CarlysVinyls
- Feb 10, 2020
- 5 min read

Why I'm proud to be an "Old Soul" in my early 20's

Has anyone ever referred to you as an "Old Soul"?

I thought it was bad enough that everyone told me I looked exactly like my dad, but to also be told I was an "Old Soul" made me feel destined to be a Grandma at the ripe ol’ age of 9.

"You're an Old Soul honey" Yeah sure thanks? Kinda rude considering I'm 9. No way was I'm an "Old Soul" thank ya very much...

It wasn't until recently, that I thought about actually trying to understand what being an “Old Soul” meant. There are lengthy as hell definitions all over Google. Getting into: you have to like this & dislike that to be classified as a TRUE Old Soul. There are actually QUIZZES you can take to see what scale of Old Soul you are. Who's writing these rules and creating these quizzes? An old person?

But anywho, here is the first definition of Old Soul you'll find on Google:

"Old Souls have no interest in things that can break or be taken away from them. They focus on irreplaceable things that bring them lasting fulfillment and joy, not just temporary pleasure. Anything that is short-lived, it's likely that an old soul will not care for it." (learningmind.com)

HOLD UP. Here I am thinking that an Old Soul meant I enjoyed old music and movies. But now we're getting crazy. What does "temporary pleasure" have to do with being old? How do I know if I act like this? Urban Dictionary will have to help me out here:

"An Old Soul is someone who has a greater appreciation and understanding of things that might be dismissed by others their age. An Old Soul would have a different taste in things than the mainstream media. They are often wise beyond their age or appearance."

Thank you Urban Dictionary this is now starting to make more sense! With this definition, I've started to see how I may relate to the term. With a strong interest in things like Vinyl Records, Vintage Shops, Thrift Stores, Artists from generations ago, Old Music, Musicals and Movies PLUS not having interest in certain mainstream music and media that there's so much hype about with friends and people my age... I see the connection here.

But I'm wondering is this really a good thing or more of a set-back?

It is said that only 10% of the population are considered Old Souls. So what are the benefits of being part of this 10%?

After reading through a ton of different articles, picking up some pointers, and seeing what I relate to, I think I've got a hold on this thing and I'd like to highlight the benefits of it. I've found the general attributes of an Old Soul that I do have. And despite my 9 year old thoughts, I've come to the realization that I am an Old Soul and here are some reasons WHY according to the definition:

1. I've stood out So this can be a good or bad thing. This is WHY I feel I’ve stood out since I was young and with personal (somewhat embarrassing) examples:

In middle school, when all my friends were dressing up as cute little Disney characters or fluffy animals for our Halloween Dance, I decided to dress up as a McDonald's French Fry. See photo LOL. I think that this was probably my first instance of realizing "I'm not like the others"

BUT IT DON'T END THERE. In high school, when all my friends were playing Basketball and Lacrosse, I decided I wanted to be a part of Theater Guild. Not that there is anything wrong with this, it's just not what I was influenced by so to me it was being different.

When I got to college and everyone started picking their major from a long list of majors, I decided to create my own major because I couldn't see exactly what I wanted to do on that long list of things to do...

When everyone I knew was studying abroad in Florence, Italy I decided to take a chance on a lesser-known school in the small town of Sorrento, Italy.

(Def no regrets with that one!) But the list goes on. The point is, each and every one of these few examples are choices I've made in a way that made me "stand out". However these referenced examples have resulted in some of the best decisions of my life. Here's why:

The French Fry costume which I'll admit is still pretty embarrassing to look back on, resulted in me winning the Best Halloween Costume Award of the night! Not that I brag about this on the daily, BUT I made this a more memorable day for myself and now I can look back and recall the event with more of a vivid memory. And maybe @McDonald's can sponsor me??? 😊

Performing in musicals such as "Anything Goes" and "Kismet" became the highlight of my high school career. Performing took me completely out of my comfort zone, forced me into voice lessons, and showed me the passion I had for music. I dedicated so much time to the shows after school, and lived the dream performing at night! It's something I'll never forget OR regret.

Jump ahead to college and designing my own major. This is another decision that resulted in the best educational choices for me. With this decision I actually enjoyed my classes, became eager to learn, and was more involved in my college community & inspiring students to follow their true passion as well.

And studying abroad in a small seaside town in Italy, instead of a tourist-drawn city was a magical experience. I got to connect with locals, practice Italian, and live a true authentic Italian Lifestyle- SALUTE!!!!

So all in all, I believe that I coincidentally continue to stand out because my past has proven to me that standing out puts me in the best position for myself and my life.

2. I've learned from the past

It is said that:

"Old souls may have a sense of carrying the baggage of a previous life".

Growing up, I feel as though I may have had this mentality. I struggled with myself, aggression, hatred, and family issues. But today, I choose to learn from the past, learn from previous mistakes, and always be moving forward.

3. I've always had a thirst for knowledge and truth

I choose to learn every single day. Whether it's doing extra research at work, listening to a podcast, reading a book, attending a webinar, watching a tutorial video, reading an article etc. I feel like I'm always learning so much and that's something I've enjoyed since I was little.

4. I'm all "In with the old, and out with the new"

So yes there's the obvious facts: I like Vinyl Records, Record Players, Polaroid Cameras, listening to old music blah blah blah, but it's more than that. I tend to at first glance despise new technology. I've never spoken to Siri and Alexa can go **** herself are basically my feelings toward that :/ Also I've always preferred Vintage style over Modern. I enjoy simplicity and am less of a materialistic person.

5. I'm a great listener I've always been more of a listener than a talker, a writer than a speaker, a reader than a teacher. A lot of people would refer to me as being in my own little world. I didn't realize that this was a trait of an Old Soul. But now that I have, I've realized I can fully conclude

100%

without hesitation

or consideration

that I am a

rocking-chair sitting

book-reading

record-listening

hand-writing

Alexa-hating

classic-movie watching

old soul grandma

but maybe that's not so much of a bad thing after all😉