Close friends who won't reveal age

[marni]

amen to your reply. Personally I don't think it should be anyone's business to know how old people are especially with friends and whom you cherish for them selves and your interactions with them.

[OakLeaf]

I agree. If someone wants to reveal it, great. If not, why should anyone care?


I'll be 111,000 in a few weeks! Gender may not be binary, but age is.

[lph]

I would tell friends, family, random strangers, the postman and shout it from the rooftops, if anybody cared.

But if someone does not want to tell their age (I'm not using "reveal" because that implies that's a secret to be kept in the first place) it's presumably because they have been, or feel they will be judged for it, in one way or another. Maybe in a positive way, as in "wow, you look great for your age", maybe in a negative way. And maybe they just don't want to talk about whether they fulfill somebody else's ideas of age or not.

Womens magazines are continuously telling us how to look young and fabulous at every age, assuming 1. looking fabulous is what we all aspire to 2. looking young is really important. Nothing wrong with a little vanity, but on a daily basis I consider my age about as relevant as my height and shoe size.

[GLC1968]

I actually find myself telling people my age (or at least the range by saying something like "being in your 40's" etc) purely because most people assume I'm much older than I am. I was on a tour with a group a few weeks back and the leader looks to me and says "you remember the Dean Martin Show right?". Um, no...but thanks for thinking I'm a few decades older than I am! It's really odd when people my parents age assume I'm their age and would get their references and stuff. I usually try to clear it up right away to avoid anyone's embarrassment.

On the flip side, I don't think I've ever asked anyone their age. It doesn't matter to me. If I think they may be close to my age, I might ask when they graduated HS or something just for reference when we are talking about music or nostalgia or whatever... but the number? I truly don't care.

[emily_in_nc]

I actually find myself telling people my age (or at least the range by saying something like "being in your 40's" etc) purely because most people assume I'm much older than I am. I was on a tour with a group a few weeks back and the leader looks to me and says "you remember the Dean Martin Show right?". Um, no...but thanks for thinking I'm a few decades older than I am! It's really odd when people my parents age assume I'm their age and would get their references and stuff. I usually try to clear it up right away to avoid anyone's embarrassment.

On the flip side, I don't think I've ever asked anyone their age. It doesn't matter to me. If I think they may be close to my age, I might ask when they graduated HS or something just for reference when we are talking about music or nostalgia or whatever... but the number? I truly don't care.

Wow, I am surprised people think you're older than your age, GLC! I think I remember that you stopped coloring your hair, so that's all I can figure...gray hair = "old" in so many people's eyes. But your face looks young!

I never ask anyone's age either. It's none of my business, and if they want to mention it, they will. But I would find it odd if a fairly good friend didn't volunteer it at some point. I know I would eventually volunteer mine. Often it will come out in a conversation going something like "Well, you're a lot younger than me, so bla-bla-bla", to which they reply "Oh no, I'm not...I just turned xyz", or something. It doesn't matter, I have friends younger and older, but I do kinda like to know so I don't stick my foot in my mouth about something age-related.