At what point in your life did you realize the rest of the world viewed you as old?  For me, it was when people started calling me uncle.  I always had those I knew call me uncle from when I was in my 30s, but they were like 15 or more years younger than me.  But when people you don't know, like store clerks and others almost always call you uncle, damn, you realize you are stinking old.

When I was able to get senior discounts at the age of 62. 

When my trigger finger hurt after less than 50 rounds.

I think everything is relative when it comes to age.

if you work with people younger than you, and especially if you have a younger boss, there's going to be a different dynamic than working with people older than you.

I've worked with older people right on the verge of retiring who were able to teach me a few new things.  However, for the most part, I was usually teaching them.  When the environment flipped and I was the "old man" in the office, I was still teaching.  Whenever my IT guys had a problem they couldn't figure out, I would usually fix it on the spot -- often to their amazement.  Age had little to do with it other than the amount of experience and ability to retain and apply what I knew.

I guess it's the difference between leaning on Google for all your answers versus having the real world experiences and skills that growing up without Google instilled.  Sometimes having a firm grasp of the basics is what's needed to fully understand a problem and to quickly identify the most likely solutions.

In today's IT environment, many organizations have divested themselves of IT experts and are dependent on someone just smart enough to follow directions provided by the product's customer support line and the "help desk."  You don't need to know how to fix things -- just need to know the right phone number and passwords to the systems involved.

I guess it keeps companies in business through selling support contracts for their hardware and software.

I think the reality of age started setting in when pulling an all-nighter to solve a problem or meet a deadline wiped me out for the next 2 days!

When I was able to get senior discounts at the age of 62. 

1) When I went to Vegas 10 years ago and got a Players Card that said "55 +".   We signed up for Players Cards and my niece's card looked similar to mine except Her's didn't say "55+".  Found out that this card enables me to have senior citizen discounts.  I was 56.  Never thought of myself as a senior citizen back then.

2)  Yeah, when people you don't know call you "Uncle".  Dealers call me that all the time at the craps tables......

3)  When I can't run up stairs anymore.  Hell I don't even like stairs anymore.

4)  When peeing becomes an accomplishment instead of a nuisance.

5)  When I got my application for Medicare.

6)  When you miss all the targets you shoot at.

When my trigger finger hurt after less than 50 rounds.

senility could be another sign.

"the rest of the world viewed you as old?"
phokus
Yeah, the unks bit gets me sometimes especially when that person does not appear to be that young !

senility could be another sign.

"the rest of the world viewed you as old?"
phokus
Yeah, the unks bit gets me sometimes especially when that person does not appear to be that young !

....
I'm not a mind reader.
I don't know how other people view me, nor do I care what they think I am.
In this day and age, everybody has an opinion and is fond of broadcasting their opinion for the world to see.
Hence, the term, "Me Generation".

I take the uncle name because it shows a sign of respect.
Fyi, I was an uncle when I was 10 years old.

I care about my finger because it serves a number of critical functions.,

While I could be getting senile, I blame lack of sleep. I currently keep a rather large business running 24/7, dealing with information from the eastern USA to Japan.
If I am lucky, I get 4 hours sleep per day.
Yeah, no phokus for sure.

When some kids started letting me have some waves instead of paddle battling for everything

You know you're getting old when "Happy Hour" is an uninterrupted nap.

 

You are old when you quit learning.
 

You realize that you are old when the store clerks stop asking you for an id
to prove you qualify for the senior citizen discount.

You realize that you are old when the store clerks stop asking you for an id
to prove you qualify for the senior citizen discount.

Yeah, when we go out to eat at restaurants, the server automatically shows us the senior citizen section on the menu.

I get the "eh unko" here and there. . .  sometimes from folks that are maybe 10 years younger 

but I also get "can I see your ID" at some bars. . .

I get the "eh unko" here and there. . .  sometimes from folks that are maybe 10 years younger 

but I also get "can I see your ID" at some bars. . .

"but I also get "can I see your ID" at some bars."
That is only because they are hitting on you.

"but I also get "can I see your ID" at some bars."
That is only because they are hitting on you.

Mostly not.  If they were, dayum. I missed out on some chances. . . 

I get the "eh unko" here and there. . .  sometimes from folks that are maybe 10 years younger 

No one says squat to me, but then my hearing is so shot I may just not know anyone spoke.