Holy cow, I'm the oldest person in this meeting

I don't know exactly when it started, but these days I regularly experience work meetings in which I am the oldest person in the room.

I find myself surrounded by young professionals – smart, talented professionals, mind you, but undeniably young – who never worked in an office without email. Who never had to fax press releases to journalists. Who never typed something on a green monochrome computer screen and sent it to a gigantic dot matrix printer shared by 60 people.

I really like my co-workers, but yikes, some are younger than the pair of gray sweatpants I have kept in my closet through six presidential administrations.

I knew this would eventually happen, of course, but I thought it would be more of a gradual thing. And maybe it has been gradual and I've simply not been paying close attention since 2003.

I remember being the young guy in the office back in the 90s. I was the one with the fresh ideas, I was the one explaining technology to the old folks, and I was the one experiencing all the young guy milestones (marriage, first house, first baby, etc.)

There's no reason I still can't be the one supplying fresh ideas and teaching technology to anyone who needs to learn it, but the young guy milestone days are without question well behind me.

Apart from the specter of ageism, there's nothing wrong with being among the most seasoned people in the office, either. You bring a perspective others lack. You have "been there, done that" experience that can help others avoid nasty pitfalls. And you apply lessons of history your team members simply haven't had the opportunity to learn quite yet.

Still, the first time you realize most people sitting at the desks around you are half your age, it's disconcerting. No one can explain why your company is suddenly hiring 12-year-olds. You lack common cultural touch points with them. You have kids who are almost as old as (and in some cases decidedly older than) them.

That's when you have to step back and say those inspiring words to yourself:

"I may be older, but I am just as creative, just as innovative, and just as valuable as anyone at this company. And man, my back hurts..."