- Joined
- Jan 17, 2019
- Messages
- 774
The last few times I’ve gone out on my own at night I’ve really struggled to engage with anyone. The reason is that I feel like a total outsider. For reference, I’m 27 and a minority (Don’t worry, I’m not going to blame that on anything, I know better than that). But I struggle with it, because when I go out, I hardly see anyone like me, just groups of guys and girls in their late teens/early 20s. For reference, where I live (Australia), the legal age to start going out is 18 so I’m equivalent to a 30 year old in US terms.
I find it difficult to break in to groups – when I try to engage groups in conversation, I get polite conversation but generally get dismissed. They all seem to be having a great time together. The guys (who are 5 – 9 years younger than me) are generally more physically attractive than me (or so I think) and have more relationship experience to boot (I met a 19 year old on Friday night out on his own that just got out of a two year relationship).
It’s constantly in the back of my mind that I don’t belong and that they’re all thinking the same thing. I just feel like I’ve already veered into “ordinary older man” territory and that terrifies me.
How do you guys deal with feelings like this? How do you break in to these younger groups when you’re an outsider like this and don’t have that proven experience?
Should I just cut my losses and try to find venues with an older clientele and leave the 18/19 year old crowd behind for good because I already failed over the last 9 years?
I find it difficult to break in to groups – when I try to engage groups in conversation, I get polite conversation but generally get dismissed. They all seem to be having a great time together. The guys (who are 5 – 9 years younger than me) are generally more physically attractive than me (or so I think) and have more relationship experience to boot (I met a 19 year old on Friday night out on his own that just got out of a two year relationship).
It’s constantly in the back of my mind that I don’t belong and that they’re all thinking the same thing. I just feel like I’ve already veered into “ordinary older man” territory and that terrifies me.
How do you guys deal with feelings like this? How do you break in to these younger groups when you’re an outsider like this and don’t have that proven experience?
Should I just cut my losses and try to find venues with an older clientele and leave the 18/19 year old crowd behind for good because I already failed over the last 9 years?