Feels odd being 50 at my place of employment
Posted by martianbeachgoer@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 53 comments
Obviously I’m too old to hang with the young professionals group. I have a few coworkers in their 60’s that don’t socialize outside of work. Perhaps I need to adjust my expectations.
Bruin9098@reddit
Why? Sounds like you have an age hang-up, not them.
Heyyayam@reddit
I’m 71 and my coworkers range from 22 to 50. I enjoy the young energy and frequently advise them in the ways of life (whether they like it or not).
I’m a woman with an outgoing personality so that’s how I roll.
ThrowRA_1216@reddit
I'm not in my 20s anymore, but when I was, I really enjoyed getting to know my older coworkers. They usually had good advice to share and interesting stories. I still enjoy talking to the older crowd and am now connected with the younger crowd at work also. It's obvious there are differences between each of the generations but I think it's valuable to get to know each other and learn from each others experiences.
Informal-Face-1922@reddit
This is why I go home, smoke weed, and hang out with my cat.
Tasty-Building-3887@reddit
I love the company of my 2 tabbies. The sweetest.
Tasty-Building-3887@reddit
Same. It's pretty fckn lonely for me at work. my Gen X colleagues are all in other states.
Suitable-Ad6999@reddit
50’s M. Younger gens are frankly uninteresting and uninterested in most things. Ok, I don’t know shit about tik tok, Travis Scott or Olivia Rodrigo but I can’t seem to talk to them. They also don’t have much to say.
It’s weird though with boomers too. My mother loved the Beatles. Said she remembered running home and my grandfather “allowed” her to watch the news of them getting off plane and the Ed Sullivan show. She can’t name a single song nor knows the words…to ANY of them. Elvis too! Me? I know their eras, the songs, the words, who George Martin was, the black influence on Elvis music, etc.
Same for boomer’s movies and other cultural, historical references.
Boomers and <millennials don’t know GenX contexts, but I know my references of their gens than they do of mine.
P.S I do know Travis Scott, Rodrigo, Swift etc (have them as saved playlists on my Spotify! Haha)
PPS: I don’t know shit about TikTok! And won’t.
grandmofftalkin@reddit
This is an issue for me. I feel like by my late 20s I had a lived life with interesting experiences and cook stories to tell. My coworkers in their 30s are so dull and adventureless. Even when they come back from vacation, "Spain was fine. Good food." *shrug
TakeMeToThePielot@reddit
I’m just there for the money. If I make friends there cool, but that’s not why I’m there. I’m kind, I’m professional and if I click with someone awesome, if not, oh well…
MichiganRich@reddit
Yes it’s our age but it’s also the culture these days… just different than before
cricket_bacon@reddit
That sentiment has gotten me through life up to this point.
sheemonz@reddit
Expect nothing. Never be disappointed.
ArcanumAntares@reddit
Be, therefore, pleasantly appointed when some good thing happens.
ErnestT_bass@reddit
My old team I was the youngest (I am in my mid 50's). They all retired and most of my coworkers now are millinials and one genX... I really stopped giving a shitty and do my job and go home...
I still enjoy working but not so much the social experience anymore.
martianbeachgoer@reddit (OP)
Yeah, time to let it go I guess. I’m at a point where I don’t really want to talk to anyone at work under 40. I’m sure that is not healthy.
Upbeat-Sandwich3891@reddit
I’m 55, and the oldest at work by a few years. I WFH so I don’t have that pressure to socialize, but I’m too close to retirement to care anyway. I don’t mind the job or the company, and my coworkers are all nice, but my one and only goal at this point is to walk out the door at 60.
Automatic-Unit-8307@reddit
I used to be the youngest guy 25 years old and all the co workers i hung out with were in their 50s, I appreciated the mentorship. Today, I am one of the oldest guy in my 50s. Young bucks do not seem to have any interest in hearing me talk. Some speak unprofessional and stare at phone all day, like valley girls , so that’s ok by me . 9 hours and get out
James_p_hat@reddit
Crack a couple “I’m the old guy jokes” and tease them on their youth - pick something too young for them and pretend to very sincerely ask them about it.
I am in the same boat. Oldest on my team. If they’re cool nice people (and most are) they want you to feel comfortable and to feel comfortable themselves - but the age thing stands out and makes people unsure what behavior is gonna be acceptable to you. Show them you’re comfortable and they will be too
Then if y’all hang out - duck out early cause early bedtime is wonderful :)
TheRateBeerian@reddit
I’m a university professor so I have many colleagues close in age…but being around 19 year olds all the time is really weird. They are finally starting to seem like kids to me, and also todays 19 year olds are very very different than they were 10 and esp 20 years ago
hopelesscaribou@reddit
53, and work in restaurants. I feel you.
Mom2Dos@reddit
I will be 50 in July, and just had this realization recently as well. I’m at the point now, where I could be the parent of the people joining my team, rather than a peer. It’s an odd feeling.
Legitimate_Ocelot491@reddit
My boss and I are in our early 50s. Somehow it came up that the parents of one of the guys on my team is younger than us.
That broke my brain.
I don't look my age and can easily shave ten years off by only making millennial cultural references. Not that I care to hang with the younguns but I don't want to be seen as "that old guy."
One_Barnacle2699@reddit
It seemed like overnight I went from being the youngest in my office to being the oldest. So weird.
ohwhataday10@reddit
Yes. This happened to me overnight. So weird.
fjvgamer@reddit
Im kind of the opposite, I like to be left alone..one observation I have made is if I want to socialize, I dont talk about me, I learn about my coworkers and observe what they like and bring it up as needed.
atypical_lemur@reddit
I feel you. I’ve been lucky and have been with the same employer for quite a while. When I started I was the new young guy. Time passes, mentors move on and retire. My buddy announced his plans to retire at the end of next year. When that happens I’ll be the oldest and longest tenured. It’s a weird feeling.
Rich_Group_8997@reddit
Maaaan, when i made a reference to Milton, from Office Space, to a co-worker and had to explain who he was, that's when i came to realize he was a child when that movie came out. That was confirmation of how old I really am.
On a side note, my co-worker did his homework and watched the movie that night, so it was ultimately a win!
Devildiver21@reddit
That's a classic. ..every red blooded American should be watching that before they get into the workforce
SeaGranny@reddit
I socialize with all ages if the activities we’re doing are interesting to me.
I’m not going clubbing but I’ll go to a movie or out for coffee.
Deep-Capital-9308@reddit
I find it more odd at the pub. There’s either the twenty-somethings having a night out or the sixty-somethings who have retired. Everyone my age must be at home with kids or something, they’re not out drinking beer anyway.
Writes4Living@reddit
Just be friends with them. Find some common ground. Unless you're their supervisor. I'm 58 and connected with a coworker who is 28. I had older coworker friends when I was in my 20s. Now its my turn to be the older one. It does feel weird to be one of the oldest ones. Especially considering 5 years ago I was one of the youngest ones. Lol. It IS kind of gratifying though now to look at what matters to them and realize I don't give a fuck about 'that' anymore.
BakedGoods_101@reddit
Same here. I was super happy hanging out with coworkers that were close to 60 when I was 25. I had no choice as I landed higher positions extremely young. They were also happy to hang out with me. Miss those days
BenefitAdvanced@reddit
Ha same here. So a lot of people assume i’m a lot younger than I am. Sure that sounds like a good thing but the truth is when they find out my real age it’s like they’re weirded out by me and all of a sudden don’t wanna hang with the old person. And then the old people are older and i don’t have much in common with them. So i get stuck in this middle area where i don’t fit in anywhere.
justme9974@reddit
Kind of describes GenX in a nutshell lol
justme9974@reddit
Early in my career, I was always the young guy leading people older than me. Then I became the old guy leading people younger than me. Now in a new job, I'm once again the "young" guy (51) leading people older than me (ages 54-62).
richardstock@reddit
More or less same here, but I find socialization outside of work easy to avoid. It is the socialization during work (lunches, employee appreciation days, etc.) difficult to handle. So I opt out of those things more and more but I do worry that it makes me seem like a jerk. I can engage in 20 something conversation only so much and they don't get my dad jokes.
ModernDufus@reddit
Yeah I've started calling younger people in my head "young punks" like "who do these Tik Tok young punks think they are?"... mainly because it's hilarious and what older adults used to call us.
nnr70@reddit
Might be an unpopular comment but as a 55-year-old woman who never had nor wanted to have children – –last year my employer changed our once a year employee appreciation party to that of Family picnic where everyone brings their children and there are games etc. I did not go. When my boss who is 15 years younger than me asked me why, I told him straight out that I had no desire to hang around with a bunch of screaming children and I didn't appreciate the fact that our employee appreciation dinner was now changed to a family event. I got away with it because he was afraid of me and I intimidated him lol. That's the best part about my career so far as I am in the corporate world –sometimes my direct supervisor has been younger than me and they have all been intimidated by me, either because I'm older than them or I am a woman who has learned to work in a male dominated profession and has no problem speaking my mind lol. Something to look forward to, anyway 😂
2ndSundayinMarch@reddit
I’ll be 50 in October. I stopped socializing with coworkers outside of work in my mid 40s and I don’t really miss it. I now keep work and personal completely separate.
grandmofftalkin@reddit
Tried to socialize with coworkers who are in their 30s. They're like aliens wearing a skinsuit.
woodworkingguy1@reddit
In my group (auditing) everyone is around my age since it takes years of experience in the line of work I am to be in an auditing role.
AloHaHa2023@reddit
Me too!!
Spiritualy-Salty@reddit
I’m still good friends with a couple people that were 50 when I was a young up and comer. You don’t have to connect with everyone but don’t write it all off. They might help you age slower, at least in your mind.
HelloStiletto14@reddit
I’m torn on this one. Lots of me says go to work and go home. I won’t lie, tho. I long for more tribal camaraderie. Probably has something to do with spending so much time isolated and alone as younger person.
Humble-Membership-28@reddit
Socializing outside of work is something you want to do? Not me…
GilligansWorld@reddit
I'm a restaurant manager - I've been in this industry off and on since 1988 and I've had about 17 years straight going so far - I didn't notice much change until Corona just prior to Corona - 2021 I was about 48 - now that I am working in the same industry post Corona, I absolutely feel you.
My industry does not see too many people our age anymore. Hell I don't think they can handle it
JJDiet76@reddit
Ha I was about to say, I work in restaurants in a college town. I don’t have coworkers I have extra kids.
TravelerMSY@reddit
Well sure. Unless you’re in your 20s, your coworkers are not your friends.
CitizenChatt@reddit
I've invited several of them over for cookouts. We eat, drink and watch the big game on the deck.
Good times.
CitizenChatt@reddit
My younger co-workers say stuff to me like "I wish I could be cool like ___ ____ "(insert my first and last name here)
I think they're just messing with me, but I do kind of like it. Whatever!
KitchenNazi@reddit
I notice younger people are more shy because all the older people are usually higher up the chain. So you get old people that don't give a fuck and aren't worried about a thing and younger people who want to make a good impression.
Olds1967@reddit
I'm 57 and in my group at work I'm still the 3rd youngest out of 30 and the two younger than me are just over 50. The oldest in our group is 61. Out of the 30 people 7 have been there more than 20 years. A bunch of us have been on the team for 10+ years. We only have 4 that have been on the team for less than 5 years and the last new person was 3 years ago.
NamesRhardOK@reddit
I get you,
Suddenly I find myself being the only person in my age group at my workplace. Just me, wondering where everyone went. It's okay though, mostly a good bunch of people to work with who only occasionally give me good natured ribbing about my age.