I'm 22, and I'm old.

All I hear day in and day out is 'you're only 22'.  This kinda irritates me.  Yes, I'm 22.  And by that logic I'm still young.  Certainly, if anyone's reading this who's older than 22 I'm sure you're sat there going 'What is she talking about, she is young'.  But let me tell you something, I'm old, and I'm feeling it.

Here's just a few instances why I know 22 isn't as young as everyone thinks it should be:-

• I can't sleep.  We all know that as a teenager you could literally sleep for your country.  Late nights and sleep filled days are the way forward.  In fact it's not considered an achievement when you roll out of bed at 3pm, more like it's a way of life.  Mornings? Blah.  But here I am as 11pm peals across the country I find my eyes becoming heavy, my mind shutting down, and I genuinely find myself falling asleep either in front of the TV, mid-game (so many times have I died by falling asleep with my finger on the forward key) or whilst reading (it really does hurt to have your kindle fall down and smack you in the face).  There are times when my boyfriend has had to drag me from my sitting position to a lying down position having fallen asleep mid sentence (not even joking).  I'm like a wound up toy, full of energy but slowly losing it to come to a standstill.  And then morning arrives, broken by the infuriating buzzing of my phone vibrating it's wake-up call and suddenly I'm off like a runner from the starting block.  Forget naps.  It's not possible.
• I don't have a sense of humour anymore.  Seriously, I used to be able to find an innuendo in anything.  Giggle continuously.  Laugh out loud in the public crowd.  I used to be alive with life and laughter.  Now I barely scrape together a reason to smile.  And if I do it's hardly because it's funny, it's usually the customary fixed smile one has when they're serving the public.  *sigh* I need my infantile humour back!
• I can't do partying.  This always makes me think of the Friend's episode where the men realise they aren't in their twenties anymore.  They don't want to go partying out all night.  They want to be home in bed, settled for the evening (see above post for this video).  And I too feel this.  At a party the other night, I was mystified about how I'd lost my superhuman teenage liver and mental capacity to last through a traditional game of Ring of Fire.  I couldn't even stand up to a drinking game that you had to stand up repeatedly at a certain word in the song.  My bones just couldn't cope!  And when they started shouting German groans I'd had my share.  Where was the door and where was my bed?! 
• My tolerance is low.  This is for everything I've come across.  Whether it be childish behaviour or alcohol tolerance.  It's non-existence.  Why can't people be grown up and sensible!
• I find myself complaining about things only 60+ year olds would.  For instance, where have all the fields gone? Why are there houses springing up everywhere? Why doesn't the city have it's own tourist information office anymore? Why are we chained to using technology when it seems to fail us every time?!
• I actually enjoy the news.  I've replaced celebrity news with real news.  It's far more interesting than the made up feces of the celeb reporters.  And I actually get politics now and guess what? It's interesting!!
• I'm physically not up to the plate anymore.  My bones crack with every step I take up the stairs.  I pee 20 times a day.  If I've sat still for longer than half an hour, my lower back actually sets in and I can't straighten my back.  It takes me ages to get up from the floor.  I can't handle takeaways - they just make me nauseous with all the grease.  I can't slouch any more.  By the end of the day there's not an ache or pain that I can't make a complaint about.
• I worry about everything.  Money, life, health, family, friends. Everything.  I can't have the carefree attitude I used to have.  Responsibility has just hit me far too hard and far too fast.
• I could be a member of Grumpy Old Women.  I'm that pessimistic about life at times.

So you see when people snap at me saying that I'm too young to be this old, I can't help but feel more put out.  I didn't think it would happen this fast but it has.  But if people are right, then it's all in the mind.  And I'm going to force myself to find my youth again!!  I'm going to ignore every ache and complaint and I'm gonna try and find the lighter side of life again.  I refuse to be put down when I've only lived a quarter of my life thus far.

So here's to regaining my youth (or what's left of it).