Does this mean I am now "old"

I have to use feet and inches for heights of people because I can't seem to picture them in metric. Not sure why I'm quite happy doing heights of "things" in metric! I use metric weights for cooking but stones and pounds for people.

I still think in feet and inches and pounds and ounces, but can do the metric as well, it just doesn't come naturally to the mind.

I am pretty good with metric units because in the job I had before my DC were born I was constantly needing to make conversions between short, long and metric tons. I had all the conversion figures at my finger tips. So much so when DS was born and they gave me his weight in imperial and metric units, I knew immediately that one of the figures was wrong. So, there I was my first child just born and in my arms after a long and exhausting labour and all I could think about was the mistake in the conversion and wishing I had my slide rule with me as I felt too tired to work it out in my head.

Having said all that, I still prefer to work in imperial units. For me imperial units have an immediate tangible weight, length or volume, while metric measurements are purely of the mind and just do not have a 'feel' to them.

Well now, the other day I was out shopping and since my hip operation I have always had a walking stick, my confidence is not good. I was waiting to cross the road, walking stick in one hand shopping in the other, when a kind motorist waited at the junction and ushered me across - I waved my walking stick at him in acknowledgement - How could I, that is what old ladies do!

christinefrance - Wallpapering exercise books prevented &/or covered up doodles (guilty as charged ) or graffiti (Me?! Never!!)

I was looking at some trousers in M and S debating whether to buy another pair the same as the ones I was wearing. A woman, who I took to be about my age, was looking at them too. "Oh," I said helpfully "these are lovely to wear and wash really well". To which she replied "Thank you, I am thinking of buying some for my mother!" Now that made me feel old.........and I'm only 68

Yes, the exercise books were useful for working out. I remember having to cover school books in old wall paper why ?

I'm (reasonably) confident with both metric & Imperial measures; American cups are a bit though.

Does any one else remember the coloured covers of some school exercise books which on the back page had a whole raft of multiplication and conversion tables, including apothecary measures? Always fascinated me.

Metric to Imperial - I know that 30cms = 12 inches.
Therefore 15cms = 6inches.
Therefore 60cms = 24 inches.
100cms = 39 inches.
2.5 cms = 1 inch.

As long as I know these, it's enough to give me a a near enough conversion.

Yes JackyB I know - we just got into a conversation about metric measurements as opposed to imperial.

Neither rods, poles nor perches would be used to measure milk!

I have lived in Europe for over 40 years but still can't think in metric when it comes to people's heights - not even my own.

I have worked in metric since going to secondary school in 1962, as it was encouraged. And I thought the converting from 'rods, pound and inches' was very good for mental agility!

However, my 'old' moment was watching 'Nashville' only a couple of weeks ago, when a singer said to Rayna "You're too young to know 'Wayfaring Stranger'"
"Nonsense" I said to those in the room (all but one younger than me) "Everyone knows 'Wayfaring Stranger'"
Cue sympathetic looks......and some pointing out that they only knew it because of me!

I still work in pounds and ounces and feet and inches. Now that I have technology at my fingertips I am beginning to work in other measurements though. Just last month I bought a set of American cups as I was fed up of trying to convert recipes from cups to ounces. I never use centimetres though.

If you think in lbs and oz and feet / inches, then yes !!!!