"You're turning 30? Holy! Do you feel old?"
"Well, I didn't until now."
"Sorry…it's just so…old."

I've been hearing this for the last couple of weeks. I just turned 30 last week and man, do people make a fuss over it. I thought it was going to bug me, but other than the actual celebrating of the 'coming of age' I still feel the same. I'm still young…aren't I? After pondering this stupid question in my head while I sat staring blankly at the wall for a mere 14 hours I decided I'd make a list of the things that are different now that I'm old…er, older.

Dating
Since we've all left the comfort of high school and college the pickings have slimmed down, way down. I don't mean there isn't good quality girls around there is just fewer of them. We aren't surrounded by thousands of potential dates…well not that I ever have that type of selection anyway. We have all learned that dipping your pen in the company ink is probably a no-no so where exactly do we look for girls? Um, at the grocery store? "Those are some nice looking buns you have there." Yeah, that'll work. Not only do I not have the opportunity to meet girls the whole dating game has changed. You can't just decide to go 'steady' with every girl you meet. You don't have time for this. You have now really entered the dating zone. You have to be a little more careful with whom you spend your precious dwindling years. On top of that if you do decide to see someone seriously there is the whole marriage thing…time is running out son you better settle down soon. Okay so that isn't necessarily positive, but the people you date are usually more mature at this age so that's good. I'm trying to feel better here, help me out.

Drinking
Speaking of meeting girls, one place you can do it is at a bar. However with age comes the realization that pubs are now better than dance clubs and boy do hangovers hurt. I can handle my drink better now (so I tell myself) but my tolerance for hangovers is gone. I find the thought of feeling like shit the next day is sneaking into my head while I'm drinking causing me to slow down…okay well I want to slow down anyway. With working full time the days of going out a few nights a week have totally stopped. Now it's once on the weekend if I'm lucky. Not to mention when you do venture into the bars I'm seen as 'that old guy over there' now with the constantly shrinking group of friends.

Friends
The constantly shrinking group of friends I referred to has to do with the dating thing again. People are getting married now, at an alarming rate. Thus you can kiss that buddy goodbye…especially if they have kids. You still get to see them but not for a night of debauchery like it was. So that's a bit of a downer, I'm totally happy for these guys but didn't they think of me before they went and got hitched? It's not easy making new buddies at this age for some reason…perhaps it's my shitty attitude or the fact that we don't have something dumb like football practice everyday to get to meet people.

Physical
Oh and don't get me started on football…actually it's just the fact that I can't really subject my body to that type of beating anymore. It's not that I'm so decrepit now that I can't do it anymore it's the fact that I have to worry about being out of the hospital for work on Monday.

Work and Money
Work on Monday, that's the thing too. We are now at the age that we can't just skip work and expect it to be okay. We've got bills to pay and lots of them. Sure we make more money now (1 point for being old), but we need to provide for ourselves. Rent, car, insurance, and the list goes on. Oh and the best one…saving for retirement. ewwww. It's all about being responsible. Actually having responsibilities is as good as it is bad. I like being able to provide for myself. Living out of the nest is great.

Looking back at this list it's pretty negative, but I really don't feel that bad about the whole thing. I mean going out drinking really isn't that important, I was never really good at football, and I can always play soccer, the friends I have might be busy but so am I and they are good friends, that's why they're still around. I guess being thirty isn't as bad as it sounds. I have freedom, not too much but enough. I can afford to do the things I want...well not everything but enough of them. I haven't completely lost touch with the youth of today (I'll just keep telling myself that). I guess being thirty isn't that bad, as long as I don't say it out loud.