Friday 27 August 2010

The moment I realised I was middle-aged



Twice a day I walk the dogs, year round, rain or shine, summer or winter. One winter's evening, in the dark, I set off as usual. I came to the junction in the road where I could turn either left or right. Now I live in a pretty safe suburban area, but being female means having your risk-assessment software running, without cease, from the moment you set foot outside your door to the moment you get back inside.

Left, down the road, a group of young teenagers was loitering about chatting under a street light. To the right, a lone and slightly scruffy man was walking slowly down the road in my direction, hands in pockets.

I decided that the teenagers were more likely to present trouble, and turned right.

12 comments:

Craig Sorensen said...

Ah, very telling.

An aside note, I played the My Chemical Romance video, and one of the ads that played prominently was for christianmingle.com.

My Chemical Romance and a socializing website for Christian singles.

Yep, that's a pairing, methinks.

Janine Ashbless said...

Wow. Someone's marketing program has a serious bug in it!

I just turn the adverts off, personally. I mean, the thought that I might accidentally find my way onto a christian dating site is too horrible to contemplate!
;-)

Craig Sorensen said...

For you or the Christian daters?

;-)

Janine Ashbless said...

Heh heh. I could date Christians and insist on reading them my stories. Imagine the spiritual havoc!

Jo said...

Lol. My friend went to school with a boy named Christian Victory. And also Norman Castles.

Victory is a great name, but I'm not so sure I'd precede it with Christian.

I knew I was old when I sat on the swing in a playground I'd frequented as a child, and a) my ass was too fat to fit the swing, and b) I got seasick when I went really high.

And I was 20. Depressing.

But yes, fear of teenagers is a sign, alright. I think it's less to do with safety and more to do wit hthe idea that they might shout something insulting and true at you :)

Erobintica said...

not sure when I realized I was middle-aged, but I sure know I am now!

Sekrit Shoppa said...

Nah, Janine, I used to avoid teenagers when I was one myself. Perhaps I was one of them Young Fogeys.

Janine Ashbless said...

Christian Victory? See, if you wrote that you'd be laughed out of town.

I have a friend who works in local government, who found an elderly couple called Dick and Fanny Wiper on the electoral roll some years back...

Janine Ashbless said...

Other signs of middle age: Your hip hurts sometimes. You think music in bars is played far too loud. You are looking forward to choosing bathroom tiles...
*sigh*

Janine Ashbless said...

On the other hand, Robin and Justine, a sustained interest in reading smutty books is counted as positively juvenile - so we probably average out to being in our prime!

Chris said...

Ahh, bathroom tiles...

I've been scared of groups of teenagers since I was about six. The nature of the fear has probably developed but it's never gone away.

But I defiantly resist any suggestion that I might be middle aged.

Jo said...

Plus, you do run round the woods playing chasing fantasy games, right? I'd say those teenagers would be scared of YOU.

My friend's parents were Dick and Fanny Wheeler.

I also knew of a Ulick McGee. Swear to god.