Turning 40

[Ollie Stench]

I don't usually look back in this forum, but I figured its the most appropriate...

In 1 week I turn 40. I never thought I would make it this far, not that I was doing anything harmful, it just seems so old. Co-workers of mine who I thought had 10+ years on me are only 2-5 years older. They look old. They all have families and good jobs. I have the same crap job I've been working since 1993 (albeit at different facilities) in a dying industry.

I think I'm hitting the dreaded mid-life crisis.

[KYYX4ever]

I turn 40 this year too.
Turn what you feel what may be a "mid-life" crisis into something challenging and different. You sure don't seem "old" to me ! A guy who is as active as you sure has it going on. A couple years ago, when the Epoxies came thru town with the Soviettes, you told me to say hey to them courtesy of Ollie Stench, and they got all wild and crazy at the mention. It was awesome. Sure doesn't seem like a 40 crisis to me. I dunno. Just my thoughts. Thinking of you[:X]

[Ollie Stench]

Oh, I still live like I'm 18, playing in bands, doing a radio show and a cable access tv show... I'm much more "active" than most of the people I know that are my age. Sometimes it just feels weird, and I think back to the hippies that were still living the dream back in the early 80's and I fear that I am now one of them.

[phillyidol]

At what point are we going to be the weird old guy when hanging out talking to girls? I am really outgoing and I talk to everyone. But I never want to be seen as the weird old guy. People say I am real young. I do look younger than I am......but I am scared. Sometimes I catch myself in bad situations like last summer and that 16 year old punk girl. That was scary. What were we talking about?




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[Bitter Almonds]

<p align="justify">Dude, when I was 26, I WAS that weird old guy talking to young girls[}:)] They had that expression of, "Uh-oh, creepy old guy at 10 o' clock... and he's trying to be social! zOMG!"

[deethelurker]

Ha, now I feel weird about freaking out over turning 28 tomorrow and OMG IN TWO YEARS I'LL BE THIRTY. Like, I know 30 ain't nothing compared to 40, but still, it freaks me out to know that I am that close to full adulthood and the beginning of the era when all associated responsibilities will be assumed attributable to me. And -- I mean, not to be bragging and all -- I know I'm already paying on a mortgage and working at a [i]career[/i] (vs. a job) and that I'm already taking care of an aging parent (though I'm reticent to call her "elderly" because she's just in her early 60s), but still I think of myself as this bumbling adolescent type figure who'd be out of place in v. formal situations, and I can't picture myself as this Full-On Adult Type Person. Oh, and it's also weirding me out to think that you guys, the children of the New Wave era, are already turning 40. I'm so accustomed to thinking of you guys as being, like, 30, but that's because that's the age you guys were when I first went online and realized there were whole communities of people out there who actually shared in my love of NW, and thinking of you guys as fortysomething somehow makes me feel old. i.e., "Damn, you mean to tell me I've been online long enough to see all these really cool Gen X people go through a complete decade of their own exist-- hey, wait, that means *I've* gone through a complete decade of my own existence online! OMG. *hair turns gray*"

[ben_at_work]

[quote][i]Originally posted by deethelurker[/i]
<br>Ha, now I feel weird about freaking out over turning 28 tomorrow and OMG IN TWO YEARS I'LL BE THIRTY. Like, I know 30 ain't nothing compared to 40, but still, it freaks me out to know that I am that close to full adulthood and the beginning of the era when all associated responsibilities will be assumed attributable to me. And -- I mean, not to be bragging and all -- I know I'm already paying on a mortgage and working at a [i]career[/i] (vs. a job) and that I'm already taking care of an aging parent (though I'm reticent to call her "elderly" because she's just in her early 60s), but still I think of myself as this bumbling adolescent type figure who'd be out of place in v. formal situations, and I can't picture myself as this Full-On Adult Type Person. Oh, and it's also weirding me out to think that you guys, the children of the New Wave era, are already turning 40. I'm so accustomed to thinking of you guys as being, like, 30, but that's because that's the age you guys were when I first went online and realized there were whole communities of people out there who actually shared in my love of NW, and thinking of you guys as fortysomething somehow makes me feel old. i.e., "Damn, you mean to tell me I've been online long enough to see all these really cool Gen X people go through a complete decade of their own exist-- hey, wait, that means *I've* gone through a complete decade of my own existence online! OMG. *hair turns gray*"
[/quote]

Thanks Dee! Now I'm all depressed! [V]




kidding [:D]

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[enzfan]

Nothing like those gray pubes showing up.[:D]

[mhochuli]

[quote][i]Originally posted by enzfan[/i]
<br>Nothing like those gray pubes showing up.[:D]
[/quote]

Bring on the hair dye! Seriously though, I'm 46 and like to run circles (well, sometimes) around my younger friends. My mom, who had me unexpectedly at age 40 and just turned 87 last week, lives alone and is healthy (takes no meds!) and completely self-sufficient. Don't worry that others look old - look at your gene pool and hopefully that's a good thing! Besides, it's so cool being the "old nw-er". I love to see the look on my students'/nieces'/nephews'/etc.. faces when I tell them what kind of music I listen to. Now that's priceless!

[KYYX4ever]

right on, mhochuli, great attitude !
I lucked out on my genes, too, and no-one ever guesses my age right, least of all my students.
See, it's an attitude.

[birdmadgirl]

[quote][i]Originally posted by KYYX4ever[/i]
<br>right on, mhochuli, great attitude !
I lucked out on my genes, too, and no-one ever guesses my age right, least of all my students.
See, it's an attitude.
[/quote]

No one ever guesses my age, either. I get carded all the time--when I'm out drinking, when I pick up a bottle of wine, when I buy the Mr. some smokes. I was approached by a guard at a casino this week and asked for my i.d. while I stood in line to cash in a bucket of quarters (that was pretty embarrassing. Place was packed). It used to bother me that I apparently look like I'm 12, but now that 34 is waving at me, I don't mind it a bit.

[empyrean]

Ill be turning 40 in 5 years time and it seems like im just enjoying my youth. Now im more in to collecting action figures and batman graphic novels. Even Thomas Train sets. [:D]

[marie3]

Turning 40 is great. I have a few friends who never made it to that magical number. So I am thankful I did.
(age is just a number anyway)

[deethelurker]

[quote][i]Originally posted by ben_at_work[/i]
Thanks Dee! Now I'm all depressed! [V]




kidding [:D]
[/quote]

Ha. Ha. Ha.

And just so you guys know, all you guys who turned 40 this year or will be turning 40 next year are always going to be younger than the following: Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey, Stacey Dash (who played a lead teen role in [i]Clueless[/i]), Chris Rock, Cindy Crawford, Edie Brickell, Tatjana Patitz, Robin Wright Penn, Lisa Stansfield, Janet Jackson, Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement), Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Starr), Dean Cain, Kristin Hersh (of Throwing Muses), Halley Berry, Shirley Manson, Salma Hayek, Adam Sandler, Ben Folds, David Schwimmer, Sophie Marceau, Troy Aikman, Sinead O'Connor, and Kiefer Sutherland. All of the above turned 40 in 2006. Just remember that and the fact that you Gen X-ers are all helping make the forties seem like a cool age range to be and all will be golden.

[New Wave Dave]

40 is the new 28! [;)]

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Huh uhh... not Katherine.