My World: "When I was younger..."

It’s happened to me several times over the last few months, so much so that I have had to cut myself short as I catch myself on the verge of saying the phrase that will lead to me being thrown on the ‘uncool ‘ pile. (Is uncool cool to say?)

It means that things have changed, ultimately.

Things are no longer how they were when you were younger and nine times out of 10 the sentence reflects your distain for how things have become.

But surely 24 is no age to be using this? Surely at 24 I should still be enjoying new experiences, shouldn’t I?

Let me give you the context.

The first time this happened I actually blurted out the words and then felt a slight sense of embarrassment afterwards.

I was talking to a younger friend and they were speaking about the clubs in Rotherham town centre. Before I could stop myself, I found myself saying: “When I was younger the clubs were much busier, especially on a Thursday night which was student night.”

A look spread upon their face, a look of shock and surprise that I had just used this term. They were only four year younger than me for heaven’s sake!

But I had said it, and it was out there. I was now one of those people who, when speaking to a younger generation, started their sentence with: “When I was younger...”

I was mortified and vowed never to let myself use this sentence again, surely not that much has changed since I was a youth?

I put it down as a one off and thought to myself that it was just a slip of the tongue, I was wrong.

A week or two later, me and my partner were sat on the settee at home when I started a sentence with: “Can you remember when we were younger and...”

It happened again!

She looked at me, eyes widening, before bursting out in a huge fit of giggles, calling me granddad and struggling for breath.

She was right, I was old before my time. I’d turned into a bitter old man and I wasn’t even half way to 50.

So again, I told myself that I would never say it again.

Until I was talking to a teenage relative just this week.

She was talking about her favourite music, favourite bands, favourite pop stars, favourite reality TV shows.

I was completely out of my depth, I was floundering in a sea filled with ‘teeny boppers’ and ‘twerkers’, I was struggling.

Then she came out with: “But I’m sure music was very different when you were younger...”

Ahhh, you beat me to it.

I agreed, before sobbing in a corner.