There are some places that feel exactly the same, no matter how old you get, but then there are those that make you wonder whether you’re in the wrong room.
A hallway that never sleeps
College dorms are some of the weirdest places. Nothing inside them is technically wrong, sure, since everything looks about the same, but they still feel awkward when you’re older. You realize how uncomfortable the place actually was, to start with.
You also understand that everyone else is there because they live there. But you? You’re on the outside because you’ve been through the whole becoming-an-adult thing, so being in a college dorm feels strange.Â
When the bass answers for you
Nightclubs seem fine when you’re young. Yes, you’re yelling ‘What?’ every few seconds, walking across a sticky floor, no big deal because you’re young. It’s a different story when you get older.Â
Everything just seems way too loud in there, unnecessarily loud, in fact. You just want to talk to your friends, but you’ve got to deal with the bass rattling your chest and the lights flashing way too much. Nightclubs sure are difficult places when you’re older.
A key that still works
How could your parents’ house feel awkward? It happens long after you move out. You might still know where everything is, yes, but it feels strange because you’re a guest in a place that used to be your home.
All the smells and the sights are the same. Mostly, anyway. Yet it gets uncomfortable when you come to recognize that you’re the one who’s changed, not the house itself.
The clipboard moment
Becoming a mature adult makes the doctor’s waiting room feel a lot more serious. You used to go there once in a blue moon, but now that you’re older, it’s a regular habit. That doesn’t make it more comfortable, however.
You’re likely dealing with more health problems when you’re older, and that means having more follow-up appointments and seeing more specialists. It’s not exactly fun. Let’s not forget how uncomfortable the chairs are there, either, which don’t feel better in your old age.
The bench with no explanation
Got a kid? Then being in a playground is completely normal. However, when you get older, your kids have likely grown up, so being in a space made for kids is harder to justify. You just seem strange, hanging out there by yourself.
You might be sitting on a park bench, but you can’t deny that it feels weird being there without your own little one. Don’t be surprised if people start asking you questions. They think it’s awkward you’re there, too.
Nowhere to lean
Standing-room-only concerts seem like a lot of fun when you’re young, especially because you can really get into the party mood that way. But not when you’re older. You have to start asking practical questions about your body since it’s not as agile anymore.
It doesn’t matter how good the music might be. Unless you can find somewhere to sit and rest for a few minutes, you’re probably not going to enjoy standing on your own two feet for an hour or so.
The wristband weekend
Music festivals are a similar problem. They have a special way of making the most basic comfort seem like it’s a luxury item, whether that’s water or shade. Even finding a bathroom is more of a hassle than it needs to be.
You might’ve been able to handle that when you were younger, yes, but now that you’re older, it seems like way too much work. What happened to listening to music and feeling comfortable?
The table that shouts back
Loud restaurants are the worst. From the outside, they seem fine, since they usually have nice lighting and nice decorations, nice everything, really. Then the music comes on, and people start talking.
It’s no fun when eating dinner becomes a guessing game, and every conversation has to involve lip-reading. It’s just too much work. As an older adult, you grow tired of it all, and you miss the days when you could actually hear what someone was saying over a meal.
Bare feet on wet concrete
It’s pretty obvious that water parks were built with young people, not old people, in mind. Just look at the floor. Walking across wet concrete didn’t feel like an issue as a teen, but as a mature adult, you can’t stop thinking about falling.
It’s worse when you get onto the rides. Don’t get us wrong, they’re still fun, it’s just that you find getting in and out of them more difficult than you used to. Paying money for all that awkwardness just doesn’t seem worth it.
The line that keeps changing
Airports. They’re always stressful, and that doesn’t change when you get older. However, the kind of stress does become something new, since you’ve got to deal with things like mobile boarding passes and facial checks now.
What happened to the days when you only worried about catching the flight on time? TSA sometimes has separate screening information for older people, including specific details about their clothing. It makes you feel singled out. Not in a good way.
A wall of tiny decisions
Practically all young people love using technology, and that’s why they love going to tech stores so much. But they’re more challenging places when you’re older. Every device seems to do a hundred different things, and none of what you were expecting.
Older adults walk in and expect plain answers about each device. They’re not necessarily going to get them, though. The truth is, most tech stores make you feel your age or even older, and that’s not exactly a comfortable feeling.
The machine is waiting
Self-checkout areas are places where everything seems to work against you. A lot of older adults hate them. Not because they don’t know how to use the machines, but because they make shopping more difficult than it needs to be.
They don’t like dealing with the flashing lights and constant reminders of ‘Unexpected item in the bagging area.’ These places make older people feel like they’re practically ancient, so they try to avoid them.
The mirror has opinions
Clothing stores should feel like comfortable places. They are, until you get older, and that’s when the whole shopping experience becomes way more challenging. The changing room mirror is too bright, and the curtain doesn’t seem to close all the way as it should.
Then there are the clothes. Everything seems to be designed for a younger audience in mind, and the only clothes available for your age seem to be for seniors. You’re not there yet, are you? Somehow, clothing stores make you start questioning how old you really are.
Too many crossings at once
A busy city center is essentially a nightmare for older people. There are people cutting across all the time, and delivery cyclists sliding past each second, as well as young people stopping in the middle to take a picture.
Let’s not get started with the dangers of walking on the uneven sidewalk, too. It’s not like older adults are lost or anything, but it sure is hard for them to go from Point A to Point B.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
