Can I share some personal thoughts with you?
I'm thinking about age.
Why do I feel I'm too old for certain things, because I (after more than 30 years) know myself better or do my preferences really change with years?
I got a reality check some time ago. I was 28 at the time and trust me (I'm not trying to flatter myself here) looking 28 or even slightly younger.
Shopping for a new pair of jeans I walked into Men At Work (a dutch clothes shop). While browsing through the clothes racks I found it hard to think with this loud music booming through the shop, what was looking for again?
A girl working there approached me, offering her assistance. I asked her (no, screamed at her) why the music was so loud. The answer? This is what our traget costumer likes. 'But to be frank, I'm not really fond of this, it makes me want to leave', I said. With a friendly smile on her face, this girl responded: '
Well, you're not our target costumer, you're to old'... Ouch.
When do you get too old for jeans? My wallet got bigger with age, not older. I rushed myself out there and didn't come back for a while...
The next time I dared to go there again, I was looking for shoes.
It was around lunch time when I walked down the stairs to the shoe basement. When looking through the boots department a (17, 18 year old?) girl came up to me. 'Hi there, shopping in the early morning?'
Early morning!? It was noon, I had half a day behind me! 'Are you having a nice day off? How nice, shopping, hanging out in the city, good for you to enjoy yourself!' my self proclaimed shopping assistent chatted away...
Since when do these girls think they should address you as there new best friend? Is this a shop policy, act like your costumers
BFF and they'll buy more?
It made me feel awkward, like when someone is standing to close to you and you don't want to tell them cause it makes you look cranky so you just stand there being uncomfortable (and smelling their bad breath). But worst of all, it made me feel old, stiff even.
Since then I've successfully ignored the Man at Work shops.
Some
other things that make me feel old:
-festivals (crowds, loud music, people being too drunk)
-nights out that start at midnight (I've already fallen asleep on my couch while
waiting for the appropriate time to go to a club),
-mobile phones used as a stereo in public transport
- people in their twenties calling me 'madame'
Am I getting old or did I never like these things just because it's not me and am I only now accepting this, accepting who I am? Probably, as always, a little bit of both.
Anyway it makes me more determent to do
the things I do like:
-walks through the woods
-growing my own veggies
-having coffee (during the day or early evening) with friends
-seeing art house movies
-drawing and painting
Thank god there's lot's left, but one last question to you:
Am I the only one struggling with the this?