18th Birthday Brings Change...

[BeauBenken]

So tomorrow is my birthday. Like the title says, I'll be 18, but honestly within the past year along with my discovery of this awesome site :smilewink I've noticed how the recruits I see come in are now my age or now (with this new upcoming class) younger than I am.

I was wondering if you all can recall when you reached this point and/or how you've dealt with it.

I know it's not a bad thing really, just a bit odd to think that these are kids and not the men I always pictured them to be when I was a kid. Thanks!

 

[jason_h537]

i began following recruiting in college (07 Class) so i have always been older than the recruits.

 

[BeauBenken]

i began following recruiting in college (07 Class) so i have always been older than the recruits.

I figured most on the site would have always been older, but was there a point when you were just a young fan and realized you were becoming older than the players?

 

[johnnykillz]

I'm actually getting closer to the point to where I could have fathered a recruit...

So, I'm numb to the whole 18 thing. I miss it though. It was like yesterday...

Enjoy my man. Be smart. Make decisions based on this: Will I regret this decision later? Live your life and don't try to be older than you are. Harness the moment. Never pass up that one chance with Mrs. Perfect, even if you think you have no chance. More than likely, you're right. But at least you can't say you didn't try.

Grats and happy birthday young man. It's official. You're a man. God bless.

 

[jason_h537]

I figured most on the site would have always been older, but was there a point when you were just a young fan and realized you were becoming older than the players?

Well since i am graduating at the same time as some of my favorite players Gary Gray, Brian Smith etc. i feel kinda cool actually

 

[BeauBenken]

Well since i am graduating at the same time as some of my favorite players Gary Gray, Brian Smith etc. i feel kinda cool actually

haha Nice. I'll get to graduate with this amazing class we just signed.

 

[Irish2015]

I turned 18 about a month ago and it still hasn't really hit me that I'm older than the kids yet.

 

[k1ssme1m1r1sh]

Well I am in my late 20's...18 was kinda weird. I graduated in 2001, and a lot of things happened that year. Aerosmith was in the Rock n Roll hall of fame class, Dawson's Creek kids graduated (You have no idea what I'm talking about)...then 9/11 happened and a lot of boys from my class were in the military. I think because of that, it made me realize that life is precious, it is short, and it is hard. Thankfully, no one from my school has passed away in a military related incident. One friend of mine has won a purple heart, but he's fine.

A few weeks ago, a guy from my class was murdered, I hadn't seen him in about 5 yrs but it still hit hard. He had kids, a wife, and he was my age.

Anyway...ND recruits and players will held to higher standard than you, because they are ND players. Make smart decisions, I can tell you the next 10 yrs will fly by and you'll realize when you're 28 that certain things you did at 18 were really STUPID. So use good judgement. Enjoy it. Have fun. Do as much as you want to right now. Happy Birthday!

 

[MacIrish75]

23 here. Graduated last year. Between going to Indiana State and watching ND under Weis during my time in college I watched more than my fair share of mediocre to maddening to absolutely gut-wrenchingly painful football games.

The best part about being now slightly older than the players is that new job = disposable income for ND tickets and other sports related outings.

Enjoy 18, fella. Never pass up a good time with your best friends, but be smart about it. The one thing...well the main thing that, for me, sucks about getting older and graduating college is that everyone goes their separate ways and starts their own lives. Of my 4 best friends in college, one is in the Army and lives in Jersey, one is out in AZ for work, on is in Cincinnati, and one is in Evansville, IN. Getting together once a year is about the maximum. Didn't mean to rant, but just make sure to enjoy the stupid random times with your buddies. That's the stuff you don't get back.

 

[BeauBenken]

Well I am in my late 20's...18 was kinda weird. I graduated in 2001, and a lot of things happened that year. Aerosmith was in the Rock n Roll hall of fame class, Dawson's Creek kids graduated (You have no idea what I'm talking about)...

I don't wanna wait...

Never watched, but yes I have an idea.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kY3sBEHhFR8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[GainesvilleIrish]

I turned 18 less than a month ago. I thought the same thing as you & how weird it was. The only thing I changed was now for the class of 2012, I day this "kid" since I'm older than them.

Happy birthday by the way.

 

[NankerPhelge]

I remember like it was yesterday going up to my room on my 18th birthday and blasting Alice Cooper's "I'm 18" on my stereo and singing along at the top of my lungs because I thought it was so cool that I could actually sing this song truthfully now. Remember that line about "lines form on my face and hands" making me feel so jaded.

Also remember being very aware that I better cut out all the acts of juvenile delinquency because now these things were treated as adult crimes if I got caught (which I never did).

Also, was real disgusted because for years before my 18th birthday the drinking age in Michigan (just about 2 miles north of where I live in Indiana) was 18. Was sneaking into bars up there since I got my driver's license when I was 16. But thought "man, it will be great to go into these bars and drink legally." Then, about a month after I turned 18, those *******s raised their drinking age to 21.

Actually, bad timing has pretty well summed up my life ever since.

Happy Birthday, man.

 

[Riddickulous]

Dawson's Creek kids graduated (You have no idea what I'm talking about)...

Very glad I was young enough to miss that show.

 

[WhoDeyIrish]

If you watch the NBA that's whats the strangest thing for myself. I'm 24 so the recruiting thing doesn't really bother me it's seeing guys like D Rose win the MVP only being 22. I remember being very young watching Michael Jordan and kids nowadays have no clue what he was like. It bothers me when people say LeBron is in Jordan's range, not even close. That's the stuff that bothers me the most when you watch sports and your older than your favorite players. Just be 18 buddy, 18 is a good age, just don't be stupid. Most kids I know around that age do a lot of dumb things, I was one of them.

 

[dshans]

SweetB'Jeezus! 18 was a long, long, loooong time ago for this creaking stash of bones and sagging flesh.

I actually remember my 18th. Friends staged a surprise party for me and my twin sis. It was actually the day before my b-day, but the calendar flipped to THE day as we watched Neil Armstrong take his small step and giant leap onto the moon.

YouTube - Who knows where the time goes - Fairport Convention

Melancholy? Indeed. A little introspection now and again never hurts.

Happy, Happy; Joy, Joy!

Just for a little jocular perspective:

YouTube - Beatles "When I'm Sixty Four"

 

[TDHeysus]

i was 18, 19 during the colorado orange bowl/penn state senior-day snow bowl era. I remember those games still to this day. I have been waiting for ND to get back to that plateau ever since. on one hand it seems like a lifetime ago, on the other it feel like last week that BC kicked that 47 yard FG in 93

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

I don't know how old I am, or what day this is. Wait, what were talking about? I actually axed a neighbor what day it was, just to confirm that it is still January.



Happy birthday buddy. Be very careful with the alcohol. Dumbest things I have ever done in my life was when I was alcohol induced. One time, in band camp, I decided to fly to Cleveland, but landed in Arizona. That kinda thingy.

 

[Woneone]

I do something like this --

Peyton Manning SNL Skip

Instead of the Peyton Manning role in the video, I pretend I'm the next 5 star hot shot enrolling in college, and the kids are my rag-tag group of misfits I lead to victory.

Does wonders for the ego.

Happy birthday buddy. Be very careful with the alcohol. Dumbest things I have ever done in my life was when I was alcohol induced. One time, in band camp, I decided to fly to Cleveland, but landed in Arizona. That kinda thingy.

I second this. Have a good time, but try to keep it within bounds. I made the same mistake, and waking up the next morning and realizing how much of a fool you were isn't a good time.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

I do something like this --

Peyton Manning SNL Skip

.

Funny series of commercials. I actually grinned out loud at just about all of them.

I liked this one (oops, back on topic...Happy birthday buddy!)

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PjvvHcakKEg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[GEORGIA DOMER]

Man ur worries at 18 are nowhere <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8mWW6kRITEY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>like mine

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

Happy Birthday to you. Man I loved those days and hope you enjoy it too. 18 is an age where you really start to learn about life. Enjoy being young and having the rest of your life to look forward to. You are in the fun time of your life for sure. Just remember to always think about the consequences of your decisions and actions, because they may effect your future, but have fun and live in the moment as best as you can. Again, Happy Birthday.

 

[BeauBenken]

Just want to thank everyone for the wishes and advice. I did have a great birthday so thank you all.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Did she...go out...with you?