What makes you feel old? by reginaroadie

TALK STORY

What makes you feel old?

POSTED BY: REGINAROADIE
UPDATED: Sunday, August 6, 2006 17:30
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VIEWED: 20398
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Thursday, August 3, 2006 4:16 PM

My mom asked me this once some years ago .

She left the scene of this world just a bit more than three years ago . For the rest of my life , I think I will continue to recall everything she ever said to me . I heard every word .

My mom would let me pull a sick day anytime there was a significant event during an Apollo lunar flight ( Launch , Lunar Landing , Splashdown ) . She knew there was nothing at school that was as interesting or exciting as my being at home watching the tube while the networks covered history being made .

My mom fought a war with cancer for 15 years .
She won most of the battles . Ultimately , she killed the cancer , but it took her with it .

I think the war was what made my mom feel her age , and that's what brought this question into conversation .

I'd already thought about it before , so I had an answer available . What I told her was this :

" The first time there was a new class of astronauts who were my age , or younger . That's the first thing that really made me think about my age , or begin to ' feel ' it . "

What makes me feel young : When I am in the University library , and a young female student approaches and speaks to me .

One time recently ,
a ' marketing ' student approached me for some demographic information for a survey she was doing . She asked , " Excuse me , may I ask you a few questions ? " Sure , no problem . Her next question was , " Are you between the ages of 18 and 30 ? " , To which I had to respond with a little mental search before verbalizing ,
" Well , uh , No ? "

She lost interest soon therafter , but it was still very flattering .

When the most recent Star Wars film came out , the features editor at our local newspaper solicited first-hand accounts from people who'd seen ' A New Hope ' as a first-run movie . I wrote an email with my story about seeing it during the summer of '77 , and what it meant to me then . My story was one of those selected for publication , and a reporter called me in for a further interview , and to have some pictures made for publication .

The reporter was in her mid-twenties , and the photographer was about the same age . They both remarked about me looking too young to have seen and remembered Star Wars . They asked me ,

" What's your secret ? " .

To which I replied , " Think Young " .

" And don't drink any water that has any chlorine in it . "

That's one reason that I feel so good when I watch Firefly or see Serenity . It keeps me thinking young .

And that ain't ever gettin' old .

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Thursday, August 3, 2006 4:50 PM

ROCKXWL

For me it's going to shows. I listen to a lot of heavier stuff as well as poppier rock. Favorite bands at the moment include Coheed and Cambria, Dredg, Minus the Bear, Cartel, and Every Time I Die. When I first started going to shows when I was 12 or 13 I was awed by the size of the people I was squeezed in together with in the pit, but now not quite 10 years later I go to shows and often find myself to be one of the oldest people there by a good 5 or 6 years. It makes the venue's bar a very lonely place!

An believe me! I won't consider myself "old" for another couple of decades! It's still an odd phenomena to be the oldest person anywhere.

"What'd you all order a dead guy for?"

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Thursday, August 3, 2006 4:54 PM

JOSSISAGOD

The only ones in your list I don't remember seeing are BONKERS and FREAKAZOID. All others listed I loved seeing as a kid. My advice to you would be to get both ANIMANIACS and PINKY AND THE BRAIN. Both are great shows, maybe a little expensive, but in my mind WELL worth it! Now, on to the topic of disscussion, ABC Family has a time slot for Power Rangers, called Power Rangers Generations, recently they have been showing episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, from like ten years ago! Then I realize that I'm almost 21 and haven't seen a REALLY good show since Buffy,Angel,Firefly, Dark Angel were caned! Of course now, I have Eureka.

JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

Self appointed Forsaken! Been on the list for a while now!

"Look at me, I'm STUPID!" The Doctor.

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Thursday, August 3, 2006 8:24 PM

REGINAROADIE

Follow up response.

One thing that makes me feel old is the realization that I started this thread near the end of January of this year, it's now the beginning of August, and people are still fucking responding to this.

I figured my more recent posts about the merits of BATMAN BEGINS or the fact that I actually have a ticket to see the greatest rock band in the world would get more responses. But me flashing back to the cartoons I watched has more emotional resonance, apparantly.

Oh well.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"There's only one "Return" ok, and it ain't "of the King", it's "of the Jedi."

"Maybe we should start calling your friend 'Padme' because he loves 'Mannequin Skywalker' so much, Right? (imitating robot) Danger...danger...my name is Anakin...my shitty acting is ruining saga."

Excerpt of internet teaser for CLERKS 2.

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Thursday, August 3, 2006 8:33 PM

JOSSISAGOD

Yeah well, we're kinda silly like that, we like to visit the old safe topics.

JOSSIS(Most Definitely)AGOD

Self appointed Forsaken! Been on the list for a while now!

"Look at me, I'm STUPID!" The Doctor.

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Friday, August 4, 2006 5:00 PM

SASSALICIOUS

I feel old when I realize my "baby brother" is starting high school.

Or when one of my younger (age 8/12/15/15/15/16) cousins gets smart with me and I answer with "yeah, well I used to change your diapers and wipe your ass when you were a baby"

Or the fact that I just got a loan without a cosigner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I kind of feel like a dirty hippie right now, but I'm loving every moment.

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Friday, August 4, 2006 7:29 PM

STOWEAWAY

We invited some of my husband's co-workers to our house recently. I was discussing my love of music with one young guy (20's). He agreed that he likes Sting but had no idea who The Police are. Say what!?! But then another guy (older) came along and reminded me that I didn't know who Aerosmith was until they teamed up with RUN-DMC. So I'm a little bit young and a whole lot of old.

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 2:00 PM

CAROLJUDE

Here you go: Entertainment Tonight, just now -

Marsha Brady is fifty years old today.

Walk tall, or don't walk at all...

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 3:39 PM

CRUITHNE3753

Grey hairs.

Remembering hearing the news about Elvis.

Passing some girl in the street, thinking "she's hot!", and then realizing I'm practically twice her age. Oh, I'm going to the Special Hell...

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 4:11 PM

SHINYTRINKET

What makes me feel old...

I tried on a bikini the other day for the first time in years (just for shits and giggles, I had no intention of buying it!)--and discovered that gravity is definitely NOT my friend!

I saw the original "Star Wars" and "Grease" in the theater when they first came out--"Star Wars" at a drive-in. Anybody remember those? And I WAS old enough to drive.

The first record album (how about those, remember vinyl??) was Elton John's "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player". I was twelve.

I remember the first moonwalk.

And, despite all the stuff I remember from way back when, I can't remember what I'm going after when I walk from one room to the next any more. Having more and more of those "senior moments" all the time.

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 4:34 PM

CAROLJUDE

I barely remember this, but I do remember it: grown-up men wore hats. Not baseball caps - actual hats.

My first record was 'Georgy Girl' - my mom bought it for me, but still...

I saw E.T. at the Westbury drive-in.

Anyone remember Dick Van Dyke hosting "Born Free" on tv back in the sixties? I remember my mom making real popcorn in the frying pan, and the big orange bowl. I remember the giant yellow and orange daisies on our kitchen wallpaper. And later, thinking that radio/8-track player that looked like an astronaut's helmet was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.

Grey hairs - oy. Tomorrow I have a date with L'Oreal 5am... First time I've colored my hair when there wasn't any occasion to.

Walk tall, or don't walk at all...

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Saturday, August 5, 2006 5:29 PM

SHINYTRINKET

Quote:
Originally posted by CarolJude:
Anyone remember Dick Van Dyke hosting "Born Free" on tv back in the sixties? I remember my mom making real popcorn in the frying pan, and the big orange bowl. I remember the giant yellow and orange daisies on our kitchen wallpaper. And later, thinking that radio/8-track player that looked like an astronaut's helmet was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.
B]

----------------
Oh yeah, the popcorn in the frying pan! We also had the hideous flowered wallpaper in glorious shades of orange, gold, and baby-shit green--er, avocado! And I thought nothing could ever be coolor or more technically advanced than the portable cassette player with a REAL MICROPHONE ATTACHED that I got for Christmas when I was about 10!
------------------------------------

If you eat a live toad in the morning, nothing worse will happen to you all day.

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Sunday, August 6, 2006 5:30 PM

ABSOLUTELYCUCKOO

What makes me feel young is reading all of the other posts here and realizing that I've been using computers since I was four {even if it was only to help Mickey Mouse deliver mail}, and that I rushed off the school bus to watch Pokemon, Digimon, and Toonami {i.e. Dragon Ball Z, and I'm talking pre-Freeza, here}. I'm sorry if reading that makes you feel incredibly old, but I'm sorry, it's what I grew up on.

What makes me feel old is seeing eight year old girls in halter tops--and, occasionally, wedge sandals--yammering on and on into a cell phone. I mean, c'mon, when I was seven I talked to people face to face while we walked through creeks in cut off overalls. Sure, I wasn't the most fashionable, but darn if they weren't comfortable!

I'm very scared of the future.

Exaggerations? Never hear of 'em.

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