21 September 2016

6 Things I Dislike In My 40's (That I Never Thought I Would)

Today, a co-worker of mine is celebrating his 26th birthday.


Oh 26, I remember you; the single, child-free life, being able to party all night AND go to work the next day with no problems, minimal bills and responsibility, being able to eat what I wanted without the weight gain, and fewer dark circles and bags under my eyes.


When I was 26 and thought of my life moving forward, I swore up and down that I would be the coolest “old” person around. Scratch that – I would be the coolest older mom around. I vowed to always do my hair and makeup to the nines each day, party like a rock star and never, and I mean never, wear any type of pants with an elastic waistband or one’s made out of stretchy material.


Today at 40, it’s safe to say that I’ve managed to not keep a single one of those promises and honestly, I’ve probably acted far older at times. Even though I promised myself and swore I would never age, I find myself disliking certain things that I enjoyed even five to ten years ago.


When I was 26 and thought of my life moving forward, I swore up and down that I would be the coolest “old” person around. Scratch that – I would be the coolest older mom around. I vowed to always do my hair and makeup to the nines each day, party like a rock star and never, and I mean never, wear any type of pants with an elastic waistband or one’s made out of stretchy material. Today at 40, it’s safe to say that I’ve managed to not keep a single one of those promises and honestly, I’ve probably acted far older at times. Even though I promised myself and swore I would never age, I find myself disliking certain things that I enjoyed even five to ten years ago.



Loud Music. Back in the day, the only way I would listen to my music is if it was turned up and LOUD. So much so, that my parents would yell at me for making the floor underneath them shake. Fast-forward to 40 and I’m totally that old hag screaming, “Turn that music down!” to the kids in the neighborhood and to my own daughter.


Partying All Night Long. I went to college. Been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. Nowadays? No. I enjoy an occasional night out or a break from the ordinary but honestly, I would much rather be curled up in my pj’s watching re-runs of Friends or House Hunters. I have zero desire to be jammed into a bar like a sardine with 50 bazillion drunks while having to sell my plasma to afford drinks. The old Courtney would be flabbergasted. You know the only thing Courtney wants to do all night long now? SLEEP. That’s it.


Clothes Shopping. When I was younger, there was nothing I loved to do more than spending a Saturday at the mall. I would spend hours there, perusing every store and trying on a million and one different outfits. Old Courtney, however, would rather scoop her eyes out with a spoon than to go clothes shopping. When I think of all the money I blew on clothes back in the day, it literally makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little. I don’t care what you say, 24-year-old Courtney – you didn’t need that beret and those hammer pants.


Sleeping on the Floor or on Someone’s Sofa. When you’re in your teens, twenties and maybe even into your thirties, crashing on someone’s sofa is no big deal. You need somewhere to pass out and it’s just as good a place as any, no big deal. You get a great night’s sleep and wake up feeling as fresh as the morning dew. Old Courtney refuses to do this. Old Courtney has a home she pays far too much for in rent every month that has a bed with an amazing Tempurpedic mattress calling her name. I’m a grown ass woman.


Poor Fitting Bras. When I was younger, I was never very fussy about my bras and whether or not they fit properly. If Vicky Secrets was having a sale, I was there. The only problem? Back in the day, it was very hard to find a good fitting bra at VS. I’m a 40DDD (no, that’s not a typo) and at the time, I think the highest bra size available was around a 36 D, if that. I didn’t care. I was going to stuff my girls in those little cups come hell or high water because damnit – it’s Victoria’s Secrets and it’s on sale. Nowadays, I’m happy to spend half the money for my uber old lady bras at JC Penny’s and Belk’s that fit perfectly.


Girl Scout Cookies. Now, before you grab your pitchforks and ask what the hell is wrong with me, let me explain… Back in the day, I used to work for the Girl Scouts. One of the benefits of working for the organization is that there are always tons of boxes of cookies sitting around the office. You pretty much have free reign to gorge yourself silly, which I did. If I never had another Thin Mint or Samoa cookie in my life, I’d be perfectly fine. 

How about you? What are some things you’ve grown to dislike as you’ve gotten older? 
Courtney @ Shiraz In My Sippy Cup
Courtney @ Shiraz In My Sippy Cup

Courtney is a published author, mom, taco enthusiast, and a Star Wars and Tennessee Volunteers fanatic. She's never met a piece of sushi she didn’t like and enjoys an amazing glass of wine and a great cut of meat. You can read more of her wine-induced, sleep-deprived adventures on The Huffington Post and Scary Mommy.

15 comments:

  1. YES YES YES and I'm not close to 40. How is that I used to function on so little sleep? I wish I could take back the time I lost that could have been spent sleeping.

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  2. I'm quite sure i'm heading down the same path haha!

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  3. Oh my, I love your posts! I'm in my early 30's and I'm with you on everything on this list. I just find it is our tastes that are refined.

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  4. I'm halfway to 40 and I totally agree about not partying all night long. I stopped that in my 20s. I too watch reruns and chill in my PJs. I do however still go clothes shopping. I'm a bit of a shopaholic but maybe that will change if I ever have kids...no I still don't have any and I know the clock is ticking LOL

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  5. So glad I found your blog - feel like you're my spirit animal! I'm going to be 34 in a month and am on par with SO much of this stuff... I can't handle crowds anymore (ANYWHERE) and have a general disdain for most bars unless I have room to breathe, a seat, and can hear my friends talking. The older I've gotten the more I know what I want and have less patience for the things I tolerated in my 20s. #NotSorry

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  6. Oh my word, I'm with you on all those things! haha I am two shakes away from 40! I actually did a similar post on my blog about pool essentials when i was in my 20's versus in my 30's.

    http://www.bobodesignstudio.com/blog/2016/8/29/then-vs-now-poolside-edition

    But along with bra's is underwear for me. What is this "thong" these young girls speak of?

    Great Post!

    Angie

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  7. I can totally relate! I just turned 40, and the things that come out of my mouth sometimes shock me. Loud music and bar time can hit the road for sure. Sleep is definitely my favorite, and I would not want to waste a precious minute by sleeping on a sofa or floor.

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  8. At thirty I refuse to sleep on someone's floor or sofa, because I pay entirely too much for my house and my cozy, comfy bed. Basically everything on this list is me at thirty so I can't imagine how I will be in 10 more years, hahaha.

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  9. I was given tickets to attend music festival this past weekend and the tickets were for a "VIP" area that was was in the back, far from the actual stage. 24 year old Krystal would have complained and wanted to mosh right up to the front of the stage, but 30ish year old Krystal was so very happy with my clean, private bathroom, comfortable seat and plenty of space to breathe. I hear ya girl!

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  10. Take out the Girl Scout cookies part and I agree with all of this! I am still bitter about having to stay up all night with my kid, I sure as hell am not going to do it voluntarily!

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  11. Oh my goodness, YES. I'm approaching 30 this year, but I can wholeheartedly agree with many of these, especially partying all night long (or let's be real, staying up past 11:00) and shopping for clothes (who has the time and patience for this??).

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  12. I'm in my mid-20s and already agree with so many of these! I'm not sure if I'll ever stop listening to loud music though.. as long as it's good tunes :)

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  13. gosh I'm not even close to 40 and I'm agreeing to all of these things!! And the couch!? Yes!

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  14. The no makeup hair in a bun promise. I'm actually about to cut my hair back off so that I can style it much faster. Super long hair may be pretty, but it's not practical while chase 3 small children around, and HOT!

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  15. Yes to all of this except the Girl Scout cookies! (I never worked in a place with easy access to them, though.)

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