People I haven't seen in over 23 years look like they haven't aged at all

So I stopped back at a place I worked when I was young and was totally shocked to see 3 co-workers still there, still doing the same job and looking basically exactly the same as when I worked there. All 3 are women, one was about 40 and was a cook/manager, the other 2 were maybe mid 40's early 50's one is a bar tender the other is a waitress. All of them were heavy smokers and heavy drinkers when I worked there, I'm assuming they are the same from what I gathered from talking to some of the employees. When I saw my manager I said something about how I was amazed that she looked like she hadn't aged and she just kind of smiled/smirked and changed the topic.

Now I know that one of them had a teen age daughter who is now middle aged, just a little younger than I. There is also the owners son who looks like a clone of his father, same size/weight, height and looks of his father, especially at the same age. I've seem a lot of families who have children who look a lot like their parents, but few who look basically identical.

I've seen a lot of women where it is difficult to tell their age but when I have seen people who looked "rough" at mid age, often due to life style (working long hours at hard work, drinking, smoking and maybe drugs, IDK) they often don't age like a fine wine, at least from what I have seen. I don't think these are they type of people to have cosmetic surgery but they may dye their hair, but that doesn't account for the lack of aging that is seen.

Has anyone else ever noticed this, where people don't seem to age properly, other than celebrities? I've never come across any other people like this and to have 3 working together and another that looks basically like clone, I find very odd and the chances of that have to be astronomically low.

So I was wondering what could cause this, something in the water, or food? Maybe something like "witchcraft" (j/k kind of), access to some special skin care cream, etc. IDK what is the reason for this.

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
So I stopped back at a place I worked when I was young and was totally shocked to see 3 co-workers still there, still doing the same job and looking basically exactly the same as when I worked there. All 3 are women, one was about 40 and was a cook/manager, the other 2 were maybe mid 40's early 50's one is a bar tender the other is a waitress. All of them were heavy smokers and heavy drinkers when I worked there, I'm assuming they are the same from what I gathered from talking to some of the employees. When I saw my manager I said something about how I was amazed that she looked like she hadn't aged and she just kind of smiled/smirked and changed the topic.

Now I know that one of them had a teen age daughter who is now middle aged, just a little younger than I. There is also the owners son who looks like a clone of his father, same size/weight, height and looks of his father, especially at the same age. I've seem a lot of families who have children who look a lot like their parents, but few who look basically identical.

I've seen a lot of women where it is difficult to tell their age but when I have seen people who looked "rough" at mid age, often due to life style (working long hours at hard work, drinking, smoking and maybe drugs, IDK) they often don't age like a fine wine, at least from what I have seen. I don't think these are they type of people to have cosmetic surgery but they may dye their hair, but that doesn't account for the lack of aging that is seen.

Has anyone else ever noticed this, where people don't seem to age properly, other than celebrities? I've never come across any other people like this and to have 3 working together and another that looks basically like clone, I find very odd and the chances of that have to be astronomically low.

So I was wondering what could cause this, something in the water, or food? Maybe something like "witchcraft" (j/k kind of), access to some special skin care cream, etc. IDK what is the reason for this.

'Mirror is broken....! Ya still look swell!

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

It's mostly genetics, I believe. I too have friends like this, and other friends not so much.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Sounds like an episode of the Twilight zone.

Must have freaked you out, so they looked as if they did not age at all?

Where they still spry and moving about fine too?

I'm going with Genetics too.
My sister and I went to a family reunion this past weekend, of family we didn't really know. This lovely young woman was sitting with us while we ate. We had met her mom already. So, while making conversation, I asked how old she was. Mind you, I already figured 17, 18, as did my sister.
She was 30.
Yeah, both our jaws hit the floor.
Sure wish I got the genes from that side of the family!

originally posted by: Words
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

It's mostly genetics, I believe. I too have friends like this, and other friends not so much.

A lack of stress. Perhaps they have a good manager and are a happy team. I know self-employed businesses like hairdressers and property agencies are like that. They've no line manager, floor manager, department manager, technical director, executive board, holding company, shareholders and investors to demand that long-term roadmaps, project timetables, overheads are cut in order to boost share dividends.

originally posted by: atsgrounded
a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Sounds like an episode of the Twilight zone.

Must have freaked you out, so they looked as if they did not age at all?

Where they still spry and moving about fine too?

Yeah, it felt like the twilight zone. I was basically speechless when I saw my old manager and then when I saw the other employees I was real confused and freaked out a bit - I decided not to eat there and got out pretty quick - but came back when they weren't working and talked to some other co-workers.

Yeah, it was like I came back after a week off of work. After 23 years of working on the cook line over a hot grill (on feet 8-10 hours / day 50 hours / week, or working as a server for 23 years puts a lot of stress on they body, the knees, back, neck, etc. I know they all had worked for about 8-10 years at this place before I started, so that is about 30 years doing these jobs, and they don't show the signs of wear/tear, which is totally unrealistic if you know anything about working at a busy restaurant and how much a toll it takes on your body, it's almost like working construction due to the fast pace of having to keep up with customers.

Add in heavy drinking & smoking (and the unhealthy food at the place), how can these people look like this? I don't recall any of them ever being into fitness in the least bit either.

I'M NOT SAYING IT'S ALIENS















BUT IT'S ALIENS

(It just doesn't have the same effect without the picture.)

A lot of it is to do with perception.

You said you were "Young" when you worked there, How young? 5yo, 10yo, 18yo?

And how many years are we talking?

Remember, when you are a teenager, say 15-18yo, anyone over 21 looks Old!!

If the Ladies are only in there 40s and 50s, and you know them when they were in their 20s and 30s.....they really wouldnt have aged much....as per your "Perception"...because when you knew them when they were 20ish...they were already "Old" if you were a teen.

Now that You are getting older, you assume everyone else to be Mmmmuch older looking.....but that is not the way it works.

I saw an ex-fiance at a funeral that I hadnt seen for 25+ years....she looked the same (and still wont talk to me).
I saw her mother at the same place, her mother was grey haired, short and sort of wrinkled at 65yo when I first knew her, she was 90yo at the funeral and looked the same (now RIP).

Moisturiser, Hair dye, not getting fat, Vitamin pills, all help in keeping younger......Well works for me anyway .

I still look the same as I did at 35....but with less hair!!

originally posted by: chiefsmom
I'm going with Genetics too.
My sister and I went to a family reunion this past weekend, of family we didn't really know. This lovely young woman was sitting with us while we ate. We had met her mom already. So, while making conversation, I asked how old she was. Mind you, I already figured 17, 18, as did my sister.
She was 30.
Yeah, both our jaws hit the floor.
Sure wish I got the genes from that side of the family!

Yeah but when you are 35-40 and look 45 and are a heavy drinker, smoker, over-weight and work long hours at a tough job, genetics aren't going to make you look the same age for 23 years, especially when you already look older than your age at middle age.

Sure, some people have good genes, but that usually works over the coarse of their lives it doesn't just kick in at a specific age, and it doesn't happen identically to 3 people working at the same small restaurant. I guess these 3 people are just randomly blessed with genes that stop aging at middle age and gives a 20-30 year "non-aging window".

I'm thinking androids, lol

I've been thinking the opposite. So many people younger than me, look so friggen old

I've always noticed that. Even when my son was getting in trouble at high school, and I'd go there, and see the other kids' parents, many of them looked like they were almost born old.

I think some people think they're supposed to be a certain way, at a certain age, and then they get old fast...

I agree that perception can be a major issue in cases like this, but I grew up with a lot of people in a wide variety of ages up to 95 years old, from my MANY teachers, neighbors, co-workers, customers, friends, family, classmates, etc that was a very large group of people to learn to differentiate ages. I can assure you that I didn't have a misconeption of their age when I worked 10-12 hours a day with them (when in high school).

The problem with this forum, and maybe society in general, is that when people report stuff like this, it gets brushed off as "genes" or "perception", because that is what we have been trained to think as the only possible options in the TINY box we've been put in. Now if it was one person, I would say it could have been perception, but 3 people, that is a bit different.

I don't know the explanation but I have to say that I certainly don't think it explained by genes or perception.

Screw the way people look, that's why I love people, they're all different,

what is not becoming different / varied is the WAY PEOPLE ACT!

What The Holy Hell Has Happened? ( mind you, I'm only in my late 30s )

But people have becomingly gotten less empathetic while becoming more vocal towards people's freedoms... ( somehow )

Less tolerant towards people's opinions but more opinionated

Less knowledgeable while voicing for change more

All falls inside this lack of empathy / listening / trying to learn while teaching motif

I'm almost 54 and anyone younger than me me looks way younger to me. But then, I see others that look older , like my high school class mates, that look why older than me. Anyone 70 or older look older.

I aged alot due to being a hard drinker because of an unhappy marriage and stressfull work enviroment

It's your perception. I still feel like I'm in my 30's , but my body tells me differently.

I wear my age like a badge of honor. I have earned it. I have also gained wisdom and could care less what a person looks like.

It's what is inside that counts. Inner beauty is so much more than outer beauty.

For myself I look younger, probably due to not over tanning(well, not able to really tan) and don't drink or smoke cigs. I don't have gray hair, or at least that can be seen in contrast with the blond strands, being in my 30s while others have-lucked out on that. Lately I've seen the same with family, most still look very young. I believe a lot of people are quitting smoking, things that make them age faster, etc., now days, also weighing more(as weight averages have gone up)fills out the face, making one look younger. Older looking or not family and friends they still matter more than looks.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof

When I wear makeup and fix my hair I can pass for much younger than my actual age, and even without doing those things I look much younger than most of the people I grew up with despite several decades of hard drug and alcohol use- and I still smoke as well. It comes down to hitting the gene pool lottery- some of us were blessed while the rest were not as fortunate. Heck, my mother looks younger than most of the people I grew up with too- and she was no saint either!

a reply to: DigginFoTroof


Sunscreen & outer space

Just turned 26, If i shave my beard off I look exactly the same as when I was 16. Baby faces will do that!

It's good genes, man, it's good genes. Some people I haven't seen in 20 years/since my teens look like a mack truck ran over them multiple times. Others look half their age still. It's just the genes lottery, some win big time, other lose. By a lot.

originally posted by: ProspectPhilosopher
Just turned 26, If i shave my beard off I look exactly the same as when I was 16. Baby faces will do that!

My husband's the same way at 47. If he shaves, he looks like he's not even old enough to drink