When was the first time it struck you that you’re getting older than you would want to admit?
Chances are, you’re either in denial or have already realized that “Ang tanda ko na pala!”
For instance, I’m 32 years old, but in my memory, it feels like 2003 was just around the corner (the year Ragnarok and other MMORPGs I started with), only to realize that it was already two decades ago.
It was the same with 2008, the year I graduated from high school, which in my mind was just five years ago, but in reality, it was already 15 years ago.
I know you also feel you’re getting older, so here are 12 signs that reveal that you’re older and we’re in the same boat.
1. You Have To Scroll Multiple Times To Reach Your Birth Year in Registrations.
How many times have you registered for a website to input your birthday? Then, when it’s time to input your birth year, you realize that you need to scroll up once or twice.
It may feel like just like yesterday when you still had to fake your birth year because you are too young to register on social media.
Sadly, that time is probably long past, and you just need to accept it.
2. You Often Refer to Things That Are Already Obsolete.
When talking to younger people, have you ever used obsolete examples that are beyond recognition for a younger audience, like floppy disks or diskettes, cassette tapes and Walkman, pagers, dial-up Internet, or “burning” CDs?
I had an experience while teaching an engineering subject when I was explaining how electronic communications systems, like cell phones, work.
So, to simplify my explanation, I used a telephone as an example. However, all I received were blank faces and more questions instead of clarity.
At that time, I had just realized that landline telephones had already been obsolete for at least a decade and were seldom used in the provinces during its peak.
3. Your Body Has Changed A Lot, Worse Than Before.
How’s your body, especially your back, foot, and shoulders? Are they chronically hurting after years of sitting in front of the computer?
How about your eyes? Are you now wearing eyeglasses? When was the last time you jumped or ran your fastest?
Chances are, many from the upper range of the millennial age bracket are already on a downtrend in their health.
There is also a chance that your waistline is wider than before, and you look at your old pictures as if they are distant memories. You may also start seeing white hairs and wrinkles that were not there before.
If you don’t believe that your body changes tell you you’re old, then you’re still in denial.
4. From “Bakit Ka Maga-asawa?” to “Kailan Ka Na Maga-asawa?
When we’re much younger, weddings and having a baby seem to be a “game over” moment because some people we know made wrong turns, got pregnant or got someone pregnant, had a baby, and got married young.
During that time, having a baby and getting married is followed with “How? What happened?”
However, once you reach a certain age, you’ll realize that you’re old because the questions changed from “Bakit ka maga-asawa agad?” to “Kailan ka na maga-asawa?” or “Congratulations.”
It’s essential also to note that a part of growing old and wiser is that choosing who you’ll marry is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make that will be a part of your future success.
5. Facebook Memories Reveal Your True Age.
How often have you checked your Facebook Memories and seen pictures of you and your friends? Then you told yourself, “Teka! Eight years na yun?!” on a picture that felt like yesterday.
This is also why our relatives from abroad or far away say that we grew up so much, while in our perspective, we never knew them.
6. Staying at Home Is Now a Reward, Not a Punishment.
There was a time when being grounded or disallowed from leaving the house was a punishment.
However, when you are older, your home becomes your sanctuary, and you just want to stay home as much as possible.
There are no more “Win Big or Go Home” moments because, for older people, going home is a win.
7. Sweets Are Now Too Sweet.
I find this one too funny because once we reach a certain age, we start having displeasure with anything too sweet that we used to enjoy, like candies and chocolates.
Now, we start consuming more bitter beverages, like coffee and ginger tea, and less sweet desserts.
We also start to comment things like, “Okay itong dessert na ito. Hindi masyadong matamis.”
Our overall palate also changes, and we start subconsciously avoiding foods, like processed foods and canned goods, that we know are unhealthy and instead select the better choice.
When I was younger, I was always curious why my parents preferred fish and vegetables when they could eat hotdogs and corned beef daily.
Now I know that their taste for food may have just changed through the years.
8. You Settle For Your Musical Taste
Music has always been a good indicator of age because once you hear some of your favorite songs being played as “Classics” or “Retro,” you realize that your musical glory days have passed their prime, and you now have your preferred music and artists.
I remember when I was younger. I was confused about why my father loved listening to Tom Jones, Matt Monro, and Engelbert Humperdinck, which I found “sounds old.”
At the same time, my mother preferred Karen Carpenters (my sister was even named after her), Nora Aunor, and Jose Mari Chan (not the Christmas in Our Hearts Album).
However, now, I find myself listening more to the bands I grew up with, like Parokya ni Edgar, Hale, Spongecola, Rivermaya, Bamboo, and some of the emo bands of the 2000s.
However, I still try to be updated with the K-pop groups and some foreign acts.
9. You’ll Have Your “Noong Panahon Namin…” Moments
Isn’t it annoying when our parents and relatives compare our generation to theirs and how they were much more prepared and responsible than us?
However, have you ever had a moment when you also said something along the lines of “Bakit ganito yung mga Gen-Z? Buti pa kami dati.”
This is also one of the things I find funny about adulthood.
The older generation thinks their generation is better than the next, while the younger generation smirks and feels that the old generation just can’t comprehend the changing times.
10. You Started Loving the Simple Things in Life.
When you grow older, you will have a deeper satisfaction with the simple things in life.
You will have more fun buying household items or tools or doing chores. Coffee or tea also becomes the beverage of choice, as well as water.
You start foregoing things you thought were important, like status symbols and materialism, and instead settle for the small things and activities that genuinely make you happy.
11. You’ve Moved Past Your Quarter-Life Crisis, but Think if You’re Entering Your Midlife Crisis.
Finally, you have exited and survived your quarter-life crisis with a renewed perspective, ready to change the world or yourself.
However, adulting gets in your way. You get more responsibilities than you have hoped for, and then you suddenly feel like you’re entering a midlife crisis.
12. You Notice Your Parents, Teachers, and Relatives Seem Older Than You Remember.
This is the sad part of growing old. You’ll also realize that the people around you have grown old.
You may have noticed your nieces and nephews grow up from being babies to young adults in college, but have you ever noticed that your parents, teachers, and relatives are much older and weaker than before?
Sadly, you may also see or hear news of some of the people you used to look up to passing away.
Final Thought
These twelve things can show that you’re older than you may think. I may also have missed some, but the things listed are based on my experience.
So, if you’re not introspective enough about what’s happening in your life, you’ll one day realize that time has passed and you lost opportunities to spend time with your friends and families, protect your health, and do what you love.
Time will not pause and wait for us to be ready. Instead, we need to seize the day and be more mindful of using our limited time because it’s the only real currency. May God bless you in your journey!