When did we become the older generation?

This past New Years Eve I think I ended up going to bed at 9:30.  There was just no fun anymore.  Dick Clark is no longer with us so the Rockin' New Years Eve was just not the same.  Plus as much as I like Taylor Swift I just did not feel like staying up to see her.

The real kicker was on New Years Day a friend called and as she, my husband and I were talking she reminded me of the year we stayed up all night on New Years Eve partying at an REO Speedwagon concert and then finished the night going to a New Year's Eve party at the bowling alley in Bloomington.  We continued the holiday hanging out the John Mellencamp and about 200 of his friends (many of which were our friends).  Granted that was almost 30 years ago.   She is now retired from teaching and I am going to bed at 9:30 on New Years Eve.

So when did we become the old people?  I still feel young.  I have a smartphone and a Kindle Fire.  I "play Facebook" as one of my professors call it although I don't get Twitter.  In my mind I can still party all night yet my body seems to need at least 8 hours sleep each night.  What happened?   Is this how our parents felt as we were partying and making jokes about them going to bed at 9:30 on New Years Eve?

I have written quite a bit about how I like where I am in life right now.  Yes, my knees aren't what they used to be (just ask my students - they have heard much about my knees).  Yet I love the feelings of confidence and liking who I am right now.  I would not trade my current situation for the shy, under-confident young woman I was.  Still it would be nice to be able to "party all night" as I did when I was younger one more time. Hmmm, maybe that will be my goal for next New Years Eve.  Of course I will probably need at least 3 days afterward to recover.