think I’d be this active, playing full court basketball at lunch, swimming 2000 meters at lunch on a regular basis.

I thought I would be in a much higher and more fair tax bracket.

My neck.

I feel the same inside.

@6rant6 No meds just Eating naturally, and juicing.

I never really thought I’d live this long. (My therapist says that abused children often feel this way.), so I never really though what it would be like to be speeding headlong to 40. In a way I still feel like I did when I was in my early 20’s. In other ways I feel like an old woman.

I never really thought that life would ever seem long. Now it seems unbearably long. Meh.

Sixteen isn’t as old as I thought it was. I’m still just a kid. I have my entire life laid out in front of me, just waiting for me to take another step into the great divide.
I never saw that coming.

I always thought I would die young so I never imagined myself at this age. Now that I am 42 I am amazed at how good life can be and how young I feel. In every way I feel better than I did when I was 16. I’m more confident, happier and I enjoy sex better than I did when I was in my 20’s. I will add that when I was younger I thought grown-ups had it easy. I thought that they had as much fun as they wanted because they were grown-ups and no one could tell them what to do. I was mistaken on that point. I do have fun at times but I still have to go to work and pay bills.I didn’t see that side of it.

I agree with @janbb!

Also, I did not expect to start feeling like I am losing my chance to do things in life. Life is short has become a very real feeling to me lately.

Being old isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

I thought I’d be rocking in a rocking chair. I’m rocking, but not in any chair.

I thought I would be old at this age. I’m not. In fact I’m doubting that I’ll ever be old.

@SuperMouse nailed it. At 57 I’m startled by the number, as I don’t feel quite ready yet to be doing the stuff I’ve been doing for the past four decades. My perspective has changed, a bit, but I don’t think any of us are ever ready to be “grown ups”. Maybe if I was taller.

And I’m startled by the noises my bady makes when I walk across the room. It clicks and stuff.

Another thing – I didn’t expect to be single again.

@JilltheTooth I thought mine were the only hips that clicked and popped with most every step!

I’m 42. I don’t feel any different (mental self image) than I did when I was younger. It’s interesting how “old” keeps becoming a higher, because since I’m not old, the “magical”
number of years needs to
increase in relation to my age!

I expected to have more mental clarity about my life’s purpose. Sadly, this great clarity has yet to descend…

@lonelydragon Maybe you’re looking the wrong direction for purpose. I don’t think it descends upon us as much as it erupts from within us. ~

Being in college doesn’t make you automatically awesome. I thought college just….turned people awesome. I still don’t feel awesome.

I think you’re awesome, @Mariah.

Aw, thanks hon! The feeling’s mutual. :)

@6rant6 Hmm, interesting. In that case, maybe the Mt. Saint Dragon volcano just hasn’t erupted yet.

I’m 17 and I still look kinda like a 14 year old

Also, I act a lot older than most of my friends and classmates

I thought intimacy and sex would feel less great the older we get. I was wrong.

I never expected to be completely alone having to start all over with three children and absolutely nothing.

@EnchantingEla That sucks. On the upside, they could make a Lifetime movie about you if you either: a) struggle and scrape to see your kids through college or b) marry a serial killer.

@6rant6 He would have to be serial killer… just my luck <sighs>
I’ll take c) none of the above.