So DU--When is middle-aged?

[vixengrl]

I'm 36--and if you want to know the truth, I am the gamut of Gen-X stereotypes, from slacking, retail-work, comic book collecting and fan-fic and other assorted self-absorbed geekery, starter-marriage, moving back in with the 'rents, starting over, cynicism, snark, lots of Nirvana and Pearl Jam on my private I-Pod rotation, and maybe I'm a little blogular (Web 2.0) and try to be hip--but is it possible that I'm--

middle-aged already?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_age

Wiki suggests I have to face it--I'm probably middle-aged. I decided to check on "middle-aged" when I realized my 20-yr HS class reunion was next year. My brain tells me I'm still a nite-owl, two-fisted beer-slurping, web-surfing, baby-faced young'un. I have been *carded* within the past year. And yet... My reality is I'm looking into my retirement plan possibilities and many of my friends have kids in middle school.

If you're about the same age--is this middle-aged? Because I still bust a gut when my friends turn thirty and go "OH, I'm *old*!" I might have creaky knees and twenty pounds I don't need, but I don't feel old, myself.

Anyone else thirty-something and "in denial"? Or is it denial--is thirty-something the new twenty-something? When does "middle-aged" start?

[vixengrl]

1. Srsly--nobody?

Gray hair in your twenties? Unexplained hangovers from the "usual"? List a la "How I Met Your Mother" of things you'll never do again? Childless thirty-somethings' not getting what your "friends with fams" are on about? I can't be gently aging alone.

[Archae]

2. If you say to your teenage son/daughter/nephew/niece...

"When I was your age..."

:-)

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

3. I'll let ya know when I get there.

Can you wait that long? I'm only 53... :shrug:

[underpants]

4. The average age of a grandmother in the US is 42

:hi:

[mnhtnbb]

9. When I was 42 I had a 2 year old. I really expected someone to

say something about my 'grandson', but thankfully, no one ever did.

[underpants]

10. My wife and I are the same way

We had Josie when I was 38 and she was 40

[cherish44]

34. That sounds WAY too young...

I'm 42 and thre's not one person in my high school graduating class that is a grandparent yet. In fact a couple of them just had babies. I think 42 would have been true for my mom's generation but not this one.

[Left Is Write]

5. Yeah, I'm middle-aged. I'm 42. My 25-year high school reunion is this summer.

I have two younger kids (9 and 7), but I also have an adult daughter and a grandson.

However, I don't think "middle-aged" has to mean anything bad.

[skygazer]

6. Is there something wrong with being middle-aged?

I'm 48. I figure I'm probably around half as old as I'll ever be, if not a bit older than half. That makes me middle-aged.

That said, I'm active, have a young mind and mentally don't feel a whole lot different than I ever did. They're just numbers. I don't sweat it much. After all, there's not a damn thing I can do to stop it. I think we put way too much value on youth and not nearly enough on age.

[mnhtnbb]

7. Hubby is 65 and still thinks he's middle-aged. I keep telling him,

"what do you think your chances are of living to 130?"

[WCGreen]

8. My 35th is coming up pretty soon...

[Lorien]

11. I always think of it as 45

just because most of my relatives have made it into their 90's. :shrug:

[no name no slogan]

12. I'll be 40 in August, and I consider myself middle-aged

and I've had a lot of the normal things you associate with it: a first (failed) marriage, a second mortgage, even a third career.

But middle-aged is not necessarily a bad thing.

With experience comes wisdom. And wisdom is good.

[flvegan]

13. I'm 37.

It's not "middle aged" but it's the beginning of the middle transitionary period of one's life. Besides, the term "middle aged" changed with Gen X, I think.

Sadly, I wish I were hitting "middle aged" to be honest. As a testosterone-heavy man, I could claim mid-life crisis and buy an outrageous sportscar and start looking for 20-something year old girlfriends.

Oh, wait...I've got the girlfriend, and had I the money I'd have the car.

Shit.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear vixengrl!

Well, I'm 65, and I think, given how old my parents are, that I might finally be middle-aged! :P

[lilyreally]

15. I'm 62 so that must make me

a spring chicken! :)

Seriously, I feel better now than I did in my thirties and forties....but I lost a lot of weight, took up running and yoga. I think it is more about how you feel than the numbers. Dad is 88 and took up surfing two years ago.

[mnhtnbb]

25. See post #7!

[lilyreally]

31. Wow...

Hope the 124 candles on my cake don't start a fire! ;)

[rainbow4321]

16. I'm heading towards my second midlife crisis

My first was in 2005 when: I turned 40, my oldest graduated from high school, and my youngest was entering high school. We took a family trip together so I could have my crisis in a fun way: rented a beach condo for a week in Galveston.
My second midlife crisis is about 2 months away when my oldest graduates from college (!!!!) and my youngest graduates from high school (the graduations are a week apart). This time I'm going to treat myself to a really nice hotel in Austin the weekend of the college graduation and stock up on some sort of alcoholic beverage...and tissues.
The only thing saving me is that I won't have the empty nest syndrome quite yet, the youngest is gonna live at home for a while and go to the county college til she figures out what she wants to do for a major/career.

[Whoa_Nelly]

17. ummmm...

i forget :shrug:

Will look at some old pics and let you know when I remember :P

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Middle age comes when you no longer give a fuck about it.

Kind of like adulthood, except you're older.

[begin_within]

19. The first time someone says to you, "You look good for your age."

[Left Is Write]

32. I've never heard that, but I *have* heard, "Wow! You don't look like a grandmother!"

To which I respond, "This is what a grandmother looks like."

[jmm]

36. I'm 29 and I've been hearing that for awhile

I know I should be flattered but it can get annoying when I'm asked to provide a second ID. Who carries two government issued ID's? I finally broke down and did so of course when I'm asked for a second one and pull it out I get asked why I have two by the same people who wanted to see a second one.

Then there are the barely legal guys who like to tell me I look good for an old woman :eyes:.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. 50 sounds good.

[trof]

27. If you think you'll make 100. Around 38 is about right actuarialy .

:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

33. Middle-age doesn't necessarily mean "exactly half the projected lifespan."

[Sky Masterson]

21. I would guess between 40 and 50 somewhere

:)

[Deja Q]

22. I'm nigh near 37 myself...

Physically I'm in mostly good shape, despite being 30lb overweight and having a slow metabolism. Low blood pressure, no diabetes, hypoglycemia disproven... If I don't exercise I'll be in bad shape soon enough.

Mentally, I've started asking myself if all I'm good for is my current job. Others with lesser mental acuity have moved from what I do to other areas in the company and it's a continual slap in the face. I am returning to college, and to ensure my response remains convoluted and unfocused, I am worried about ageism. So maybe it's a good thing I'm starting to look at careers other than IT, where age discrimination is said to be rampant.

[av8rdave]

23. Well, let's see now...

I'm 50. I would say middle age is right around 70.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

24. You're middle-aged when there are NO baseball players your age or older.

Minnie Minoso didn't count but Julio Franco did.

[azmouse]

26. It is ALWAYS one year older than you currently are.

:)

[fortyfeetunder]

28. You won't know if you're middle age until you are dead.

Then your buds can divide your age at death by 2 and they can come up with the middle age.
See, it's that simple! :evilgrin:

[bigwillq]

29. Around 38, 39, I would guess

Since, I believe, the average life expectancy is around 78 years old in the US.

[nickinSTL]

30. Based on the longevity of my most recent relatives...

I'm way middle-aged. Recent relatives (grandparents and a couple uncles) have not had long lives.

We do have some longevity if you go back a couple generations, but not recently. And my parents aren't in the best of health.

I'm also 36. I'm on meds for blood pressure and cholesterol. My right knee makes a weird crunchy sound any time I go up or down stairs (doesn't hurt, just makes a weird sound), my left knee has been sore lately, I haven't been carded buying beer for a few years (of course, as I don't drink, I don't buy it often, when I do it's for my wife), and I take a nap almost every day.

But, my bp and cholesterol have been doing well on meds and an improved diet, I walk regularly, and many of my friends (and myself) have all married (for the first time) in the last few years, and most weekends I stay up late hanging out with friends.

Middle aged? Maybe. Don't much care if that's a label applied to me.

[MorningGlow]

35. Middle-aged is a state of mind, maaaannn

Seriously. I'm supposed to be middle-aged (43), but I still feel like a teenager--as long as I don't look in the mirror.
:rofl:

Oh yeah--and I also feel old when I listen to the radio. The garbage kids listen to these days...! ;)