There was a time I was super excited about getting older because it meant I could get a piercing, have my eyebrows waxed, sport acrylic nails, dye my hair, get my permit/license or finally go to teen nightclubs. Oh boy, that was the time or my life. When I turned 16 I was hype to have a super sweet sixteen, and when I turned 18 I was hype to get my license so I could drive my friends to the mall to meet hot guys and buy new clothes. Now that I am 22 (and getting older) it just isn’t as fun as it used to be. Things are starting to get serious for me. I have to pay bills on my own and write lists to remember just about everything. My priorities have changed from going to the movies on Friday and hosting a sleepover on Saturday to going grocery shopping so I don’t starve and paying my electric bill before I acquire a late fee. Just about everyone at some point in their lives have been scared of old age. Here are just some of the things I personally am afraid of that come with getting older.
1. Grey hair
Growing up I loved spicing up my look and more often than not that meant dying my hair. Soon I will no longer just be dying my hair for fun, but honestly to cover up the greys. At least that whole grey look is a trend right now.
2. Paying bills
Paying bills back in the day during my childhood meant pulling out my toy cash register and stuffing my monopoly money back in the draw to pay the pretend water bill I had. Now I actually cry every time Dominion extracts my power bill money from my account.
3. Naps become more necessary
I used to make fun of my mom for always having to take a nap during the day before she got ready to take me anywhere, but now I do the exact same thing. Before I do anything remotely big for the day I must take a nap or I won’t survive the activity. It’s sad but true!
4. Things start to sag
I constantly have to fight gravity back because things just aren’t sitting up like they used to. You can find me stuffing things back into place and lifting things right where I want it throughout the day every day. Beauty is pain and gravities worst enemy. Nothing is as tight as it once was and I don’t care who you are it just isn’t.
5. Breakouts and wrinkles
I’ve always had somewhat acne-prone skin but as I’ve gotten older over the years the breakout and dark spots have become spontaneous and extreme at times. Grow up they said, it’ll be fun they said. But they also failed to mention that you’d never have baby bottom smooth skin anymore, once you got older.
6. Forgetting things more often
Okay, you know things have gotten real when you start to forget things mid-conversation. When you have to start writing simple list on sticky notes just so you don’t forget to: lock the door, turn of the light or bring your sneakers for the gym. It’s happened to the best of us and we can’t fight the information from fading.
7. Night Life
Going to the club isn’t a normal/regular activity during the weekend anymore and thirsty Thursday no longer means the same things. It’s a sad realization I’ve had to come to because my workload changes and I have less and less free time than I did during freshman year. Instead, I have to resort to drinking a glass of wine or a beer while doing assignments due weeks away.
8. You’re that much closer to the next age
Soon they’ll be sending life alert and AARP mail. I find I no longer think about age as ‘oh wow I’m such-and-such age now’ instead I’ve started saying things like “Oh wow I’m eight years away from 30” or “I’m 136-years-old in dog years.”
9. Actual Responsibilities
I now realize many of my friends are in relationships and maybe have already started talking about post-graduation plans that include family life, uprooting them to a new city and purchasing their first homes. Instead of exploring different cities and doing everything touristy you can think of you may have to pencil your friend into your busy life schedule and plan play dates for your future kids. It’s scary, but actual responsibilities are closer than you think.
10. Lateness is no longer cute.
There’s no such thing as being fashionably late in the corporate world. It’s no longer cute to show up to things late whether it be five minutes, 10 minutes or 20 minutes. Late is late and it’s bad habit.
Getting older looks more fun in the Instagram pictures than in real life. I’m staying young wild and free for as long as I can.
I just turned 21 again for the second year in a row