Signs that One Is Getting Old at 23:
1. Staying up all night is a difficult and painful task. The fun and excitement of an all-night party/study-session (we all know that study-sessions were never really for studying)/giggle-fest/etc loses way quickly to heavy eyelids, the desire to get up early in the morning, and an uncontrollable physical need to get in bed.
2. The cleanliness of one's home is an important and much discussed issue. One's self-worth is, in part, measured by one's ability to remain organized and tidy.
3. Crossword puzzles are more fun than nightclubs.
4. The discovery of the online Noam Chomsky archive is perhaps that most exciting event of the week (month? year?).
5. Computers are a fun, new world. Who knew that they could do such marvelous things?
6. Balanced meals are a priority. Attention is paid to vitamins, nutrients, fat, and cholesterol. Beans are voluntarily added as a compliment to any meal.
7. Bowel movements are openly discussed as indication of a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle, as opposed to the more youthful manner of discussing the subject, as in "Ugh...dude, somebody totally laid a gnarly egg over there."
8. Mr. Clean's lemon-scented wipes become an exciting addition to one's cleaning supplies.
9. In a cafe or restaurant, the shrieks and exclamations of hormone-crazy teenagers is so aggravating that one has had to leave on several occasions.
10. Fashion? Pop music? MTV? Nah... wearing last year's gear, listening to that Rolling Stones album, and the BBC sound much more appealing.