in which i ramble about punk bands for an entry

[blackiceboba]

I get a lot of comments at work that I don't seem as old as I am. Usually, people think I'm about fifteen years younger than I am. From both my coworkers and customers. It's not until I'm talking to a coworker and comment that I played Pokemon when there were only 150 of them or say something about being in college when 9/11 happened that people realize "oh, no. . .she's in her 40's.".

To which I respond, "I get that all the time. It's the dyed hair and the anime and the emo music." I also don't TALK a lot at work so it's not like people are going to get like an idea of what my life is like.

To the point that a year or so ago, two of my coworkers in their twenties/late teens were singing "Sweater Weather". And if you know me, you know that's one of my favorite songs just IN GENERAL. So, I glanced at where they were and went "Are you guys singing 'Sweater Weather'." And the new girl's eyes went wide and she turned to coworker and went "(Jilly) knows all the same songs we do." Cause they'd been singing My Chem earlier. And coworker went "Yeah. I know. She's into all the same things we are."

Child's mind was BLOWN.

Fast forward to last night where in the breakroom one of my younger coworkers was saying something about Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" and I said "I liked that song a lot." Then I went "I liked the Mayday Parade cover of it a lot too." And he went "You listen to Mayday Parade?"

Sometimes! But like. . .fam, I was there when their predecessors were new.

Then I spent the rest of the night trying to remember who did the cover of "Glad You Came."

It was We Came As Romans. I couldn't remember if it was them or BMTH.

I love a good punk cover and those two are the ones I judge all other punk covers of pop songs against. The fact that I didn't like the Slaves cover of Sweater Weather was actually devastating.

I forget that like. . .me being into pop punk and/or emo music isn't common knowledge. Despite me shelling out money to go see BLG earlier in the year. The Summer Set and Marianas Trench are touring together and they're not coming anywhere near me. DEVASTATING! The fact that I've driven hundreds of miles for FOB, Panic and My Chem is not known to these people. They haven't reached the friendship level to unlock that lore.

Point is! I contain multitudes. It's not said in the same way but it sometimes reminds me of that mentality of "why are you writing fanfiction go take care of your kids". And that's not how they're reacting. . .they're usually pretty cheerful about it, but still. Every time someone has a snide comment about one of the goth kids who works there I'm like "I dressed like that in my teens" and they shut up REAL FAST.

Comments

[museaway]

I get this a lot too & it's...people have a weird, weird concept of what 40s should look like. Or anything past 25, really. I'm not sure what they expect. I agree it's not on the level of "ew, you should be paying taxes" but there is a common thread. Maybe it's the cultural fear of aging.

[blackiceboba]

I think. . .yeah. Or like. . .maybe in someone's head (especially younger people) THIS is how other people who are that age act because that's how the people THEY KNOW act. Like I for sure remember being around older people in their 40's/50's who like. . .their whole lives revolved around their kids and cleaning the house and not really hobbies. But then I also know people in their 60's/70s who are involved in fandom activites, who go to rock concerts and midnight movie premieres. Like it's never said with a tone of like OH HOW DARE YOU NOT ACT YOUR AGE but more of a OMG YOU DON'T STOP LIVING YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU HIT 25??? No. Sometimes you START living your life when you hit 26. It's a spectrum.

[museaway]

I don't remember having any of these thoughts about adults when I was young. Being an adult seemed so FREEING, and it has been for me. But I can definitely see how it might seem frightening or like the end of all fun. You are giving the children hope, Jilly!

[blackiceboba]

I remember being told by older people (mostly family members) that I needed to "grow up" when I was a teenager/young adult but I never like. . .listened to them? I was usually just confused by what they meant because like. . .I don't know how else to be. The idea of not throwing myself into whatever I enjoy and continuing to enjoy a thing was so foreign to me. Even if I lost interest in something and moved on to something else, it wasn't because someone else told me not to. I might not MENTION the thing as much but. . .IDK.

If I went back and told 14 year old me that I had a cat and could write fanfic and go to concerts when I want bby!me would have been so excited. Because I was repeatedly told that I wouldn't survive in adulthood because of my hobbies/interests specifically. I don't think that's what's going on with these kids. Tho maybe given the way people talk about their generation but I do have a fierce desire to LIVE how I want because people said I can't. As you well know, I am heavily motivated by spite.