30 People Shared Exact Moments When They Realized They Were Actually No Longer Young

"Time flies." An extremely common expression in our everyday communication with others.

Even if you miss one day to mention this phrase, you'll likely hear someone else say it in a market, store, on the street, etc. It's a pretty "usual thing" to say.

But do we actually think about the meaning of it? Whether we take it seriously or if it has become an ordinary phrase that we unconsciously utter?

The second most used term is "life is short." Well, yes, we are all aware.

But when you are in your 20s, you don't think about it. And why would you when life has just started to be interesting and fun?

And we come to an interesting matter: What time is the right time to realize that time flies and life is short? Probably, there is no right time; you wake up one morning, and you just know it.

It's like reality hit you in the face while you were sleeping, even if you didn't ask for it or think about it. It is an actual phenomenon.

There is an unknown line between carefree childhood and responsible adulthood. If someone had ever set a boundary where a kid becomes a grown-up, surely it would be much easier for us.

This way, we have to discover it ourselves when we become ready. A Reddit user called for some explanations with his inquiry, "When did you realize that you are officially 'not young' anymore?" and triggered an avalanche of responses.

People were thrilled to share their revealing moments, and we gathered some of the best.

Painful question?

1. The moment he started seeing women differently than he used to.

"When I saw a smoking hot redhead on the subway, instead of thinking, 'Wow, she's smoking hot,' I thought, 'I hope she uses lots of sunscreen because she's vulnerable to skin cancer.'

msty2k

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

LucyVialli

3. "When I opened a new pack of sponges for dishwashing and became all excited to use a fresh sponge."

tuxedo_cat_commander

4. "When I went to a nightclub last weekend and everyone looked like children..."

smegly87

5. When health started to matter.

"I felt a sneeze coming on while I was bent over and legitimately thought, 'I have to stand up straight for this if I want to keep my back.'"

Symnestra

6. When enough sleep became a necessity.

"When I only got 4 hours of sleep before work and felt like I was literally going to die. Ten years ago, I would drive 5 hours after work on Friday to see my SO; we’d party all weekend, then I’d leave at 1 am on Monday, drive all night, and go to work Monday.

And I was exhausted but fine. Now, just one night of not enough sleep... I got old."

SafeWord6

7. Loud music began to bother him.

"When I hated loud music, wanted to go home early, and wanted my neighbors to keep the noise down. I am now Squidward."

Strong-Discussion564

8. "When I started getting excited for a 9 pm bedtime."

itisee899

9. Teaching neighborhood kids about right and wrong.

"I saw some neighborhood kids messing with a stop sign while driving home. I slowed the car down, rolled down a window, and said, 'Hey... I think maybe you shouldn't be doing that.'

Which in my mind meant to cut it out before an adult catches you. But these kids looked sheepishly at the ground and gave me an okay, as if I were the adult in the situation.

Which I was, gently chastising children for fooling around with public property. Well, either that time or when I buried my father and realized I was the oldest living male in my family.

That was more sobering than fun."

Ralfarius

10. "When a 22-year-old offered me their arm to get down steps. I'm not old; I was just tired, you little punk!!"

the_last_werewolf

11. "I’m scared of teenagers now."

-thegay-

12. "When I realized having a one in front of my birth year is all anyone needs to know I'm old enough to purchase alcohol. I don't know why, but that dumb fact just hit me like a ton of bricks."

InvaderMiz69

13. "When my daughter asked to listen to oldies. Like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters. I'm thinking, 'No, they are not oldies.'"

wyecoyote2

14. "When I stopped healing as fast as I used to."

CrimsonGamerKing

15. "When the check engine light came on."

SirCoughAGuy

16. When cleaning the house brought her joy.

"I just bought a new mop and was really excited to go home and use it. :( I mopped the whole apartment in absolute bliss. I finally decided that I will not fall for the Swiffer commercials again."

Subbend

17. "We went to a trampoline park for a friend's birthday. I pulled a muscle in the first ten minutes."

RichardStinks

18. When someone calls you 'sir.'

"A neighborhood kid next door, who must be 22 or so, calls me sir. The first time it happened, I was like, 'Sir? Dude, I’m like... okay, a lot older than you.'"

genericusername0176

19. Buying seats for the concert.

"When my best friend and I were planning for a concert next month, and for the first time in our lives, we were like, 'Do we... want to buy seats instead of standing in the pit?'"

Nyx_Fallweather

20. "It hits you when you’re 36."

"It hits you when you’re 36. That’s the year you could’ve had a child at age 18 who would become 18 and possibly have a child, making you old enough to be a grandparent."

crewthsr

21. "When I dislocated my jaw lying in bed yawning. I didn't even think it was possible."

purpleowlie

22. When a coworker accidentally points it out.

"When one of my younger coworkers took it upon herself to explain to me who Cardi B was. I already knew who she was and was familiar with her music. Apparently, I just looked like I needed to be supplied with this info."

Ok_Clock_8658

23. Started to worry about things he used to like.

"When I started viewing guys on motorcycles with concern instead of awe... damn kids gonna get themselves killed vs. oooh look at that hot rebel."

Prize-Trifle-9537

24. Simple... many reasons.

"'Reasonably recent' references are met with dead silence and confusion by young adults/teens. Kids call you 'sir' or 'that man over there.'

Body aches the morning after moderate physical activity. Food starts to give you problems when you used to eat tons of it with no repercussions."

Kalle_79

25. "7/23/2021 I was drying off after a shower, looked down, and realized... I am 40 and now have graying pubes. I actually wrote this on my calendar."

FlexMiniSystem

26. "One day my back decided to leave a memo."

northernskies2015

27. When the word 'danger' took on meaning.

"It was when I went to casually step off a 4-foot drop. I had one foot off the ledge, and my brain screamed, 'Danger!' I had to stop, reset, and prepare myself to absorb the impact and make sure I bent my knees.

20-year-old me wouldn't have thought at all about that. I was in my mid-thirties at the time."

Bitter-Edge-8265

28. "I got 'ma'am'ed by a random twenty-something. Broke my heart."

GreenAppleLady

29. Adult tequila.

"I took my fiancé back to the university I attended, and we went for a drink at my old favorite bar. I ordered a margarita, and the waitress said, 'Do you want the well tequila that we serve to everyone or like... adult tequila?'"

alwittenberg

30. When mirror reflection tells you.

"Looking in the mirror. I'm in my mid-20s, but within the past year, I've noticed that my reflection has reasonably changed, and I definitely wouldn't be mistaken for a teenager anymore."

MayBeAPossum

It's not a long path between being a child and becoming an adult. When you look back on your past, you can easily realize that everything has passed quickly.

Life is like a marathon. So, enjoy every moment, even if you are an adult, and take care of the child in you.