Starting to Feel Old!!!!

LegacyUser

Heres the scenario. I'm 26 second year Uni student. Broke up with my girlfriend recently, so i'm starting to get back into the dating scene.

Now, I was out for paddy's with some friends from Uni when I noticed one of the girls started dancing near me. I didn't really dance with her but, I managed to get her and her friends back to the house after the pub.

Started chatting away to her,told her my age, asked her-- shes 18!! I thought she was older tbh I wouldn't usually go for younger women but I've been out of the game for three years so I don't really mind. But after she found out my age she said I WAS TOO OLD!!

So I just said maybe I am and took the piss just to make light of the situation, but I've been thinking about it today.

Did this ever happen to anyone? when you realise that your not a young twenty something anymore.

I mean I'm not a cocky overly confident person by any means, but I do get attention from women because I look like Orlando Bloom, but image isn't really my issue, its more about the age thing. I don't know what to think, I mean I don't look older than my age or anything.

Chaotic_Forces

So because of one girl you find yourself being too old?

Here's the facts, everyone is different. Personally, I wouldn't like to date a girl around 17 - 20 and I'm 22.

Now if an 18 year old girl thinks you're too old at the age of 26, you could be too old... for her! That doesn't mean you're too old in general.

It just means she would be happier with a fellow around her age.

Don't beat yourself up over one girl's opinion. If all men did that we wouldn't ever manage to have relationships.

LegacyUser

Tbh guy I wasn't necessarily looking for a relationship with her a

cantdecide

What do you know about life when you're 18? You think that life is going to go on forever. Since when is 26 old? To quote a friend if she thinks 26 is old, 'she doesn't know enough to know she knows nothing'.

Distorted

Rikosea wrote: »

I didn't really dance with her but, I managed to get her and her friends back to the house after the pub.

More likely she had doubts because of this. At 18 she might be quite shy/inexperienced, paniced a bit and said whatever first came into her head.

Unless you have a particular interest in being able to pull every single 18 year old in your vicinity, its not worth bothering about.

Sonics2k

Hey OP, I'm 26 and can slightly relate to you, however I do not feel old.

Last Saturday on a night out I met a girl, turned out she was 19 and when she found out how old I was did make a joke about me being "to old".
But I just made a few jokes about it and we ended up having a very good night together, and are going to be meeting up after the weekend.

The girl you met simply thinks 26 is too old, that doesn't mean that it's even slightly true, or that other girls will think the same.

Sibylla

In the general scheme of things 26 is young but for an 18 year old maybe a bit old.

Firetrap

It all depends. When I was that girl's age, anyone over the age of 20 seemed ancient :eek: To someone in their early twenties, 26 isn't old at all. To a 30 year old you'd be toyboy material

Don't let that one girl get to you. I know you were only out for a bit of fun but a lot of people your age wouldn't be able to stick hanging around with an 18 year old for long.

KnocKnocKnock

I agree with the poster who said she felt you were too old for her, not old in general. For most people there are so many massive changes between the ages of 18 and 26. You are not old, just (probably) at a different life stage to her and you have so many experiences that she doesn't have. Whether you were thinking along the lines of relationship or just something more casual she probably thought you have different expectations to what she has.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

beks101

To be honest when I was 18, 26 seemed like 'settling down' age, I thought it was when you got married, mortgaged, had a career and kids...then again I was just out of school, had no relationship experience and was still struggling to get used to not having a mammy to cook for me every day...

OP you can't seriously believe that you are over-the-hill because some kid - because lets face it, most of us don't know much about life at 18 - decided on a night out that you were 'too old' for her? I think you know 26 is nowhere near old and are suffering more from a bruised ego than an anxiety over your age. I probably would have classed you as 'too old' when I was 18 too, there is a significant difference in life experience and maturity at that age after all.

Well to be honest I think she was being sensible by saying you were too old. Too old for an 18 year old to be sleeping with that is.

If you're taking offence by it as though she meant you're old in general, then forget about it. It's extremely unlikely she meant it in that way. Worry about it when you reach 60.

Chaotic_Forces

true-or-false wrote: »

Well to be honest I think she was being sensible by saying you were too old. Too old for an 18 year old to be sleeping with that is.

If you're taking offence by it as though she meant you're old in general, then forget about it. It's extremely unlikely she meant it in that way. Worry about it when you reach 60.

I have to disagree with you. Many relationships have very large age gaps. I don't think it was the OP's intention to have sex with her; he was just fresh on the dating scene.

Nevertheless, it was more than likely just a case of the girl felt you were too old for her.

Azureus

Rikosea wrote: »

Tbh guy I wasn't necessarily looking for a relationship with her a

Well this suggests to me he was definately looking to sleep with her, rather than a relationship !

When I was 18, I would have thought 26 was at the higher end of the age range for my preferences so its just too old for her. Especially if I was back at a house, the expectations would just be too high from a guy that age because most 18 year old girls arent even close to having the experience of a 26 year old guy!

tenchi-fan

Have you ever heard the expression, you're only as old as the woman you feel?

Next time you're with a hot 18 year old, don't mention your age!

Lux23

Ah it only gets worse! But sure there's nothing you can do about it, what's the point worrying about it?

Curry Addict

enjoy the now, because when u hit 40ish, your body starts to stiffen and u start to suffer little bodily issues. then u will wish u were 26 again and miss your youth

Aishae

to be fair though - when you're say - 26 and you date a 22 yr old no one thinks anything of it. but when a 20 yr old dates a 16 yr old the people comment but not just people - even the people dating might take issue with it. age gaps matter less when you get older. and 26 isnt old its just a bit old for a girl prob just finishing school though!
i can see why itd knock your confidence a biit when you havent been dating in ages though.