Wednesday 19 February 2014

Age & Intolerance

I saw a guy this morning with a little topknot bun and the rest of his head shaved, and I thought to myself 'What an idiot! No one can pull that hairstyle off. You look like a goose.'

I was then struck by the fact I had that EXACT hairstyle 30 years ago.

This is the definition of old. Intolerant of things that have nothing to do with us. They have no impact on us, and cause no harm to others. Yet they inspire a reaction of aggressive irritation. Especially things that we used to do ourselves, when we were young and stupid.

Why do we become like this? Or is it just some of us? That is, is it just me?

I have this issues with pants down, showing your undies (Pharrell, I love you dearly but pull your pants up!)*.

I have issues with Miley Cyrus (Miley, YOU are a super star. Stop doing that nudie porno stuff - you really don't NEED to get that attention).

The list goes on.

Why, as we age, do we stop liking things? More than that, why do they annoy us so much, when they really have no impact on us at all?

I have no answers, and I'm a little ashamed of this ugly trait I'm developing as an old lady...However, while I am in an old lady rant, what's with the not indicating? You learn how to indicate when you get your licence, so why do you stop? It doesn't mean you're cool, it means you're a dangerous, selfish dick. Dangerous to both other cars and pedestrians. So get over that crap now.



*In my defence, I'm loving the irreverent stoner Olympians at Sochi. I will tolerate pants down snowboarders because it just seems right. Maybe I'm softening in my old age...

18 comments:

  1. I'm with you - I don't get some of the cool things. To me they are just ridonkulous rather than cool. I often wonder how those people i.e. the Miley's / Pharrell's / Taylor's / etc of the world will feel when they look back in 30 years time. Will they still think that what they did was so fantastic or will they be cringing ? Now that I think about it, I too did some daft things and recall thinking that would get people talking - and it may or may not have - maybe nobody gave a rat's butt about what I did. I think I am more tolerant than I used to be because, to a large extent, I know that whatever they do won't affect what I do.
    The indicating thing annoys the bejesus out of me. A, who is a really good driver, often forgets to indicate when turning at round-abouts and it drives K and I insane - we are forever saying "Indicate" - and yet he can remember what happened in the 14th frame of a baseball game back in 1973 when Natal were playing Transvaal and so-and-so was pitching against so-and-so !!!!!
    Have the best day now that I have hi-jacked your comments !!!
    Me

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    1. Hijack away...I am very tempted to go up to young men in the street and say quietly "I just thought you should know, your pants are falling down".
      In the roundabout is what set me off today!!

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  2. I think a lot of it is all to make a statement. Surely. Although I did see a woman who had walked out of the hairdressers with a SPIRAL PERM. Ba ha ha ha. Then I realised that was me in 1986. :)

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  3. I guess it's also because with age, you gain more experience and see the potential impact or if it's just plain wrong, especially to things such as the way Miley Cyrus is acting. It's great that she wants to be "true to herself".. but is this really being that, or is she just doing so to gain attention and sell more records??

    Hmm

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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  4. Oh dear, I have a bad habit of not indicating... and have a fine for going through a red light *slinks off quietly....

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  5. I'm embracing the "Grumpy Old Woman" phase of my life. One day I will just walk up and yank those twits' pants up for them... one day.

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  6. My hubby annoys me SO much for not indicating, selfish thing to do I reckon! I hope I will not start frowning upon things as much as my parents do!

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  7. Grumpy old lady here too, and if I'm this intolerant in my 30s, look out world when I get to my 50s! Assuming I don't die of a heart attack before then from the high blood pressure brought on by being so uptight! ;)

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  8. My pants fall down all the time because I'm apple shaped and have a big belly like a bloke's beer gut and no waist and it's really ANNOYING so I don't know how they can stand it. I've always been a bit of Nanna even when I was young now I'm just getting worse. Oh well. Sigh.

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  9. I'm a growing into a grumpy old woman too. What's with young girls wearing short shorts with stockings in winter? Why does most modern music sound the same (horrible?) I'm not proud of it either but I think it just inevitably happens as you get older. At least we can whinge together Lydia!

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  10. I often pull myself up for tut-tutting at young-people-today because you're right, we all had our own version of fashion victim/identity experiments when we were younger. As for the Olympics - I love your description of the irreverent stoners! It's awesome to see champion athletes with beards and long hair, the girls all have stray hairs hanging out of their helmets. They look so much cooler (to me) than super buff lycra wearing kinds of athletes. I'm sure that says more about me than them :)

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  11. I feel like I've always been a grumpy old woman lol. I shake my head at everything you just listed and have since I was a teenager.

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  12. Haha! I so know what you mean! I can't stand seeing girls in short short skirts and sky tower heels! Then, I go…oh, wait. That was me at 18 :)

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  13. Yes - I find myself entering the grumpy old woman stage too. Selfishly I think it is just that we are reminded of the growing gap between youth and now. Having said that I'm not totally indiscriminate - I do love some youthful looks/behaviour - I just chuckle to myself at how they will live to regret things later on - or maybe not!

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  14. They need to make a sequel to the Grumpy Old Men sequel - Grumpy Old Women!

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  16. And does lack of tolerance = increasingly judgmental thoughts?
    I need to stop myself from judging those under 25. I'm envious of their youth and possibilities, but also feel tempted to suggest what they should NOT be doing. Yes, oull up your pants. Girls - don't post the revealing photos all over Facebook! Why should everyone get to comment and criticise your body in such a public arena?
    A friend's 17 year old niece is pregnant. Poor thing. So I have a look at the boyfriend's facebook page (open for all to see) and conclude he is a bit of a party animal, drug taking no hoper. See - there's the judgmental thing again. Sorry.
    As for the not indicating thing? I'm guilty - every time I do it my P plater son ticks me off...

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  17. In high school (yep, high school) I got cranky at people randomly wearing their polo shirt collars up - it was the trend. I used to say to people "Oh, you forgot to put it down when you got dressed" haha. It is strange how we get these intolerances.

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