i am now in my mid twenties…
I turned 25 last Friday.
How did that happen? I still remember counting down the days until I turned 18 and no longer had to think of scheming ways to get into clubs.
I know some people get freaked out before their 25th birthday, when they realise that they will be a quarter of a century on this earth. It didn’t bother me personally, maybe it is because most of my close friends are older than me and if I ever complain of feeling old they quickly put me in my place! It is an altogether different story when I head back to Ireland.
Now, this is a huge, no make that massive, pet peeve of mine… but a lot of my home friends insist on pointing out how ‘old’ we are and how we can’t go out anymore now that we have seemingly turned into fossils. And when we do go out, they just point out that we are the oldest people there. It infuriates me. Honestly, does it really matter? Shouldn’t the focus be on having a good time and not pointing out that you are now a fragile, old lady at the age of 24 or 25?!
Since moving to London I have never come across the same attitude. I have gone out on proper, all-nighters with friends (a few years older than my Irish friends!) and not once would they utter that they feel ‘too old’ for a night out or ever suggest anything of the sort. Rightly so! It is funny, as the only time I ever think of my age or feel ‘old’ is when I am back in Ireland.
The whole perception of age really annoys me, we focus so much on youth and act like aging is this horrible thing. Personally I feel much happier now than I did when I was 18 or 20. I am happy in my own company and can easily spend a day by myself or eat at a restaurant solo. When I was 18 this may have unnerved me with thoughts of ‘oooh what will people think?!’
I certainly feel more confident in general as I have got older. The thoughts of anyone seeing me without make up was my worst fear when I was a teenager – I just constantly thought I looked awful! Now, it’s not to say that I think I look amazing now, it’s more that if others think I look rubbish I am less affected by it and have come to terms with the fact that I am not going to wake up looking like Miranda Kerr or Alexa Chung. I still wouldn’t go to work without makeup (I am not that comfortable in my own skin!) but I certainly would no longer refuse to answer the door to the postman barefaced! Ahem, yes I did this aged 16!
What do you think of the whole age issue? Do you find friends tag you as ‘too old’ when you don’t think you are? Or are we actually just jealous that we are no longer deemed young?!
Kellebelle
x
Photo sources: all mine except the last image which is from We Heart It
