When he was still alive, he suffered from an intense phobia of aging (gerascophobia). Escaping that phobia is a major reason he has no issue with being a vampire despite the downsides.
I don't know why random bursts of nostalgia happen but I am very very suddenly sad that the bowling alley my grandma used to play at got shut down a few years ago. And that I will never be 7 years old again, sitting in the backseat of her car at 11pm on a Wednesday, half asleep because it's far past my bedtime, with a box of half-eaten tater tots and burgers in my lap (which the cook always cut into a heart shape for me when I tagged along after school) and my backpack full of homework and the whole A Series of Unfortunate Events collection next to me, sleepily crunching my way through a box of Boston Baked Beans (given to me by a now long gone family friend), listening to the oldies rock station and the soft rumbling her car makes and trying not to fall asleep so I can ask mom to read me a story before bed when I get home. I miss the bowling alley so much sometimes.
I'm 42 and just finally worked out my being agender "counts" despite having little desire to do anything to stop being perceived as a woman.
I have a close high school friend who just came out this year and is beginning to transition.
You, dear reader, have so much time.
I say this as someone with some wicked gerascophobia – even if you're afraid of getting older, even if it terrifies you, there's so much time.
NPR recently published this article about aging that I believe would help us all:
Negative age beliefs can impact us on social, psychological and even physiological levels. Here's how to deconstruct ageism and reframe your
To tl;dr the article's premise, your attitude toward aging is the best predictor of your outcome.
If you see each day as a new opportunity, a chance to grow and change, the time will be more rewarding. And that's not to say I don't still struggle!
The thing I have spent the longest in my life, back when I believed in a deity, crying and praying long into the nights, was about being terrified to one day turn 30. And now I'm 42.
At first still being alive after 30 felt like borrowed time, but it's really not that.
It's a chance to live the life I want to live. I'm trying to make the most of it.
Heck knows sometimes I fail at it. But at least I'm here to try.
Autogerontophobia flag? It means being afraid of getting older
Image ID: 5 horizontal stripes, with the middle stripe being significantly thicker. It is colored, from top to bottom, pastel pink, gold, white, dark grey, and grey. In the center is a cartoony setting sun in black. /end ID
Gerascophobia / Autogerontophobia
Persistent, irrational fear of one's self getting older or being elderly
Color Meanings
Colors I associate with the elderly + meant to match
themogaidragon's phobia flags
Entomology
Auto- + geronto + -phobia
Author's Notes
We probably won't be doing more -phobia flags after this, unless it's something specific we experience.
Hii i just found ur page and i love it it makes me feel safe🥺🥺 i was wondering could you do a moodboard about the teenager to adult transition crisis? i feel so lost, yet not prepared for adulthood and scared of not being enough to achieve all the things they say i need to achieve, get a job, decide what to study, feel like the world weighs too much and i'm stuck just wasting my days. Hope u see this, keep going you are amazing and i'm so happy i found you, hope ur doing well. Sending love💕🌹
Hey! I'm thankful to hear this from you. I know how you feel like drowning in these fears and insecurities,dear anon. It's hard, I know. But you'll survive this phase. We all have to grow up one day, don't we? So have faith in yourself and give your best. I hope you're doing well and I'm sending all the love in this world. Thank you for existing. I'm happy as well that I saw this ask❤ and also sorry for the late response :)
