I feel older than I am... and younger than I am....

I do online surveys for a couple companies - spend a few minutes answering a few questions about my buying habits, maybe watch an ad or two, and get a few bucks - nothing major, but it's the perfect activity for a cheapskate who looks to the internet to kill time.

I had one a few days ago for a product in a segment where advertising is traditionally aimed at teens, but a company was looking to make an entry targeted at adults like myself.

One of the questions was "I often feel younger than my actual age", while another was "I often feel older than my actual age". I found myself wanting to check "somewhat agree" for both, but figured it would probably make their database crash with it's absurdity.

But it depends what area of my life you ask me about. In some respects, I feel pretty mature, perhaps beyond my years. I bought my house at age 25 - which may not have been the best financial move, since I seem to have bought at the exact top of the market, but to me it at least suggests that I have some ability to save plan ahead. I got my MBA at 26. And I have a social life that is hardly more exciting than my parents, who regularly fall asleep at 9pm while reading from a 1958 edition of the World Book encyclopedia. Some of my hobbies - like going to yard sales and clipping coupons - are generally shared with the generation of people who buy Depends by the case.

But in some aspects, I feel like I'm younger than my age. I have a job where I can wear jeans and a t-shirt to work. I drive a bright yellow pickup truck with a custom bed cover(which is actually a pretty practical vehicle, and is paid off, but still doesn't exactly scream mature).

But most of all there is my love life, or lack of. I'm watching people my age - coworkers, friends, college buddies - getting married and having kids, and I don't seem to be getting any closer to that. I feel like I just can't seem to get to the next stage of life, and I can't seem to figure out how to change that. There are people years younger than me who are way ahead of me when it comes to the family life aspect of maturity.

So I guess marketers will not be able to figure me out, because I can't even figure myself out.