Infancy: I graduated from crawling to walking, albeit unsteadily, and uttered my first words. My mother doesn't remember my first word, but she suspects it was 'maaaaah', which is most kids' first word. I grew a bit older, and started using a grown-up toilet instead of pissing in my pants whenever I felt the need.
Age 12: I went to a school camp, and took off my oversized t-shirt while I was swimming in the pool for the first time, revealing my fluorescent pink swimsuit. "You're getting boobs," said the girls in awe, and I peered down at my chest in shock and horror, and noticed for the first time that I didn't have a Boy Chest anymore.
Age 13: Girls whispered about boys, boys whispered about girls. Young love bloomed and couples showed their affection for eachother by calling eachother names and throwing curried egg sandwiches at one another. On a weekend trip to a shopping centre, I peered out of the window as we were parked at a petrol station, and noticed a man in his late 30's, with a car full of kids, staring intently at the space between my midriff top and fashionable-in-the-90's skirt. I felt sick to my stomach, and pulled a jacket over me, and cowered in the back seat.
Age 18: I moved out of home and bills from electricity companies and telephone companies were suddenly addressed to me. I started budgeting my paltry student wage to fit in my rent, food, and rum-and-coke. I took to my new found responsibility with glee, and budgeted down to the cent.
Age 19: My first 'real' job. Moving in with a partner for the first time. Discovering that having a wage doesn't mean that everything is hunky-dory. Owning my own fridge. A fridge! With my very own food inside it! 20. Going to the first high school friend's wedding. Thinking shit, man, this is pretty serious stuff.
The things that made me realise I was growing up.
Now: My best friend telling me that she's engaged to be married, and that she wears a ring now, and that I'm the maid of honour.
Suddenly, it seems like the past 23 years have passed in a blur.
Age 12: I went to a school camp, and took off my oversized t-shirt while I was swimming in the pool for the first time, revealing my fluorescent pink swimsuit. "You're getting boobs," said the girls in awe, and I peered down at my chest in shock and horror, and noticed for the first time that I didn't have a Boy Chest anymore.
Age 13: Girls whispered about boys, boys whispered about girls. Young love bloomed and couples showed their affection for eachother by calling eachother names and throwing curried egg sandwiches at one another. On a weekend trip to a shopping centre, I peered out of the window as we were parked at a petrol station, and noticed a man in his late 30's, with a car full of kids, staring intently at the space between my midriff top and fashionable-in-the-90's skirt. I felt sick to my stomach, and pulled a jacket over me, and cowered in the back seat.
Age 18: I moved out of home and bills from electricity companies and telephone companies were suddenly addressed to me. I started budgeting my paltry student wage to fit in my rent, food, and rum-and-coke. I took to my new found responsibility with glee, and budgeted down to the cent.
Age 19: My first 'real' job. Moving in with a partner for the first time. Discovering that having a wage doesn't mean that everything is hunky-dory. Owning my own fridge. A fridge! With my very own food inside it! 20. Going to the first high school friend's wedding. Thinking shit, man, this is pretty serious stuff.
The things that made me realise I was growing up.
Now: My best friend telling me that she's engaged to be married, and that she wears a ring now, and that I'm the maid of honour.
Suddenly, it seems like the past 23 years have passed in a blur.
posted by GBE at 9:21 pm
10 Comments:
Man, I know what you mean. All of a sudden, I'm about to be a quarter of a century old and you know what? I don't even OWN the fridge in my house and I only own the washing machine because I find it on the side of the road during hard rubbish.
I was 30 before I owned my own fridge. Poor me! But then I wouldn't buy spaghetti tongs for years because I thought they were too bougeois.
It gets faster and faster. Hey! Lookie what you're reading.
Since I've chosen not to have kids, I've been able to prolong the illusion that I'm still in my 20's. What freaks me out is when I find out that someone I went to highschool with has kids graduating from college.
WHAT THE (*&#(@*$#?????
-M
I so understand what you mean, I really don't like the realisation I'm old. I've been to the wedding of some of my friends, and now they are expecting a baby.
P.S. I'm counting the days until my best friend announces her engagement. When you find out what Maid's of Honor do, let me know.
I was Maid of Honour for my best friend and had to hold her bouquet when she said her vows. It was so heavy. Really. I was glad she didn't throw it over her shoulder at anyone, it could have been nasty.
*sigh* Is it just me or does everyone have that Greenday song playing in their heads?
That moment of realization of age is a real lump in the throat.It's like a baseball lodged in there, it passes, eventually, but it keeps recurring.Thirty was no big deal for me (except the party the wife threw. I really could have lived without that!) Forty,was about the same, fifty marginal, but for some reason sixty got to me. I keep looking in the mirror and saying "You're the same guy you always were." But now it's more like "You're the same OLD guy you always were." Emphasis on old.
But I'm still holding on to the philosopy that you are only as old as you think you are,....hopefully.
Good luck with living!
Mr. Guinness
I am almost 40 now, and I have already hit most of the milestones that modern day reality hits you with.
-boy meets girl
-girl dumps boy
-boy gets pissed for a year to get over her but in process meets Other girl.
-whirlwind romance insues, they get engaged, get on with careers, get married and have two kids.
-Other girl turns round one day and says it is all a sham
-crushed, boy leaves girl, knowing in his heart of hearts it is for the best.
-boy gets pissed for 6 months and meets FIRST girl again, Dec 05.
-boy and first girl now back together after 18 years
Thas when I realised I was old, when I had fitted all that in.
Audrey, side of the road furniture isn't to be sneezed at - I spent many a year with a SotR coffee table and a couch that somebody palmed off on us because it was crusty, broken, and smelt funny. My mother, who gave me her stingy genes, is running out of room for her SotR crap.
Pomgirl, what are spaghetti tongs? How do they differ from normal tongs? Do they say 'For Spaghetti' on them so you know the difference? God, I have so much to learn.
Yes indeedy, Don. I'm not very far through, and it's going to take a while because I fit it in during the gap between eating and going back to work at lunchtime. Liking so far, though.
Marcheline, it's crazy, isn't it. When I went to the first 21st party for a high school friend, I was still revelling in the fact that I was allowed to drink alcohol in grown-up pubs, whilst other old students chatted about their children. CHILDREN! Crazy.
Jen, I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do, though I do know that I get to organise the Hen's Night. Strippers. Beer. Sorted.
Pomgirl, was it made of flowers, stalky bits, and lead? Besides the Hen's Night and the holding the bouquet thing, is there anything else I need to know?
Mark, my life truly is the last episode of Seinfeld.
Mr. Guinness, I like to think that I'm only as old as I think I am, but then bad things happen like the time somebody tried to guess my age and came up with the winner of 27. Oh, ouch, it hurts, right there.
Brett, you should stretch it out, add some more words and details, and put it in a book. I'd read it.
Maisha, I know there's still a long way to go. When I'm referring to other people and they call themselves old, my immediate response is "You're not old! Don't be silly!" etc. etc. Just came as a bit of a 'wow, this is what grown-ups do' shock.
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