Why Emoticons Make Me Feel Old: Mommy is NOT Cool, Kids :-(

I always thought I was cool enough to hang with everyone else, even people 10-15 years younger than me. Well, my coolness theory was busted wide open a few weeks ago when I saw a glossary of emoticons online. It's not the animated emoticons, just the simple text ones you can make with parenthesis and symbols. You know, modern day hieroglyphics. I looked through it and realized I knew two of them, Smiley Face and Wink Face. Seriously? How sad is that?

See the emoticon glossary in Emoticons for Dummies: Skip the Fail Face and Get Smiley Face!

Wait, there's an emoticon for "cat" with cute little whiskers? There's one for baby and coffee? Why didn't I know this. Is it because I'm no longer a geeky teenager or is it because I'm old and totally "not with it." And using the term "not with it" should really prove just how uncool I am these days.

My impending old age is no longer years and years away. Remember when you were a kid and 30 seemed like grandma status? Well, I'm on the verge of being 10 years older than grandma status. Does that make me a great grandma? My sad emoticon fail made me wear a Fail Face :& in disgust. Maybe I should just trade in my BlackBerry for a pair of knitting needles and start wearing slippers around the house in 100 degree weather.

What has happened to you recently to make you think your "cool" days are over?