Turned 40 yesterday and nobody let me complain about it

I hit the big 4-0 on Tuesday and every person I talked to kept saying 'oh it's just a number' or 'you're only as old as you feel.' I wanted to say that my back hurts when I bend over to tie my shoes and I feel every bit of forty but nobody wants to hear that. My wife literally shushed me when I started listing aches at dinner. Has anyone else had a milestone birthday where people refused to let you be honest about how you felt?

2 comments

2 Comments

harperwright1mo ago

Jumped into work the next day and told my coworkers I felt like a used car with 150,000 miles on it. They just laughed and said 'welcome to the club' like that was supposed to make me feel better. Tried to complain about my left knee predicting rain and my boss told me to 'embrace the wisdom.' I don't want wisdom, I want to bend over without making a grunting noise. At this point I'm convinced turning 40 is just a group project where everyone else is the project manager and you're not allowed to have feelings.

alex5241mo ago

You know what, I had a buddy at my old job who turned 40 and he came in one Monday with a new cane. Not because he needed it but because he was making a point. He limped around all day complaining about his back and how the office chairs were basically designed by someone who hates humanity. He told our boss the same thing @harperwright said about the used car thing and our boss actually had the nerve to say "at least the check engine light isn't on." My friend gave him a look that could melt glass and said "it's on, trust me, it's just blinking at me right now." The next week he brought in a heating pad for his desk chair. Zero shame.