How old do you feel?
Not "how old would you say you are", but rather how old, sitting right where you are, ignoring any pre-conceived notions, do you actually feel?
For me, it varies with my immediate environment. I'm guessing it does for everyone. For example, when I'm sitting down with a new client, trying to figure out how we're going to put a bunch of numbers going through wires together to help them make money, I feel roughly 40. Seriously. My logic tells me that I've been around for a while in the current situation, because I'm the expert. I know exactly (most of the time, anyway) what I'm doing - in my opinion more so than most people my age, because my career as an entrepreneur has been pretty much a sole, one-tracked pursuit in my life up until now. Which makes me feel pretty experienced. Now here's the thing: Add to this my perception of people who are highly skilled and experienced, but still youthful enough to be innovative, and 40 is the age which pops into my head. So I feel about 40.
On the other hand, when I've got my shorts and running shoes on and I'm heading up the mountain for a fast-paced walk and packed sandwich snack at the top, I feel about 17. Give or take. Because I'm not restricted by any societal expectations to act in a certain way, I can jump over rocks and whistle on the way down. With glee. It also feels like this when I'm riding my mountain bike, hopping and popping wheelies over kerbs - something I love to do. Unfortunately, on the first climb of the day I feel the lack of 17 year old fitness levels quite quickly. All right, very quickly.
With me?
OK, now when I meet people around my (actual) age, I'm always quite curious to see what age bracket they seem to imagine themselves in. I use the term "bracket" very loosely, please note. You see, I'm convinced that chronological age and frame-of-mind age aren't even remotely related in most instances...
For example, some 30 year olds seem to be under the impression that they're grown-ups. They're not opposed to thinking like a kid per sé (at least I don't think so), but they don't seem to like the idea that they may be perceived to be younger than they really are. The women wear a lot of make-up, possibly to hide any traces of aging (notice the irony?). They also wear a lot of jewellery, possibly to differentiate themselves from their less-well-taken-care-off counterparts. The men make sure that you know that they drive the kind of car which eliminates any doubts about their position on the business ladder. If you pay careful attention you'll notice that they're usually particularly nonchalant about this, which immediately provides some insight. They'll skilfully approach the topic in casual conversation, but only from an arbitrary angle, like complaining about insurance costs. Importantly though, actual figures aren't dared to be mentioned - this would show that time has been spent on the subject. Time spent would imply that they're not successful enough to not care about trivial matters involving trivial amounts of money. I find this attempted seriousness hugely amusing to watch 
On the other hand, some people much older than me act like they're still discovering the world for the first time. They act like children, effectively. They'll find and tell you with fascination about the simplest little things, without regard for how you might perceive their "maturity". The women tend to wear very little if any make-up, because their age isn't all that important to them. Or at least, how old they're seen to be isn't very important to them. That they don't wear much jewellery either goes without saying. The men sometimes do own expensive vehicles, but usually just because they like the features and enjoy driving them. In contrast to their want-to-be-grown-up counterparts, these men don't mind discussing the details of their toys with you, costs included. Importantly though, they won't bring these things up in casual conversation, because the subject actually is trivial to them.
What's my point? I guess it's that I'm under the impression that there's a very clear distinction between two kinds of people in terms of age mentality:
- Those who go through a phase of wanting to be grown-up. They try (with varying degrees of success it seems) for years. Eventually (at what age I'm not sure), they realise that it's all quite silly really, and start acting naturally again.
- Those who realise very early on that trying to be grown-up is silly, and proceed to just be themselves. These people reach the "aw, screw it " moment (also referred to as the "fugit" moment) at an early age; that moment where they stop caring what other people think.
Now people in the second group I'm obviously much more inclined to relate to, whatever their actual age. They're fun to spend time with. They don't mind engaging in activities society dictates to be reserved for the youth (read "fun, silly stuff"). They're not constantly worried about "acting their age", something that's usually referred to as "being appropriate". They find amusement in small things, and as a result are never boring themselves. They're just... well, themselves. This is hugely attractive to me, and so I'd like to think I'm part of this group. At least when I'm not dusting little pieces of lint off my formal jacket.
So, the question is: How old do you feel at this very moment?