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Recently I attended a choral concert in Philadelphia. One of the presenters introduced himself, saying, “I’ve been doing this for 20 years…oh, I just dated myself.” I hadn’t noticed till he said that.
I exchanged cards with someone at a social event recently. As she took the card, she said, “I guess it’s just people our age who use cards these days.” While there’s a trend to online business cards (I have those two) I know lots of people of all ages who have business cards.
“Country music? My parents listened to that!” And so do many young people. I was in a coffee shop when the very young barista chose country music as background.
Why call attention to your age? Just make the statement without reference to age.. If people want to date you, they will.
It’s worse when someone says “at my age…” because they’re assuming everyone is like them at that age.
“At my age, my back hurts more.”
“At my age, I can’t sleep like I used to.”
These statements are true…but not for everyone of your age. Some of those statements mean you need to see a doctor. And you suddenly reminded people how old you are.
If a good friend asks you, “How does it feel to be 70 (or 65 or 75 or 80), that’s a different story. They want to know about you, specifically. Or your doctor will want to know why you’re refusing one test and asking for another.
But in general, when talking to strangers, why do you want to be identified by your age? It’s like being identified by racial stereotypes, quirky characteristics (like having red or curly hair), or some other attribute that’s completely meaningless. Better to be identified by your skills or professional status — something you’re proud to promote.
