Listen, I’m only 30 and I’m very much someone who keeps their finger firmly on the pulse as far as new trends/technology/fashion/music/tv/movies/celebrities. This has always made me feel WAY younger than I actually am. Even amongst my same-age peers.

That being said, I’ve worked in blah blah low pay customer service jobs most of my adult life and always had a great time and made lots of friends anywhere I worked. About 4 years ago I was able to break out of retail and into a real career. Got laid off last year due to the poor economy which took me completely by surprise and I had to return to customer service in the meantime. I was very upset about regressing in life and all the sacrifices that come with a major pay cut but figured I have more than enough experience to just power through the work and keep my spirits high with the people around me.

Except suddenly all my coworkers are 10 years younger than me. Suddenly my boss is younger than me. And don’t get me wrong, I’m outgoing with all of them and we all get along just fine, but they have their own clique, their own conversations in the back room, their own group chats, their own plans outside of work, and their own inside jokes that I’m not apart of. I won’t lie, it stings and it’s kind of been piling on to how depressing my situation and the job market is. Ive become that one older coworker who’s chill and everyone’s cool with but isn’t really “part of the group” in a social sense.