Do you ever still feel like you’re in your 20’s? (if you’re not in your 20’s..)

I am in my mid 30’s and growing up I viewed my parents as professional ‘adults’ and aside from being loving parents as they were I always just saw them as very grown up. They weren’t kept up to date on new trends and weren’t materialistic. We were immigrants as well so I’m sure that was a big factor. They just seemed to have very little interests and would read newspapers and be very proper. I’m basically trying to say adult life seemed boring. Times were way different back then too.

I have a feeling more of us here can relate to this but I grew up on the internet. Going to school to learn the basics and then the internet helped expand my knowledge onto whatever other space I felt like I wanted to explore outside of school. Over the years I’ve always been up to date with new tech, new fashion trends, acquiring new and different tastes in music, increased awareness of societal norms as it evolves.. etc.

I feel like I’m still youthful and sometimes I question if I’ve even grown up yet. Mentally I’m there, I’m doing well financially and have a lovely wife and two beautiful kids. I have a decent job and a house to call home. Nothing is wrong and yet it feels off. I feel immature and unprofessional compared to the adults I knew back when I was younger. Almost like a feeling of guilt that I shouldn’t be having this much fun and I too need to go get me some newspapers.

It also seems to be the case for my fellow coworkers who are nearly age 40 and some nearing 50. I wonder if it’s because we are so connected to the internet and for so long that our age doesn’t matter anymore. That the concept of what an adult is supposed to look like doesn’t have any boundaries. Even if I try to imagine a modern day professional adult comparable to that of my parents I can’t come up with a look.

I thought when I hit age 30 I was gonna have to abandon my oversized tees and designer sneakers and invest in light blue button down shirts and khaki straight leg pants with brown leather belts and shoes.

This is just something that I wonder from time to time so I thought I’d post it here hoping to get some feedback. Do you ever feel how I feel? How long has it been this way? And is it a geographic thing or it’s just everywhere? Am I approaching the start to my mid life identity crisis? Possibly.