10 Things Anyone Under 40 Should Never Do

One of the recent trends on the internet seems to be articles listing things that anyone over 40 should never do, say, wear, eat or drink. In response, I would like to present my own list – of things that people under 40 should never do.

1) Never think 40 is OLD. It truly isn’t. 40 is just the beginning. You may have laid some groundwork before you were 40, but this is when you start living. And, trust me, you are going to be 40 way sooner than you think. 😂

2). Never think you should decide what people over 40 should wear. We are just people. We come in all sizes and shapes and tend to look our best in what makes us feel our best. Wear what makes you feel good. The rest of us can take care of ourselves 👙

3) Never think you are superior to us because technology comes naturally to you. People who are now over 40 pioneered the technical revolution. We, your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles provided you with electronics from the time you were born. You grew up with them. I was working, as a bookkeeper when the first calculators came on the market. Wrap your head around that one. Not only have we had to evolve with our careers, we have basically had to evolve in a language that is foreign to us. 🖥️

4) Never tell people over 40 what they should eat. Health trends, diets and the science of nutrition evolves. Twenty years from now, hummus will cause cancer and people will realize that gelatin is a health food even if it makes your salad jiggle. Speaking of diets, there is no such thing as a one ingredient cookie. Freeze it, slice it, it is still a banana.🍌

5) Never believe that that the latest thing is always progress. Back in the day, we thought single use plastic bags and plastic straws were progress. 🥺

6) Never believe that you are more ethical than the generations before you. We did things that make you cringe? You were not there and have never been as culturally isolated as we were. We were not cruel, thoughtless, selfish or cold. We worked hard all week and gave generously to those in need around the globe. People devoted their entire lives to taking care of the sick, the elderly, the young, and the needy. People worked to support themselves and their families and then volunteered their free time and their talents to build their communities and keep them safe. Stop worrying about how terrible we were and start thinking about how much better you can be. 🤔

7) Never mock our fads and fashions, expressions and trends. We thought that they were as ‘cool‘ as you think yours are ‘lit’ . At least our fashion faux pas and embarrassing moments are stuffed away in yearbooks and wedding albums. Yours are going to live on forever, around the globe, compliments of social media.🙄

8) Never tell us what we should drink. Why do you care? I happen to enjoy tonic with my gin. Deal with it.🥃

9) Never believe that, just because your way is easier, it must be better. There is something to be said for “work smarter, not harder”. But, the operable word is still ‘work’. 👷

10) Never waste time resenting that we had things so much easier. We had things differently. We struggled, we faced challenges, we worked long hard hours under some difficult and dangerous conditions. Many of the industries that existed in our youth are virtually gone but there are others here and coming that did not exist in our day. We spent our money on basics – home and transportation, food and clothing. We did not have electronics, travel was a luxury, food was home cooked. Many of us took care of our elderly parents, physically and financially, and we still help our sons and daughters when they struggle. Few of us lived as well or as easily as you think we did. We did the best we could with what we had. 👍