Is it normal to resent young(er) people?

I guess that wasn’t very clear. What I’m wondering is if my feelings are strictly my own, or those of lots of other people. I turned 49 in June. So I’m right on that curve of about-to-be-50. And lately, I just find myself resenting the shit out of 20-somethings. I’m not really sure if I know WHY I’m resenting them, although I can recite many incidental reasons why.

I’m sure some of it has to do with the fact that I envy the youthfulness itself, the tight skin, the wrinkle-less eyes, the believing the world is your oyster, the whole “I can conquer anything” feeling. I miss those things. Add to that the fact that I look at these kids and a lot of them just seem so stupid. They can barely read and write and, yet, they’re the hottest things going. Certain kids strut around just waiting for someone to tell them how “awesome” they are for performing the most miniscule tasks, like spelling their names correctly or filling out a form in accordance with the detailed instructions.

I guess a lot of it is that, at my age, I now know that the world is NOT my oyster, nor will I be conquering any part of it soon. I missed that boat. I blew it. I learned that love usually doesn’t conquer all, and there’s not a knight on a white horse 99% of the time. Nobody is going to tell me I’m “special” for doing my job. It’s what I get paid for.

And the majority of my resentment is directed towards myself, more than I’ll ever admit to most people. I can’t help feeling like I missed something. Did I blink and get this old? WTF happened to my body? Why don’t my boobs stand up like that 21-year-old’s? Why don’t I feel that sense of entitlement? Why don’t I assume I’m worth a $200K job? Did my parents not nurture me enough?

Sorry, I’m ranting. Have at it, Flutherites!