People Are Sharing The Moments They Realized They're "Not Young Anymore," And It's Sobering To Say The Least

We're all getting older, whether we like to admit it or not — and boy, it can be a tough pill to swallow! Whether you've found a sneaky gray hair or had to think twice when dinner gets scheduled past 8 p.m., we've all had those moments where we felt our age. Reddit user tyrion2024 recently asked, "What made you realize you're not young anymore?" Here's what people had to say:

1."Having home ibuprofen and car ibuprofen."

First aid kit on a teal background.
Iuliia Bondar / Getty Images

u/verymuchbad

"And Tums or Rolaids."

u/vamp999666

2."When kids were learning about 9/11 as a historical event in school and weren't alive during it."

ADVERTISEMENT

u/JustAhuman71

3."The amount of grunting I do doing physical tasks without even knowing I'm doing it."

George Clooney in "Burn After Reading."
© Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection

u/tulipchatter

4."Seeing my parents age and struggle more. My hairline is creeping backward. Injuries take much longer to heal. Hangovers are days long, so I don't drink now. Everyone around me is married with kids. Life goes too fast."

u/TheMonk___

5."Kids have their childhood photos in their parents' phones instead of physical albums."

Baby next to a physical photo album.
Kohei Hara / Getty Images

u/West-Owl-7723

6."My coming-of-age music is played in grocery stores now."

u/Content-Method9889

"Walking around the grocery store thinking, 'Damn this song is a banger — oh NO.'"

u/wmciner1

7."I had to explain to my coworker why I found a stop sign funny because it had 'collaborate and listen' written on it."

Stop sign in a city setting.
Kolderal / Getty Images

u/Dildo-Gankings

ADVERTISEMENT

8."I turn the music down in the car when I need to think about directions."

u/kamava3

9."When my coworkers don't get a single joke or reference I made because they were wearing diapers or still in the womb at the time."

Niecy Nash in "Never Have I Ever."
© Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

u/ephpeeveedeez

10."When a song I loved as a teenager appeared as an oldie on the radio."

u/HappyXElliot

11."Using the heated seats in my car for back pain instead of for warmth."

Person holding their achy back.
Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

u/golden_loner

12."I look forward to sleep and naps."

u/potatodrinker

13."I tripped and instead of being laughed at, people were concerned if I was hurt."

Drew Barrymore in "The Wedding Singer."
© New Line / Courtesy Everett Collection

u/saltynotsweet1

14."When people who I loved when I was younger are dead or dying. It was a harsh reality I had to come to terms with."

u/Snowball_effect2024

15."When I have trouble reading small prints."

A person holding eyeglasses in front of them.
Sergii Kolesnikov / Getty Images

u/chipchonks

ADVERTISEMENT

16."I have a bag for bags."

u/OkMaybeLater90

17."The mirror. An old lady is looking back at me."

Vintage mirror with gold ornate detailing and a patterned wallpaper in the background.
Thomasvogel / Getty Images

u/lrpfftt

18."Groaning when I get up from any position, hence 'grown-up!'"

u/RedBaron4x4

19."Getting excited for a new fresh sponge in the kitchen."

u/Mental-Order-1531

20."I don't know 90% of today's popular artists."

u/Sara1994_

21."Someone called me ma'am the other day and I almost wanted to turn around to see who they were talking to — it was me."

Lucille Ball in "I Love Lucy."
CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection

u/AlienAdrift

What moment made you realize you're not "young" anymore? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.