There’s a new big brother edition! And although I haven’t caught the bug yet, I caught the gist of a contestant who claimed to be 23 years old but was called out by people saying the same girl went in for the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageant in 2017 as a 23-year-old. Talk about not ageing. Haha.
While so many jeered and jested across Twitter, it’s actually a very common occurrence that people change their ages to suit certain situations. Sometimes it’s in professional or public settings, sometimes it’s in intimate settings or just among smaller circles.
I mean, a lot of want to seem or be perceived as younger than their age. Not just to not be seen as old but to make up for the expectations for themselves and their lives that they haven’t met yet.
My friend and I were trying to think of other reasons why people lie about or change their ages, here’s what we think.
Time Loss
Whatever we do, however good we feel, we are going to wake up one day and realise a lot of time has passed. You can be sad or happy about that. Especially if you choose to dwell on what you have achieved or not achieved in that time.
So, people start to lie about their ages when they feel like they should have done more at their real age. Something for you to know though, everyone has a different timeline and you should not beat yourself up over what you haven’t been able to do.
Instead, you should realise that even as you feel “old”, that moment right there is still the youngest you will ever be. So embrace it and take charge so that 5-10 years from now, you won’t be claiming the current age you so despise.
Feeling Left Out
There’s always going to be a “younger generation.” I know you miss being hippy and young and knowing everything, but it’s just not that way anymore. I remember feeling envious of Gen Z and how they have TikTok and how easy it is for them to grow and monetize their digital presence. I wished I was born in 2003.
But I’m always going to be the girl that remembers where I was on 9/11 and the day Abacha died. It does not mean I can’t live life fully and enjoy my time. It just means I have had more time on earth and so help me God, I will have so much more to live.
Wanting More Time
Sorry boo, none of us will be here forever. Just take your vitamins, wear sunscreen, be close to Jesus and hope you live a great, long life. If you keep saying you’re 30 when you’re 45, you’ll be 52 soon and you’d have missed those 7 years living and experiencing and loving life as a person in their 40s/50s.
Old age is something many never get to experience. Even being in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s is something not everyone will know. If you’re 20 or 30 something, you can probably count on one hand, your classmates, or people you didn’t really know that died in high school or college or just randomly in life. Not even hitting the milestones you so hate.
Not to be all morose but, growing old is a great thing. You should enjoy every bit of it. Touch lives as many as you can, make memories and spread love. You won’t be here forever, but you could be remembered for a very very long time.