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Are We Ever "Too Old" For Something?


JanuarySwan
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I'd like to know if anyone has ever felt that there comes a time when we are just "too old" for something.  I am pondering a dilemma in real life regarding a fashion I'd like to wear because I feel I just may be too old and other's would laugh at me.  So, to put it simply, I'm bothered because I don't want to be laughed at.  So, are we ever too old for something?  Is carpe diem for one and all no matter what age?  Is the world not my oyster too?  Or, at a certain age, does that oyster and carpe diem extend only to youth?  I also feel stupid for pondering carpe diem as I'm not going to be here forever for one thing.  Yet, I hesitate.  

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I'm still in my 20's and can relate to that feeling completely! I don't think it has anything to do with age particularly but rather our level of comfort in our habits. The more we stay stagnant in our routines the less likely we are to challenge them and "venture out".

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14 minutes ago, Adamburp Adamczyk said:

ding dong ditch

I feel like I'm playing ping-pong ditch in my mind.  I should have said I vacillate not hesitate in my OP.  I just don't know what I want to do.  I don't want to spend money on something I might end up to cowardly to wear.  

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4 minutes ago, lunasmirage said:

The more we stay stagnant in our routines the less likely we are to challenge them and "venture out".

Yes, this is the motivation.  I feel I have been stagnating.  This is exactly it.  I'm not sure how to get out of my stagnation - yet.  

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33 minutes ago, JanuarySwan said:

I'd like to know if anyone has ever felt that there comes a time when we are just "too old" for something.  I am pondering a dilemma in real life regarding a fashion I'd like to wear because I feel I just may be too old and other's would laugh at me.  So, to put it simply, I'm bothered because I don't want to be laughed at.  So, are we ever too old for something?  Is carpe diem for one and all no matter what age?  Is the world not my oyster too?  Or, at a certain age, does that oyster and carpe diem extend only to youth?  I also feel stupid for pondering carpe diem as I'm not going to be here forever for one thing.  Yet, I hesitate.  

The fact, as you have said, that you are "not going to be here forever", is exactly why you should ponder carpe diem.

As for people laughing, it's something that they tend to do to others for many many reasons. You could wear something that you consider to be 'age appropriate' and some may still laugh... possibly because they think it is something that a person older than you appear to be, would wear in their mind.

You cannot worry what others will think, because you cannot cover all eventualities. Wear what YOU want to wear, and what makes you happy... express your individuality.... it's not harming anyone else after all.

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Then I guess it depends whether you'd regret more not trying it out or potentially wasting that money? 

Is there a possibility to experiment without too much at stake? All dependent again on what you consider to be "too much". 

I think there's a lot of reassurance peer wise plus the crazy hormones during youth which promotes exploration. From thereon forth though, it becomes quite a lonely journey.

As long as you continue to try though, I don't think it's ever considered a loss.

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58 minutes ago, JanuarySwan said:

I'd like to know if anyone has ever felt that there comes a time when we are just "too old" for something.  I am pondering a dilemma in real life regarding a fashion I'd like to wear because I feel I just may be too old and other's would laugh at me.  So, to put it simply, I'm bothered because I don't want to be laughed at.  So, are we ever too old for something?  Is carpe diem for one and all no matter what age?  Is the world not my oyster too?  Or, at a certain age, does that oyster and carpe diem extend only to youth?  I also feel stupid for pondering carpe diem as I'm not going to be here forever for one thing.  Yet, I hesitate.  

No. It's not only the youths oyster. Life is yours to live how you please and dress how you please. I will give you an example of myself.

I am 35 years old. I have both my ears stretched. I have three lip piercings, one septum piercing, one nose piercing and ear piercings. My hair varies in what colour I want it to be. My dress is on average somewhere on the scale of Nu/Casual Goth. My makeup is usually either black liner with red, green or purple (or a mix) shadow. My hair is sometimes straight, sometime wild, sometimes natural depending on how I feel.

I could care less quite honestly what anyone else thought about my sense of who I am. They are not the ones living my life and they are not the ones that determine what makes me happy. Do people judge me?. Probably, but again, my life is my life and I am not here on this earth to live my life based on the opinions of other people. Life is short, do what makes you happy and give no care to what others think of it. So long as you never harm another person you are good to do as you please and hell to the idiots who judge you for it.

Think about it this way. On average you have maybe 70 years of life on this earth. What if you get to the end and there is nothing. What if there is no god, no afterlife. Just....nothing. How would you feel about these worries and concerns then?. Would you wish you had done things differently?. Would you wish you had just lived life in whatever form made you happy instead of wasting it worrying about the opinions of others?. There is a good chance really that this is it, our one shot. Live it for you not for others.

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I once read a quote that rang very true to me: "Children rarely worry, because they don't yet have that big file in their head, called All the Things That Could Go Wrong".

People care surprisingly little for what others look like, beyond the superficial glance. Nobody is going to stop in the street, stare, point, and laugh. It may be that you feel uncomfortable because this fashion is one that you associate with youth, so what could be happening here is something far deeper into your subconscious: a feeling of mourning for that past youth, which is causing you to feel uncomfortable about wearing items you feel you're "too old" for. And you've probably not yet reached that blessed age where you don't give a damn what others think about your fashion choices ;)

If this fashion has a smaller part, why not try wearing just that smaller part and see how you feel, see what feedback (if any) you get from others. For example: if you wanted to wear Emilio Pucci, start out with a delicate scarf instead of a full shirt. Baby-steps your way into wearing it.

I have no idea of your age (and there is no way on this earth I would be rude enough to ask) but if a woman of any age holds her head up and strides out like she was born to wear That Thing and sod those who think otherwise, then she is goddamn beautiful. (And apologies for assuming your gender here.) If you want any inspiration, look no further than the glorious Carmen Dell'Orefice.

carmen.jpg.ff4967bb998120312a6ce070f3327985.jpg

Edited by Skell Dagger
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People have told me I am too old for the following:

  • Halloween (The dressing up part, not the getting candy part)
  • Cybergoth
  • Cartoons

I say you can never be too old for something. You only have one life, live it to the fullest and enjoy the things that make you happy. If someone says otherwise, say "well that's your problem. I however, am going to continue having fun.".

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5 minutes ago, Skell Dagger said:

I have no idea of your age (and there is no way on this earth I would be rude enough to ask) but if a woman of any age holds her head up and strides out like she was born to wear That Thing and sod those who think otherwise, then she is goddamn beautiful.

THIS^^^^^

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The pieces of clothing I hesitated the most to buy them, because of just that "too old" feeling, are those which I do love and wear the most after all.
If it fits your style, and looks good on you, there is no reason not to wear it. Fortunately fashion is labeled in sizes, not in age ranges.

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31 minutes ago, Skell Dagger said:

I once read a quote that rang very true to me: "Children rarely worry, because they don't yet have that big file in their head, called All the Things That Could Go Wrong".

People care surprisingly little for what others look like, beyond the superficial glance. Nobody is going to stop in the street, stare, point, and laugh. It may be that you feel uncomfortable because this fashion is one that you associate with youth, so what could be happening here is something far deeper into your subconscious: a feeling of mourning for that past youth, which is causing you to feel uncomfortable about wearing items you feel you're "too old" for. And you've probably not yet reached that blessed age where you don't give a damn what others think about your fashion choices ;)

If this fashion has a smaller part, why not try wearing just that smaller part and see how you feel, see what feedback (if any) you get from others. For example: if you wanted to wear Emilio Pucci, start out with a delicate scarf instead of a full shirt. Baby-steps your way into wearing it.

I have no idea of your age (and there is no way on this earth I would be rude enough to ask) but if a woman of any age holds her head up and strides out like she was born to wear That Thing and sod those who think otherwise, then she is goddamn beautiful. (And apologies for assuming your gender here.) If you want any inspiration, look no further than the glorious Carmen Dell'Orefice.

carmen.jpg.ff4967bb998120312a6ce070f3327985.jpg

I love you Skell! Thank you!

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Having reached an age I never aspired to, I have had my share of worrying over what is age appropriate. None of the time I spent worrying about what other people might think was worth it.  Short answer: wear what you like and don't worry what other people think.  Long answer: read what @Skell Dagger said above and aim for that.

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3 hours ago, JanuarySwan said:

So, are we ever too old for something?

 

Quote

Richard Donner, who will be 91 years old by the time Lethal Weapon 5 begins production, also confirms that the upcoming installment will be the last one in the franchise, leaving him with no choice but to return to the director's chair and finish what he started way back in 1987.

Lethal-Weapon-5-Director-Richard-Donner.

https://movieweb.com/lethal-weapon-5-director-richard-donner/

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I shall tell you a story, a super long story, one only mildly related to one sentence in your post, but related all the same.

In rl (and obviously, everywhere else too) I am mostly blind. I was born this way and we knew at birth eventually I'd lose it all. I have never had depth perception, either. That is to say, I have less than 15% vision left, and for most of my life have had less than 50% to begin with. When I was a kid, I'd do just about anything I wanted to do, much to my parents dismay at times. I ran into trees learning how to run, fell down stairs learning how to walk, walked into countless walls, walked off curbs, fell off my bike a ridiculous amount, fell off, walked into, dropped, spilled, etc... EVERYTHING. I had little fear of what anyone thought, probably mostly because I never thought about what other people thought. As I got a bit older, I developed this sense, like most, that I should care what others think, at least sometimes, mostly out of fear of how I'd feel when people did as people often do. As a teenager, that feeling got worse, I was more reluctant to do things because, people do what people often do. I cared more about what people thought. The same applied as a young adult, even worse so, because I was a young parent and holy hell the judgments (try whipping out a nipple on accident as an 18 year old in a crowded mall, no one realizing you hadn't put the baby up yet and weren't just giving a show). So, I can appreciate the fear of what others think, on many levels. Then, I started to go even more blind, and dreaded "what people think" more than I probably ever have before, because the issues I had were far more prevalent, or at least seemed so. Not only does one of my eyes actually look quite funny, but the lack of vision messes up all kinds of things people don't realize can be messed up, far more than some of the more obvious things. It can be dreadful to try and explain it too. 

I'm more blind than I've ever been in my entire life. I make far more mistakes than I have ever made in my entire life. I sometimes walk into things simply because I literally can't see them in front of me, even though some part of me damn well knows they are/were there. Sometimes (a lot) I walk crooked, but think I'm walking straight. You should see how I bowl, play pool, ride a skateboard, bike, lmao... I still step off curbs and stairs weird, I miss a lot. When I create, sl or rl, things are crooked and often out of place. Sometimes things are placed wrong, painted wrong, messy, don't match, whatever else have you. All of this applies both in sl, and in rl. I make typing mistakes all the time, because I type without looking since I can't actually see my keyboard anyway, and sometimes (always, except where it counts and forums don't count) I just don't want to effin use a damn tool to make sure my words are the way they should be. I used to care about such things, more to the point, I used to care what others would think, say, do, about such things. It hindered a LOT for me, for far, far too long. It created a me I didn't like, and caused all kinds of problems for me that took far too long to remedy. I missed out on a lot of things I once would've been able to do...if only. 

Now, I say eff it all, and if someone doesn't like it, they know what they can kiss. I don't really care. If I walk into a sign, laugh with me, give me a hand up if I need it, make sure I didn't knock myself out or need stitches, and move the hell along, lol. If I make fifteen million typos on my verbose novel length drivel, feel free to correct me, laugh at me, ***** at me, if it's what someone wants to do. If I create something and it looks wonky, don't buy it, or buy it, judge me, do whatever you want. Just don't expect me to always care, because I don't most of the time, not anymore, lol. It's much easier, much more comfortable for me, and far less difficult to get through life when I don't give a flying puck what anyone thinks. I don't really LIKE my mistakes, my goofups, my flat out fails, my oddities (physical and otherwise) anymore than anyone else does . I know what works for me and what doesn't better than anyone else, save my rl family who are used to me by now. They know when to stop me from doing something, or just let me, then laugh with me when I screw up yet again. I just don't have much use for caring about what others think of those things, because it has absolutely no bearing on whether or not I'll do it again. Odds are pretty damn good, I will, or worse. That's just who and how I am and there isn't a lick of anything I, or anyone else can do, to stop it. So others having an opinion about these things certainly won't make it any better or any worse. If I let others judgment of my mishaps stop me from doing things, I'd never do a damn thing again, because I mess EVERYTHING up at one point or another. I could LET it make things worse, but, I've been down that road before (when I cared more), and it's far too bumpy for this blind weirdo to travel safely

It doesn't necessarily apply to being "too old" for something, but it does apply to not caring whether or not someone else thinks you're "too old" for something. If you think you're not, then you're not. If you're comfy with it, if you enjoy it, if you like it...run with it. That is, provided you're not harming anyone else with it, and of course in this instance, you're not. 

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If it makes you feel better, I often wear mismatched socks (though not purposefully, I'm just really bad at pairing them up after I wash them, lmao). I often wear clothes inside out without realizing it. My very fluffy and warm winter hat doesn't match my, very much bought in the kids department, gloves. I still wear snowpants and play in the snow with my, not very little, kids. I still play in sprinklers. I still make sand castles. I still make mud pies. I still catch bugs and frogs and toads and caterpillars and...I still play with playdough and kiddie board games. I play go fish, hide n seek, tag, kickball and rough around the yard with not only my, again not little anymore, kids, but also my nieces, neighbor kids, whoever. I still wear clothes that probably look like they should belong on a child, style wise that is, or so I've been told. I both still buy toys for myself and receive toys as gifts(not THAT kind...well, maybe that kind too, but I digress, not what I'm talking about, lol). I love arcades, chuck e cheese, playgrounds, jumping rope, hopscotch, drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, playing with blocks, make believe and pretend. And so very much more that no one in their right mind would likely associate with someone my age (granted, I'm not that old to be honest, but that's irrelevant here, which is my point lol)

I both dress and act my age, which is, as old as I'd like to be that day. And I don't really care what anyone thinks about it. Very little that I do has anything at all to do with my age. The things that are related to my age are really only related to being an adult, not necessarily one of a specific age, I'm sure you catch my drift, lol. 

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One of my RL mentors in how to age gracefully is a good friend who turned 94 last April.  She still dyes her hair bright red and wears clothing that we came to know in the 60s as hippie style (flowing, multicolored, and with all sorts of pockets and geegaws).  She also wears at least 5 lbs of jewelry every day (including a ring on every finger).  That's not my personal style, but I think it's lovely on her.  By her example, she shows me daily how to be comfortable dressing the way that I want to at any age.   I have another couple of decades to live before I get to her age, but I hope I manage as well as she has.

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