Unless you work in academia. In that case, meeting deadlines, writing papers, working nights and weekends is actually your bread and butter. And that's when it's good.
I'll tell you exactly what it means to me. I'm 31, married with a four year old. I can't watch The Sopranos or Beavis and Butt-Head any more. My teens and early twenties were the best time of my life and wathcing those shows are like hearing the song that reminds you of an old friend and depresses me about times gone by.
Beavis will always be a special part in my heat. My grandpa LOVED them. Watched every episode with him. Even last year when they came back he tivoed them and we watched them together first run.
I'm 31, and while I could complain, none of it's really to do with my age. I honestly think my best years are still ahead of me. There are things I want to accomplish, both short- and long-term, and I am on track to do them. My body's given me a little trouble over the past couple years, but nothing serious. I've just had to make better decisions about my health than I did in my 20s.
I'm 33. Gone are my 20's when I lived on my own. I was single. I could watch whatever I wanted. I could eat whenever or whatever I wanted. I could do whatever. I could dress whatever (I wasn't the best dresser back then). I had a young beagle in these days Ever since I got with my now wife, my warerobe was the first to go. My eating habits changed. My routine changed. Now, I'm married, working part time and in graduate school, applying for jobs, living with an graying beagle and a young cat. I'm looking forward to when we have kids. Honestly, I may think about my bachelor's days. But I remember how boring it was. I miss my first college days, but I wouldn't want to do it all over. For those who haven't hit 25, don't talk like you are getting old. You aren't that far removed from your teenage years.
I'm glad that some of the things I've wished for didn't happen and some things that have happened were completely unlooked for. I'm 45 and have always been a late bloomer - I feel like I'm just hitting my stride. I would rather chew off one of my own limbs than be 20 again!
My 30's were a waste, with the exception of the birth of my third child. I mainly worked third shift and allowed my weight to shoot from 180 lbs. to 300 lbs. during that time. Now I have issues with high blood pressure and tachycardia. Now I'm 41 and decided I needed to change. I set myself up on a diet and started getting up and walking and exercising instead of sitting in my chair doing passive activities. Just this morning I was out running with our dog and my weight is down to 275. The Lose It! app is a great tool for tracking what your eating and has helped me immensely. So, like I learned the hard way, the quality of life as you age is largely in your hands.
I'm 30 myself, don't feel much different than when I was in my 20's, other than some more aches and pains. That and it takes me longer to wake up now . As for energy and stamina, never really had much of it, even when I was younger. Heck, I kind of envied those who did . So I wasn't much for gym class . Trying to work with what I do have though -- and appreciate each day that goes by . That's pretty much all that any of us can do in the end. Along with having a good sense of humor about life in general.
I'm 27, and for the first time ever I finally feel like I'm coming into my own. I have a feeling the future is going to be awesome.
J, so much of it is about attitude. Getting older makes most things harder, and some things impossible. But if you have the attitude that it's all hard work and dull moments ahead, you're not going to have energy and stamina. It's not just about hoping that your future will pick up, it's working to make that a reality. A lot of people here have mentioned health. We see that there are limitations, but it's something that you can still work on. I'm going through a really difficult phase of life right now and I'm making it a priority to do cardio every day. It gives me a boost in ways that nothing else would, and that's just for an hour of mindless running. I'm going to be 30 next year and part of me feels like I've wasted my life thus far and I want to wallow in my wasted youth. But the other part of me is like fuck it, I'm young, and I have a lot of good moments in front of me. I've just got to put in more effort to make them a reality.
I wouldn't mind having a twenty year old body (drum snare) but I certainly wouldn't want a twenty year old's life or friends. It's good to leave some of that stuff behind.
The importance of exercise really can't be stressed enough. It's incredible how just a small amount of exercise daily will increase your overall energy and stamina. It's hard to get started when you're not used to doing it, but after a week or two you will definitely start to notice a difference.
^^Agreed! I never bothered to take care of myself then and didn't appreciate sleep, sunscreen and exercise when I was 20. All in all I don't mind trading youth and skill for old age and treachery - or at least a better honed sense of self preservation!
It's overrated anyway. I'm 33, it's great. The only problem is that I feel sometimes very disconnected from the other people of the same generation. It's a question of ambition : they want to settle down, I feel too young to do that
I'm 26. Things are both better and worse than previous ages, mostly worse. I feel like this is a really terrible age, at least for me. I had some dark times as a teenager and wouldn't want to go back to that age (unless I could go back with the knowledge I have now), but I would want to relive my early twenties. Ages 19-23 were really the best, I had a lot of happiness and hope. From age 24 to now things really haven't been so great. Some things have improved, like I was unemployed for a year in a city that I don't like and I developed very bad anxiety issues about leaving the house, and now I have those issues under control and have been working full time in a job that I like. But other things in my life are still up in the air, or I don't like the direction they're going but I don't seem to have much control over the outcome. I'm very confused about what my future will be in just a few years, I have no idea what I even want it to be. I feel like I am two separate people wanting separate things inside one body. I go back and forth every day, hour, even minute on which future I want for myself. So really I feel this is a time of confusion, unhappiness, less time and energy, and lack of hope for my future. I can't even begin to imagine what my life will be like in 20 years. I imagine something amazing in my mind, but in reality I very much doubt I'll be any better off than I am now. I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, I'm just wondering, how is it way more rewarding? What are the rewarding parts? The only thing I can think of is being able to afford more things, but that feels empty. I feel like life is more difficult and has more responsibilities, but without any reward. I felt much more fulfilled, energetic, and happy before I had to work full time. I feel like I spend so much time and energy making a paycheck just to do it all again the next day. It is depressing to think this is what life is. And I don't even dislike my job, I enjoy the people and work, but it's still just that - work. It sucks up the time I'd like to use for personal growth and enjoyment. But homework was the best part. I miss being able to CHOOSE when I want to work on a project, instead of being told when my work hours are. Even though school was a lot of work, especially my graduate degree, it was nice to be the one in control of my time. I feel like there is such a lack of personal choice now; if I feel like I would be more productive in the evening today instead of at 8 AM, too bad, you come in at 8 AM regardless. On one hand I love structure (it appeals to my OCD tendencies), but on the other hand I feel like it leaves no time for myself.
I've just turned 42 but I still have a hard time reconciling that number with who I am, I certainly don't feel that mature. In many ways I prefer the age I am now, I'm certainly more comfortable with who I am than I was ten years ago, but damn I have lots more aches and pains than I used to so I guess aging is swings and roundabouts. I wish I'd had the drive I have now back when I was younger, I really did waste my twenties and a fair amount of my thirties!