My Own Senior

I have always had a mentality beyond the year I was born. I tend to forget my own age from time to time because I have never 'fit in' with those in my age range. I'm sure that many aspects of my life have lead to this frame of mind.

As a young child I would spend most of my time from set to set; being surrounded by adults at all times. By the time I was eight years old I could more comfortably hold a conversation with someone's parent than the actual child of which I shared numerical age.
This only increased when I started college courses at the age of thirteen.
Other than playing recreational sports, I had never really spent much time around children my own age.
Even to this day my coworkers are shocked when they hear my age for the first time. Stating my age always garners the response, "I thought you were at least three or four years older than that." I take that as a compliment though. It can often be very hard for someone that is 22, (almost 23), to assimilate into the corporate world without drawing the wrong kind of eyes.

But all of these factors in my life cause me to frequent a very confused mindset.

I have one group of friends that are, on average, four to five years my senior. I get along with them just fine. There is no conversation that I can't partake in. But as I sit back and observe them I know that there are in a different part of their lives than I am. ie: They are living with their significant others. In relationships that will almost surely lead to marriage. Finding stability in their careers. Quite frankly, they are ready to start settling down.
I, on the other hand, am not.

Then there are the friends that share the same roundabout birth year. The late college age folk that tend to be obsessed with the club and party scenes. Environments that I have not only long past had my share of, but have never really cared for in the first place. It's harder to get lost in the club life when I don't drink or smoke. (I never have and never plan to.)
I find myself feeling like I am too old to spend time with people my own age.

Lastly, there are the friends that range from around 18-20. Now I know that some of these should technically be a part of my age bracket, but I can't help but feel some sort of disconnect. I feel like everything they do is too childish. Too immature. Too, let's be frank, unsophisticated.

So what do I do? I tread up and down the rungs of my age-based social ladder. Not yet ready to climb up, too far up to go back down, and too discontent to stay put.

What do I do when I feel like I'm my own senior?


Live, love & learn!
-The King