Tell Me What's Awesome About Being Your Age

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

There are bad things no matter what stage of life you are at, but I'd ideally like this thread to be about focusing on the positive. The negative always commands attention, you know? Why not look for something good?

Allowing people a voice to honestly answer a question IS good.

I didn't say anything about being dishonest.

Why don't you just ignore the posts you don't care for rather than telling them not to post it?

I just feel like people will be thinking "not only does my life SUCK right now but I'm not welcome to even express it in Kestra's thread because she doesn't want to read it."

 

[Amaris]

This really is a good idea for a thread, Kestra. Sometimes I get the feeling that being 32 is on the doorstep to retirement, where nothing good can work in my favor this day forward, but seeing people who are older than me (sometimes quite a bit older) and talking about the fun and freedom of it, it gives me a lot of hope that I still have a full life ahead.

Doorstep of retirement?! You'll laugh at this when you're 50 J.

At 32 you still have the time to do just about anything. Okay it's too late to be a pro-sports person or a ballet dancer but just about anything else is still open to you. Plenty of people abandon whatever they did in their 20's and start over in their 30's so it's not even a weird thing these days.

See? That's what I need to hear! So many people my age tell me it's "too late" to do many of the things I want to do, and while I'm generally an optimist, hear something enough and it starts to sink in.

The fun and freedom is really true, and it's a mindset. I guess most of us go through the years of trying to fit in and please people and then we just get to the end of that (Auntiehill said it eloquently in this thread). I am quite at peace with myself. I feel like I have achieved a great deal in my life though I have achieved absolutely nothing on paper. I no longer feel required to achieve "stuff".

True, mindset is everything. I spent the earlier part of my life sacrificing everything because it was something I thought I was supposed to do, and in the process, I started burning the candle at not only both ends, but had a nice little flame going right in the middle, too. I've since learned that's a terrible way to do things. My concern for the longest time was that I found out and changed directions "too late".

Holdfast's comments ring true too.. I've been quite poor in my life but now have financial stability and actual assets.

While I don't have any money now, I've never had a problem getting money or making money when things hit the fan, and I'm good at managing it. I figure once I firmly establish myself, the money will follow.

A few years back I made a New Year's resolutions list (the first ever) and the main thing on it was to pursue my core interests in life and to drop anything I was doing out of some social or gender generated obligation. This completely changed my focus, has had a hugely positive influence on my family and freed me up from a whole lot of tedium. I stopped going to church which improved my life greatly (that's a whole 'nother topic, but connects to doing what you want and not what you feel obliged to do).

In that we're on the same page. One of the things I stopped doing was obliging people by always doing what they wanted to do, thinking how they wanted me to think, and I finally got tired of it, and started letting my own personality poke through. I don't just agree with everyone on everything anymore, and it does feel very good.

So really everything does improve in my experience.

I'm going to hold you to that.

 

[Misfit Toy]

I'm 51, and being the father of a 15 yr old boy is pretty damn cool. It's a lot better than I thought it would be.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

For a while, I missed the resilience of my younger years, but then I realised that resilience came from ignorant bliss, now I suffer things a little more, because I think more deeply about them, but I am able to overcome problems through knowledge rather than blind ignorance more often now.

Interesting. I find that I have become much more resilient over the years.

Liked your whole post, btw.

 

[sojourner]

I'm much more patient with people, but much less patient with "things".
I used to worry about becoming set in my ways. Now I enjoy being set in my ways.
I have learned that pain is bearable.
At my age I get joy out of simpler things each day, like sleeping the whole night through.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

This really is a good idea for a thread, Kestra. Sometimes I get the feeling that being 32 is on the doorstep to retirement, where nothing good can work in my favor this day forward, but seeing people who are older than me (sometimes quite a bit older) and talking about the fun and freedom of it, it gives me a lot of hope that I still have a full life ahead.

Doorstep of retirement?! You'll laugh at this when you're 50 J.

At 32 you still have the time to do just about anything. Okay it's too late to be a pro-sports person or a ballet dancer but just about anything else is still open to you. Plenty of people abandon whatever they did in their 20's and start over in their 30's so it's not even a weird thing these days.

See? That's what I need to hear! So many people my age tell me it's "too late" to do many of the things I want to do, and while I'm generally an optimist, hear something enough and it starts to sink in.

Sometimes people are talking about themselves because they don't feel that they could make such changes in their lives. I've always tended to be overly optimistic by nature though. If wanted to.. say, go to medical school I would rearrange my life and just do it. Sure I would be quite a lot older when I graduated in 8 years but I wouldn't be focused on that, I'd be remembering articles I had read about people getting their medical degrees at 80 or whatever. I'd be thinking up situations where being an older doctor was an asset.

True, mindset is everything. I spent the earlier part of my life sacrificing everything because it was something I thought I was supposed to do, and in the process, I started burning the candle at not only both ends, but had a nice little flame going right in the middle, too. I've since learned that's a terrible way to do things. My concern for the longest time was that I found out and changed directions "too late".

There is no way that it's too late to change direction. 32 is a great age to do it, you won't have any of the drama of being 10 years younger. You will also appreciate every opportunity and new element you choose to take on in a way that people don't when they haven't got perspective of a life without those things.

While I don't have any money now, I've never had a problem getting money or making money when things hit the fan, and I'm good at managing it. I figure once I firmly establish myself, the money will follow.

Yeah management is the key. I've had a couple friends who came into huge sums of money who simply couldn't or wouldn't manage it. If you know you can live intelligently and frugally it makes it easier to change directions like you are talking about. You haven't got a financial habit you don't want to give up of impulse living.

A few years back I made a New Year's resolutions list (the first ever) and the main thing on it was to pursue my core interests in life and to drop anything I was doing out of some social or gender generated obligation. This completely changed my focus, has had a hugely positive influence on my family and freed me up from a whole lot of tedium. I stopped going to church which improved my life greatly (that's a whole 'nother topic, but connects to doing what you want and not what you feel obliged to do).

In that we're on the same page. One of the things I stopped doing was obliging people by always doing what they wanted to do, thinking how they wanted me to think, and I finally got tired of it, and started letting my own personality poke through. I don't just agree with everyone on everything anymore, and it does feel very good.

Yeah it does. At one point though I did feel like I was on a roller coaster to who knows where because once I stopped letting social obligations direct my choices and personality it seemed like a whole lot of stuff changed rather dramatically internally as far as beliefs and values went. It turned out to be about a whole lot more than just how I spent my time.

 

[Mr Awe]

Well, I'm over 40 by a couple of years. I feel much younger, have far more knowledge, confidence, and way more money to do things the things I want. I look and feel great, and in great health.

So, right now , all the benefits of age and none of the drawbacks. I'm just not sure how long my good luck will last!

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

^Man, I'm 29, but I feel very different to how I was when I was 18!


On a related note, a study done about 5 years ago found that older people are happier than younger people. The interesting and charmingly funny part of the study was this detail: it was found that older people reported being happier than when they were younger, but that they tended to assume that they were the exception to the rule, and that most people became more unhappy as they aged. It seems the average person can look forward to growing happiness!

Interesting! That fits me to the T! It's reassuring that most people become happier with age!

Mr Awe

 

[Naira]

I am 27 (turning 28 in July). My one-word answer would be "confidence". I've always been confident in myself, but now this confidence feels more "solid" inside me.

My age is also awesome because you get to have new beginnings! Getting a new job, moving to a new city, starting a family, you name it! It never gets boring!

 

[Kemaiku]

I am 27 (turning 28 in July). My one-word answer would be "confidence". I've always been confident in myself, but now this confidence feels more "solid" inside me.

My age is also awesome because you get to have new beginnings! Getting a new job, moving to a new city, starting a family, you name it! It never gets boring!

Somewhat similar here, 27 and a half and heading for new accomodation, now job, taking up a couple of hobbies full time. Haven't felt this confident or settled about myself in years.

 

[Shanndee]

I consider myself a pretty insecure person overall but I was recently struck by how much self-confidence I've gained with age.

This. This, this, this. I'm 43, and am glad to be older. I'm happier, calmer and wiser (at least I hope so!) than I used to be. I feel much more free to just be who and what I am, and don't much care any more if people I don't much like don't like me, either.

Oh, I agree completely!! Life experience is the only thing that made me gain confidence, learn to really like myself, and be a really happy person. When all of this happens, the opinions of others becomes MUCH less important! ( I'm in my early 40's as well)

 

[ed629]

Can't wait until I get old enough to piss or shit my pants where people will think "Oh... I feel so bad for him, poor old man." instead of "Hahahahaha!!!! That dude just shit and pissed himself!!!! Hahahahaha!!!!"

 

[Lord Garth]

At 32, I have over a decade of adulthood experience that I can draw from that I didn't have when I was in my 20s.

I'm also age-discrimination proof being neither too young nor too old. Except when it comes to running for President. Not that I plan to do this, so it doesn't count.

 

[sidious618]

I'm 22, about to turn 23, and I feel like my life is going in an upward direction. One of my students, a high schooler, made offhand mention that people tell her high school will be the best years of her life. I told her that was far from the case. Life should go in an upward direction, give or take a few downturns which is all part of the experience, until you're much older and then able to look back satisfied.

 

[ed629]

I'm 22, about to turn 23, and I feel like my life is going in an upward direction. One of my students, a high schooler, made offhand mention that people tell her high school will be the best years of her life. I told her that was far from the case. Life should go in an upward direction, give or take a few downturns which is all part of the experience, until you're much older and then able to look back satisfied.

I never understood why people think that, how does being forced to attend an institution surrounded by others who don't want to be there, being told what to do, held to a schedule that doesn't change, expected to conform to some incredibly idiotic standards, classified into groups which are based on your appearance, and your parent's financial status equate into the best time of someone's life?

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm 22, about to turn 23, and I feel like my life is going in an upward direction. One of my students, a high schooler, made offhand mention that people tell her high school will be the best years of her life. I told her that was far from the case. Life should go in an upward direction, give or take a few downturns which is all part of the experience, until you're much older and then able to look back satisfied.

I never understood why people think that, how does being forced to attend an institution surrounded by others who don't want to be there, being told what to do, held to a schedule that doesn't change, expected to conform to some incredibly idiotic standards, classified into groups which are based on your appearance, and your parent's financial status equate into the best time of someone's life?

I loved high school. We didn't really have the stereotypical popular vs. unpopular thing. Everybody, for the most part, got along just fine. The star football players and cheerleaders were also on the math team and did volunteer work. I love going back home for the holidays and seeing old high school people. 10 years later, and I still probably relate to them better than anybody else I've met since.

That said, college is way more fun than high school, though it's also way more expensive and there's a lot more pressure to succeed.

I am currently 27, though, and while I loved high school and college, I am very happy with where I am. After meandering through various career attempts over the last few years, I finally have a job that I absolutely love. I have fantastic friends, though I don't see some of them as often as I'd like. Some people I know are getting married and having kids, which is great for them, but I am also confident enough in my own life that it doesn't bother me being single. I used to feel like a huge 3rd (or 5th, or 7th) wheel when hanging out with my coupled friends, but now I just enjoy being able to spend time with them. I know that if I want to pursue a relationship that I am an awesome-enough person to be successful, but right now I'm just enjoying my life.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Being a band geek got me through high school.

 

[Emher]

At soon to be 28 things are the best they've been since before I started elementary school. I've got a job in my dads company that I enjoy most of the time, that pays well. Even thought it's an hour based wage we have no shortage of work. I never have any trouble paying my rent, even thought certain things have kept me from doing any actual saving up.

I'm much more confident then I've been in a long time. In 7th grade I was sure I would not live to see 20, that I'd be dead either by own hand or by the hands of my tormentors. Now I take the day as it comes. I have some modest goals, but at the moment my main priority is getting myself in shape, something that I've sorely needed for the last 17 years. Other then that it's saving up for a used 4th gen Chevrolet Camaro to have as a summer/free time car. And I want to make a trip to at least New York in the near future, and a road trip trough the US is in the plans at some point as well.

My grandmother has Huntington's disease, and throughout the winter we've lived with the uncertainty of not knowing whether or not my mom and her siblings had it and thus perhaps me, my siblings and my cousins might have it. Last week we found out that not only did my mom not have, neither did her siblings. How's that for winning the genetic lottery? Also, last week my grandmother finally got moved to a proper care facility where they are equipped to handle her illness.

What I did during this winter was trying to stay positive about the whole thing, but obviously it was a huge weight off my shoulders when we got good news about it. But I did but some things onto a mental "if I do have Huntington's, this is what I must do ASAP" list. And that was a pretty good guide to what is important to me.

One of those things is my social status. And no, not the fact that I'm a geek in a small coastal town. My sister recently came home from Japan after 3½ years there and announced that she was engaged to Japanese man (great guy btw, talked with him on several occasions) and to that my cousin made the observation (if slightly jokingly) "What the hell is with everyone getting married?". One of our mutual friends got married last summer, next summer another one in the group is getting married as well, and now my sister. As single guys in our late 20s we felt a bit like the odd men out.

Get me right. I'm not much for marriage. But I don't enjoy being alone. In fact I long for a partner. So I'm trying, in my own way, to try and change that. To see if I can find someone to share my life with. Progress is slow, but as I get more confident about myself I hope that will change.


And that's the end of that halfway blog-post

 

[RandyS]

Being a band geek got me through high school.

Being in a wheelchair got me through high school.

 

[An Officer]

Interesting. I find that I have become much more resilient over the years.

I'm hoping this is just a blip of a handful of years, and that I will build resilience with time. I think it turned out that way for me because my early years were more difficult than my young adult years; and so, as life got easier, it wasn't as necessary for me to be so "tough" anymore. And I discovered, to my surprise, my ability to cope with difficult situations had diminished!

Liked your whole post, btw.

Thanks. I find myself enjoying yours quite often, also.