When are you too old?

combats and off the shoulder top etc.. girlfriend! you go girl! I'm sure you have the attitude to pull it off. set a proper example for us 34 year olds! you are never too old as long as you are still having fun. by the way, i bet your legs will look awesome!

I'm too old (33). Not solely because I'm allergic to the cigarette smoke, and it leaves my ears ringing for hours and forces me to scream just to talk to anyone, but I find that the only folks I see in places like that anymore are the "recently-turned-21" college set who are still excited about such things.

Drunkenness is pretty old hat, though I've been known to get tipsy in the privacy of my own home on a coupla glasses of red wine once every blue moon. Klutz that I am, it's better for everyone that I don't dance. Instead, I'm the one standing in the corner with a drink in my hand and a captive audience of 3 or 4, cutting up about people's hair and pants, my beagle or my kids....

My biggest issue is, I have absolutely nothing in common with people who club, and no real reason to be there. They're trolling for meat, I'm happily married. They stay out till 3am with no problem, I have to have my 8 hours before I can go to work. They can wear crazy outfits, but I can't waste money on frivolities I won't use regularly and am too tubby to wear "cool" clothes. They (with no kids to take care of) slam down twenties and buy rounds of drinks, while I have to make a drink last an hour and a half because I'm watching money. They are happy to be there...I look at my watch and think of the hundred or so other ways I need to be spending my time instead (cleaning, writing to make that magazine deadline, teaching my son to read, sewing new drapes for the living room...you get the idea).

If you have fun there, and feel comfortable, go for it no matter how old you are. Especially in your case, though...aren't you a stay-at-home mom? You NEED to get out and go crazy. So do it. But please bag the sensible blouse.

This old bat goes to coffee shops and movie theaters with her friends.

Ok, here's a 32 year-old opinion: DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO AND DON'T GIVE A #!$@ WHAT ANYBODY ELSE THINKS!!!

Whew! That felt good to say! You know, if you WANT to club, club. If you WANT to go to coffee shops and movie theatres, then do so!! It's all about being true to yourself, being uniquely YOU, and most of all, being HAPPY!!!

I have several different sets of friends categorized by the activities I do.....my online gamer friends don't want to go body-boarding with me at the beach, or snowboarding in the winter, so I have friends that I do THAT activity with! My body-boarding friends generally don't want to go rock-hounding with me. That's cool....I know people for that activity, too!

Seriously Tonguetied, life is too short to worry about if you're "too old" to do stuff! Just DO IT.....and if you ARE too old, your body will let you know!

PS - and just for the record, I'd wear the combats!

I'm 29, I'm too old for clubbing. I hate it. But I felt that way when I was 21 so go figure.

I've been to the type of nightclub you're talking about exactly twice* - both times within a week of each other, when I was 39, and when I was visiting a friend who lives in Ibiza. (How can one go to Ibiza and NOT go to a club? )

I didn't wear special clothes, I didn't interact with any of the clubbers other than the friends I was with, I didn't notice or care if anyone other than my friends was even paying any attention to me, because that's not why I was there.

I had the time of my life! I danced till 5 am, till I literally dropped!

So I guess I'm on the side of those who say, if it feels good, do it.

edit: *I obviously have a terrible memory. For whatever reason, I neglected to consider that perhaps the places I went to dance back in the early 80's were the equivalent of the type of clubs I visited in Ibiza -just the music they played in the clubs back then was better! My point is still the same though - you can enjoy this sort of thing at any age if you want to - if it feels good, do it.

If there were a smoke-free club that played good music-- which in my opinion would be 80's alternative, 70's funk, some industrial, and some disco-- I would SOOOOOOO be there. I don't care that my clothes and hair suck (too old, too fat and too poor to fret over buying new clothes and too busy to spend entire weekends combing through thrift shops anymore). I wouldn't bother drinking more than a sparkling water or two. But I would dance my ass off. I really miss that. I love to dance, the other stuff (drinking, smoking, picking up guys, looking cool) has no appeal. And I imagine, since my ideal club would be smoke-free and Bootie-Music free, that the annoying clubsters would probably avoid it like the plague so I wouldn't have to worry about having them around either. Sigh. That would be awesome.

But anyway, back to your question. You are never too old as long as you enjoy yourself. And you should wear whatever makes you feel sassiest (I too vote for the combat boots though).

I was even thinking I was too old to go see Neil (yea, like that thought lasted 2 seconds)

I never danced or sang like that at a concert EVER even in my twenties and the only thing that brought me down to earth with a thud was when everyone started jumping up and down when he sang I GOT YOU. The reason it brought me down with a thud and reminded me that I wasn't 15 years old anymore was (looks around to make sure no men are listening) I had to hold my chest down or some people around me would have had some serious injuries...

What I came away with from that evening (one of the things I came away with anyway) is life is definitely too short to say no to things you really want to do but think you maybe 'too old' for. If it brings you joy or a real good rip snortin' time, go for it

I hated mainstream clubs when I was in my teens. Yawn already... let me out. So, grace, the sort of place you'd go to is most likely the sort of place I'd frequent too. Bring on that 80's music!

Actually about ten years ago, I used to be a regular at a gothic/grunge/alternative club where the DJ would every week, without fail, throw on "Counting the Beat" during her last set. It filled the dancefloor, but unlike Martine I never had to worry as I never had anything much "up front" to jiggle, much less hit anyone in the eye!!

But back to Ingrid's original point... as others have already pointed out, you're only as old as you feel. Do what feels good and if you need to go crazy once in a while, by all means, do it.

(BTW thanks for starting this post. Talk about spooky... I was sitting in a coffee shop just a couple of hours ago, pondering this issue myself. I'm "only" 30, myself, but just lately I've come to realise that too many things have taken me away from the girl I once was, and that life is too short. I want to find somewhere I can dance again! Thirtysomething Clubbers of the world unite...)

"lol, if anything, when is he too old for us to go see him?!"

If he wants to shuffle onto the stage with his walker, I'm sure I can get a night-pass from the nursing home and I'll make sure my support garments are more adequate to the job!

Heh. I'm 20, and on the rare occasions I go 'out' I end up feeling old. I guess that's the problem with having the drinking age at 18. All the 13-17 year olds are out trying to get into the bars, and sadly, many of them succeed.

WARNING - slightly off topic, but still about clubs.....

OMG Grace....there's this place in Seattle you would TOTALLY love! It's called Poly Esther's....upstairs is 70's, downstairs is 80's, and there's NO COVER if you dress the part! One of the local radio stations hosts their "80's Friday Night" from there: AWESOME music, cool peeps and you can just be YOU.....all in the "shadow of the Space Needle"!! (they use that line in the commercial!)

Gen: And I'm what, chopped liver?

Used to it, however. And am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I may be within 2 hours of Seatlle, but given my unhealthy situation I shall in all likelinood never see it for myself.

Oh well **** happens. Usually to me.

I just want to say that 35 is not old. I'm 34, stop making me paranoid!

I try not to care what other people think. I still go out all the time - I'm a loser single person, but I don't go out to pick up men, I go out to be with friends and have fun. That's really what's it's all about which is exactly what you're doing. You don't have to prove yourself or explain yourself to anyone. I'm so sick of kill-joys - There are so many here in America! All we are supposed to do is work and if we are over 40 we are geriatric - urg! I don't think you are ever too old to have fun.
The day I feel I'm too old to have fun is the day they put me in the grave....

Um....news flash...

JENN IS NOT A LOSER!!!!!!

No, no Kia......DEFINITELY not chopped liver! It's that Grace had just basically described this EXACT club to a "T", and I know she likes it here in the Great Pacific NW!!! But since I'm disabled and can't even leave my house, it doesn't really matter if someone is 2 hours away from me or in Chicago.....I can't go anyway.

Good for you Ingrid! Go Ingrid Go!

I am 33 (34 shortly) and I my friends and I still cut a rug every couple of months or so...it's good for you! Our haunts are smoke-free and are frequented by people of all ages. Sometimes I do have a few beverages (ahem), but often I'll play designated driver, allowing one of my friends to cut loose a little.
I clubbed hard in my late teens/early twenties, and it's been my experience that people in clubs are generally more concerned about their own appearance than yours...so I don't even think about it. So I'm possibly past my sell-by date, 3-4 tapeworms away from the body that I had back in the day...what the hell? Youth is wasted on the young. Yeah, I'm married too, but it's all about hearing great music and bonding with my friends, not picking up!(My husband, the dancing machine, will sometimes grace us with his presence though...he is a sight to behold. ) And as for finding cool/affordable clothes to wear: they are out there, as big/small as you want 'em. Noooo excuses.
Plus, it's dark in there man! Unless you look like one of the Golden Girls, nobody's going to know that you are "older", and if they do, tough. That is all. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to have some hot cocoa and read my book. My corns are killing me.

Lol wuntie. Good one!

And hey, it's cool, Gen. I didn't mean that to come across as harsh as it sounded...

I just hope you're back on your feet soon, sweetie, and maybe by the time that bub of yours is in preschool (enough time for Grace to work on her husband and move to the NW, enough time for the immigration people to forgive this wayward Aussie for visa transgressions that weren't altogether her fault), then you, Grace and I can all get down together at that club...

right in the shadow of the Space Needle. Boy, I gotta see that for myself... ONE DAY *sigh*

* wuntie squints through her bifocals *

Oh...heh heh, thanks Kia. Stick around, won't you?

Why don't you guys do a retro club night when/if you have your Frenz reunion? Just an idea.

*Squints through her incredibly thick glasses,you know, the sort they sell as reading glasses but which I buy just to see through as I can't afford an optometrist...*

cheers wuntie. I hope to make it up to Canada one day, so I can live it up with the (NOT) geriatrics...

Gen I actually SAW that club last time I was in Seattle!!!! My brother used to live a block from the Space Needle and we drove by it several times. There's actually an indentical club here in Chicago (same name and everything) but it's full of really annoying trixies and well, Chicago clubs are not smoke-free so that sucks no matter where you go. But the one in Seattle is good you say? Hmmm, I'll have to check it out the next time I visit. I imagine I'll at least *visit* there in the next couple of years. I'll let you and Kia know when I do. We can shake our old wrinkly booties.

*Ingrid still bopping away while typing*

What a great night and what a great morning. Thanks for the advice on what to wear, the combats and off the shoulder top won, I even got hubby to take a photo of me and my mate Jo as I felt really good and was not going to miss a photo opportunity when I'd actually made a real effort lol!

We hit the club about 9.30 and 3 guys asked me to dance in the first 20 minutes (whom I politely turned down)and then we danced until our feet could take no more. The guys kept coming which was really funny.

We just had one drink at the start of the night then stuck to water which meant we could drive home. It also meant it was pretty hilarious watching all those who had hit the bottle hard!

The age range was the usual, but the club I go to has no real age barrier so no, I didn't feel old.

The last track of the night was INXS 'A New Sensation' ah yeah!

Woke up at a leasurely 8.30pm by my hubby with a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich.

Back to reality with a bump, my final psychology essay is due in next week......wonder what to do to celebrate?

I'm glad you had fun! Boy, you must be one hot tamale. Even in my heyday I never got approached by multiple guys in the same evening!

I don't think I got as much attention from guys when I was younger. I think a lot of it has to do with just looking confident and obviously having a great time, I'm not a miserable wallflower anymore, I'm a happy confident woman and it's worth celebrating!

quote:

Originally posted by tonguetied:
[qb]I'm not a miserable wallflower anymore, I'm a happy confident woman and it's worth celebrating! [/qb]

Too right!

Good for you.

Good for you, TT. I think you oughta dance with the guys - no harm in that.

I'd love to get dressed up cute and go out dancing. Heck, I'd happily go country and western if that's what it took. All I need are some associates who don't think they're too old or can't dance but who are at least 21.

What is it about guys and dancing though? The majority can't face it unless they've had 3 or 4 pints of beer.... Age or no age.

I would dance with the guys but when I'm out with my girlfriends I want to dance with them, I did it once and my mate got stuck all night chatting to this guys very very boring mate while I was strutting my stuff. I was too busy enjoying myself (that was the one night I did have a drink or two....ok 4 or 5).

I look forward to dancing with whom I want to, and getting home when I want to... and not being called a slut and a ho and every other name under the sun by a husband so insecure he doesn't have any friends of his own anyway.

Lesson in love, people: if you're going to marry someone in another country, make sure you have some idea of their social life (or lack thereof) first. If they accuse you of having a far-too-active social life because of a bunch of people you've never met (and never will, thanks to abusive spouse) on this forum, then RUN.

Wishing you better than I have had,
Kia (the regretful) Kaha

Then dance your little heart out Kia kaha and enjoy every second of shaking your booty!!

Just read this cause I was away on hols when it was posted.
You will be glad to know that I have no plans to stop shaking my booty.

I think women in their thirties (a lot of then anyway) ooze sexy vibes hehe we just can't help it!