I guest posted today on the online magazine— STUDIO 30+. It's a post about my minor midlife crisis at the stupidly young age of 24. In fairness to myself, it was the year that I made some pretty life-changing decisions— namely breaking up with my live-in boyfriend* because I wasn't ready to have kids.
As a side note, I've noticed that since I've had a baby, it's a lot harder to deny the aging process. She's like an adorable yet ever so slightly terrifying visual representation of the passage of time. But that's a post for another time. Or fodder for a future therapy session.
Click here if you'd like to check out my post. But before you do, I'd like to know— was there a specific age that you freaked out about getting older? Was the freak-out tied to something specific in your life that you weren't happy with? Or just a getting older sucks kind of thing?
* I feel the need to mention that my ex-boyfriend is an avid reader, a big supporter and an honest critic of my blog. It took a few years, but he is now a truly excellent friend.
Fantastic article. In a related note, I’m starting to hate you because where do you get off being such a good writer and art director? It’s kind of bullshit.
Thank you. I know I’ve said this before but it means a lot coming from you. Also- it’s incredibly easy to make the logo bigger. I bet you could do it too.
I LOVED the article! So great. LOVED!
My freak out was when I turned 19. Only one more year of angsty teenager was too much to handle.
Ever since then? I couldn’t care less about growing old. I was actually happy to turn 30.
Thanks for taking the trip over there to check it out:)
24 was my first and only freak out as well. But I’m beginning to feel like they might start to bother me again as I am now safely out of the early thirties and in the GASP mid.
Loved the article! When I was in my late 20s, I was actually looking forward to my 30s. I thought it would be a time of stability, steady income, etc. Then I had kids. Kinda blew that plan apart. Now, I am looking forward to my 40’s. I think it will be a time of stability, steady income, etc. Maybe.
I am not looking forward to my forties. That is like no excuses adulthood. Don’t know if I have it in me. Although by that point I’ll have more years of Mazzy under my belt and probably the responsibility of Mazzy 2.0, so maybe adulthood is inevitable.
As long as Katie Couric and Oprah are alive and letting us know what “old” is (40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40, etc) we are golden. All other details can be addressed by an excellent plastic surgeon and a strong martini.
hmmm…..when did my freak out about age begin? 27. And it’s with me every…single…day. each and every additional gray hair day.
I think that article is my favourite I’ve ever read from you. I loved it. “And that if you try to live your life on a timeline, you’re never gonna get it right.” So true.
I really appreciate you coming back to tell me that. It’s so hard with a guest post because you have no way to gauge if people are reading it if they don’t comment. Thank you!
I don’t want to say that I’ve been lucky in the gray hair department because that will undoubtedly mean that they will start sprouting tomorrow.
25. I booked a trip to London on my birthday so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. Then cried in the middle of Paddington station while my husband looked on helplessly saying “I thought you didn’t want to do anything for your birthday…” Truly it was tragic :).
Honestly, I’m having a real rough time of it now (30). I even allowed myself a post of whininess http://realmountainvalues.com/2011/01/weekly-recap-116-122/
I’m really down on what I have achieved and can’t seem to get out of the rut. Not my usual optimistic disposition, so, I’m blaming it on 30.
I’m pretty sure living with 22 year olds at 24 would have driven me to it a year younger. 🙂
Hmmm, freak out. I remember thinking 25 was old, then 35 I mellowed and 41 was just amazing because that is when I met my true love, and I was so glad to celebrate it. I think you’ll find that it truly does get better – don’t age, just get out there and enjoy every day because each day really is precious!
I had mine when I was 21 but since becoming a Mom, I love getting older. I feel happier, more secure in myself, more in control of my life and even with the hard times, it just gets richer and richer as the days go on. Of course, I’m still a young one, so who knows if I’ll break again. I do remember crying on my porch and thinking, “Oh god, if this is my midlife crisis, I’m going to die when I’m 42). Drama queen!
Turning 30 was really a great birthday for me. Think of it this way— you’ve got ten whole years before you reach another milestone. It’s like being born again! (I mean that in the most unreligious way possible).
I am very happy to hear I should look forward to my forties. At the moment, they seem distant and terrifying. But I guess at some point I thought that about my thirties too.
That’s exactly what I felt like when I turned 24— like if I didn’t get a handle on this now, I was going to be a walking disaster for the rest of my life. I’m happy to report that it’s been just over ten years and I have not really revisited that same feeling of fear.
28. It was all of a sudden close to enough to thirty to make it real, and I didn’t like it. Thirty just about sent me over the edge, and every birthday pains me now. It’s all tied to my overachiever issues, and I’m hoping that I’ll get over that at some point.m
🙁 I clicked over there but I can’t access anything from before March 2011 now. I am late to the party.