1.Harry Potter got his Hogwarts letter at 11, you were 11 10 years ago.
With every year that passes the realisation that you’re not a witch or wizard and just a plain old muggle just gets more painful
Checking the post on your birthday: ‘ Birthday card, birthday card, where is my Hogwarts letter, why have you forsaken me Dumbledore?’
2.Watching people younger than you become high flying over achievers is painful.
Watching X Factor: ‘Wow she’s so talented but wait, she’s only 16. Get off the stage. How dare you be both younger and more successful than me.’
3.Every time you go out for a for a drink you see people much much younger than you and have to fight the urge to ID them.
Talking to a youngster: ‘Can I interest you in a children’s menu?’
4.Waiting to get IDed in Tesco like the spring chicken you are when the cashier doesn’t even ask for proof of age.
Thinking to yourself: ‘Excuse me miss but it’s think 25 and I think you’ll find I radiate youth.’
5.No longer being able to us your age as an excuse for your mistakes.
At 18: ‘I’m only young, I didn’t know any better.’
At 21: ‘I’m only youngish, I didn’t know any better.’
6.Being able to drive doesn’t make life better, just more expensive.
After passing your test: ‘I’m so glad I don’t need to pay for those expensive driving lessons any more, surely car insurance doesn’t cost much and what even is road tax?’
7. Remember your 18th, that was good wasn’t it? It meant you could now legally drink.
At 18 you get a valid ID and at 21 you get a metaphorical key to the door, not an actual house, just a meaningless key.
Speaking to your family like: ‘Thank you aunt Paulette for this lovely ornamental key, I will treasure it always.’
8. When you’re 18 planning a party or a big night out is easy, everyone lives at home. When you’re 21 people get much harder to nail down.
‘Damn you Sally how dare your gap year interfere with my birthday party.’
9. At 18 its likely you haven’t yet entered full time employment and there’s a hefty chance you still live at home so family, especially extended, are more generous with birthday money.
‘Who is great uncle Ivor and why has he sent me £100? Actually why am I questioning free money?’
10. When you turn 18 most of your friends still live at home and are yet to go through their ‘poor student’ phase, maybe their parents still fund them or they still have their childhood part time job, either way you’re guaranteed a present. At 21 your friends struggle to feed themselves and pay rent, so a present isn’t likely.
‘Don’t worry Janice, I don’t like presents I swear, I mean who likes free stuff?’
11. Big birthdays tend to be quite far apart, once you’ve had your 40th it’s ten years till you’re 50 (obviously).
However your 21st is just three years after your 18th.
‘Julie’s having a big blow out birthday party this year, hang on, didn’t she just have a big birthday?’
12. At 18 you didn’t worry about ageing or weight gain. Your face was smooth and it didn’t matter if you ate a whole Dominoes to yourself. But at 21 it’s a different story.
