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Thin Privilege
Jul 8, 2009
IM A STUPID MORON WITH AN UGLY FACE AND A BIG BUTT AND MY BUTT SMELLS AND I LIKE TO KISS MY OWN BUTT
Gravy Boat 2k
:corsair:

This year's the first year I've found a (3) legitimate wrinkles, and I haven't been carded for alcohol --ie they knew visually i was past the legal age.


Tell me what the gently caress you feel, especially if you're a woman.

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wilfredmerriweathr
Jul 11, 2005
I'm a dude. Getting old sucks, I got a beer belly even though I don't drink and I exercise everyday. I'm tired by 9pm and my idea of a good time is staying in and reading a book or watching netflix with my gf.

At least I don't need prostate exams... yet.

AlbieQuirky
Oct 9, 2012

Just me and my 🌊dragon🐉 hanging out
It's way better than the alternative. Also, I know more stuff, and I'm learning to be less of an rear end in a top hat.

Downsides: creaky joints, perimenopause, the feeling of "oh, gently caress, I just can't" when fashions in clothing/music/writing/art that you had been glad to see die decades ago come lurching from the grave.

Edited to add my age: soon to be 50.

AlbieQuirky fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Sep 5, 2014

Mithra6
Jan 24, 2006

Elvis is dead, Sinatra is dead, and me I feel also not so good.
I don't know what old means here, but I'm 44, so I'm older than most goons.

For me I'm just sore more. I've actually lost 40 pounds over the last 2 years, so whatever beer belly I had is gone. I'm feeling better now than I did a few years ago.

Mentally I still feel like I'm 16. A wise 16 year old, but still 16. I'm an immature motherfucker.

Basically I'm just sore more.

Chupe Raho Aurat
Jun 22, 2011

by Lowtax
The biggest change I noticed was the loss of "power"

My kids school put up a 6 foot fence to keep out prowlers and when I saw it I was all "Pfft, that's barely going to slow someone down, I all but flew over fences like that when I was a rebellious teen". Then a few weeks later I was required to take a short cut through the school.

gently caress drat was it an effort.. My body didn't respond as fast, I seem to be heavier, I could not generate enough power to scamper up with ease, and jumping down resulted in a huge impact that nearly folded me at the knees.

Past 30 everything sucks, especially if you were not sporty as a younger man.

Mortley
Jan 18, 2005

aux tep unt rep uni ovi

AlbieQuirky posted:

... Also, I know more stuff, and I'm learning to be less of an rear end in a top hat....

What's the stuff you learned past 25 that made you a better person?

BarqueCat
Oct 1, 2001

Mortley posted:

What's the stuff you learned past 25 that made you a better person?

When to take a stand or make a big deal out of something and when to let it go. Everything used to be a challenge. When I was right EVERYONE had to know it. I am too lazy for that crap now.

I would like to say that I've learned patience and tolerance. No. I've learned how to avoid or remove myself from situations I don't want to deal with.

AlbieQuirky
Oct 9, 2012

Just me and my 🌊dragon🐉 hanging out

Mortley posted:

What's the stuff you learned past 25 that made you a better person?

BarqueCat hit on one of my big ones already. Some other things I've learned are how to listen better, how to keep myself from catastrophizing when things go wrong, and how to be less self-conscious. My capacity for patience has gone from mayfly to Galapagos tortoise.

In terms of practical skills, I've learned how to cook, how to travel comfortably and efficiently on a budget, and a lot of stuff about home repair and gardening. And bartending/booze-selecting skills, which I was sorely lacking in younger years.

NarwhalParty
Jul 23, 2010
I wouldn't really consider myself "old" but I work with tons of college students, so they see me as ancient. I get called old by them on a daily basis.

My metabolism has slowed and I have to work much, much harder just to maintain my weight. I find myself splurging on wrinkle creams and fussing at my skin. I've just spent the last half hour researching exercises to get rid of that old person turkey neck. The thing that makes me feel oldest is trying to learn new technology. I don't understand how to use Twitter at all and I feel too embarrassed to ask anyone. Seeing stupid teenager fads makes me want to scream and dumb kid shows and toys make me want to pull my hair out even though I realize I liked equally expensive/stupid things at that age.

There are some great parts to getting older, like being financially independent. Sure, my wants have definitely changed since I've gotten older. I would prefer stuff "for the house" rather than things only I would use. Also, the freedom is nice. I have eaten icecream for dinner and had Christmas a week early just because I could.

ZoneManagement
Sep 25, 2005
Forgive me father for I have sinned
I think you should be required to state your age here. 37. Like Mithra, sore. Or stiff. But I'm in decent shape, especially for my age. I easily pass for lates 20s, constantly, and people are shocked my kids are mid teens. Younger goons, hang out in YLLS and the birth control thread. Live there. I'm still a largely hosed up person, but now I'm aware of it and attempt to correct it. Time is also a shocker. Things from 5 years ago are still new to me; at 20 that would be ancient history, five whole years.
I didn't buy a PS4, and not cause I'm broke, but because my PS3 is a DVD (not blue ray) an netflix machine.
The passing for late 20s thing seems great, too, and it's got it's good points, but when you chiefly attract 20 somethings, and you're past that confused 20 something state...But poo poo there's a confused 30 something state, too.
I guess by the time you figure it all out life's over.

Dr Scoofles
Dec 6, 2004

I'm a 31 year old woman and I'm starting to get more and more grey hairs coming through and the odd wrinkle. I don't care so much about it though, I won't dye my hair and the idea of buying anti ageing products is laughable to me because I see no shame in getting older and feel no horror at the prospect of ageing. Being young or returning to my youth is not for me. The lumps and bumps and lines you get along the way are who you are, don't worry about it. I also just finished doing a bachelors degree at university and was also surrounded by young people. I loved their sense of humour and think they're really sweet whilst at the same time hilariously rude. I found their fads and fashions to be a bit weird. Poofy messy hair and teensy hotpants are all in apparently, and it looks like 90's fashion is coming back because I saw one kid wearing denim on denim with those little round shaped Lara Croft shades on. I also felt a bit old when I saw one student wearing a Jurassic Park T-shirt and it dawned on me that kid wasn't even born when the film came out.

I get sore and stiff too, I had an accident a few years back and now I get aches in my legs and hip when the weather is bad. I thought that was something old people made up, now I'm the one experiencing it. I prefer to stay in and relax at home and when I do go out with my mates we have dinner and go to a pub rather than a bar or club. My best friend and I get together and bake cakes and drink tea constantly and we gossip about old lady poo poo like handy crafts and who is going to win the Great British Bakeoff. I get up super loving early to walk my dogs because I love being out in the country when the sun comes up and the mist is still on the ground, but then I go to bed kinda early too and read for ages in my giant nest of pillows and duvets.

I'm pretty comfortable, I launched my own business this year and my husband and I are off to Japan and Korea next week to have a sweet holiday and eat a ton of food. We have our own house and I love planning the next decorating project. I sew a lot, cook a lot, read a ton and am massively into Medieval literature and Roman history. All in all I'm a boring fart who is starting to go grey and bakes cakes at the weekends...and I love it.

30 Goddamned Dicks
Sep 8, 2010

I will leave you to flounder in your cesspool of primeval soup, you sad, lonely, little cowards.
Fun Shoe
31 here. I have worked out the aspects of myself that I didn't like (anxiety, eating disorder, impatience, stuff like that) so I can say that I am truly happy with who I am now. I also give no shits what anyone else thinks, which is great.

I listen more and find it much easier to defer to someone else's knowledge. I don't have to be right all the time. I also know exactly when I know the answer for something and where the boundaries of my knowledge are, which makes working in a professional environment much easier.

I take my health much more seriously than when I was younger- lost a bunch of weight, go to the gym everyday, eat my veggies, 8 hours of sleep a night, that kinda thing. I am no longer immortal, so I take as good care of myself as I can.

I like getting up early in the morning and going to bed earlier. I can't stay up late or drink like I used to, and hangovers are 10x worse now.

Basically getting older has been pretty much a total net positive so far, it's kinda fun and I'm looking forward to a decade from now and finding out how much different things will be.

HisMajestyBOB
Oct 21, 2010


College Slice
I'm 29, so still young, but older than many of my peers at grad school and my coworkers at my former job. I'm also balding, which makes me look older than I am to some. I started balding in my early twenties and it really stressed me out then, but over time I accepted it and it's been much better for me.

I've found that it's much harder to stay up late past midnight, and when I do I feel it more the next day, especially if drinking is involved. Waking up earlier is much easier and more comfortable.

I've started paying more attention to my health, too. I always liked running, but I'm running more and training myself for my first 10k run later this year, with the goal of eventually running a marathon next year. I feel it's never too late to start exercising and improving your health, and while I'll never be as athletic as someone younger, I can still improve myself.

On the plus side, I feel like I get treated with more respect and those younger than me seem to listen carefully when I'm giving advice or something. I get "sir" a lot, but with more respect than before. It feels really weird, to be honest, but I suppose I'll get used to it.

I've become much more patient, too, although working as a teacher has certainly contributed a lot to this, so it's not just age. I also have much more self-confidence, and I don't care nearly as much about what others think about me than I did before.

Overall I'm looking forward to getting older. As long as you don't let yourself stagnate, aging isn't something to be afraid of.

HisMajestyBOB fucked around with this message at 17:13 on Sep 5, 2014

Esmerelda
Dec 1, 2009
I'm a woman who turned 40 this year. I like 40, it's pretty cool. How do I feel about getting older? Pretty drat good, actually.

Yeah, gray hair, whatever, I've had that since I was 25. My only complaint about it is that I got the salt n' pepper gray of my dad's family. I was hoping for the pure white of my mom's. Wrinkles will happen when they happen, I'm not exactly worried about them because it isn't like fretting about them stops them from ever happening. Sunscreen does help them from happening early, though - seriously, wear sunscreen. Physically I'm actually in better shape than I was 10 years ago and find more enjoyment in being active than I used to. I think having the freedom financially to join a gym, go out into the forest or wherever I decide I want to go has helped keep me healthy.

I think the biggest plus of getting older is that you have enough times in your past where you've failed that it makes failure not a scary thing anymore. Everyone fails. It's what you take away from that experience that matters. Now I'm far less likely to turn away from something that I don't think I can do because success or failure I've still learned something. It may not be a huge life-changing lesson or anything but it's knowledge I didn't possess before. And I like that I can put that knowledge into context that is constructive for me. That is something I couldn't do at 25.

I'm not nearly as self-conscious as I was when I was younger and I really don't feel the need to justify my likes and interests to people. I've learned to pick my battles and, in doing so, don't pick them often at all. I don't need to be right all the time. I don't need to win everything. Walking away isn't giving up and, even if it is, there's not necessarily anything wrong with that. My relationships are better and much less stressful - with my family and my husband - than when I was younger. Mostly because of everything else I've written. I've relaxed emotionally over the years and it feels really, really good not to be caught up in a lot of the stuff that was common in my 20's. Especially the catastrophizing that was mentioned earlier, I really don't miss that!

My late grandmother never stopped learning and never settled for a life that she did not enjoy and never lost the ability to laugh at herself. She's my role model as far as aging goes. So far I think she'd be pretty okay with how I'm doing, though she'd make fun of my hair cut.

adorai
Nov 2, 2002

10/27/04 Never forget
Grimey Drawer
I'm 34, and so far I like my 30s. I might have a few wrinkles, and a lot of gray hairs, but outside of sports, pretty much everything in life seems easier.

Darth Freddy
Feb 6, 2007

An Emperor's slightest dislike is transmitted to those who serve him, and there it is amplified into rage.
Turned 30 this year and I feel....ok? It sounds cliche but you are only as old as you feel, at least to a point. I still go work out, play sports have sex with random strangers my wife. Big thing I have noticed is I am a lot more concerned about my health, had a physical at work and my blood pressure was at Prehypertension level and my cholesterol was extremely high.

No grey hairs but I have been balding since high school. Biggest thing I can think of since getting older my insomnia has gotten a hell of a lot worse. Early this year I started trying different medications for it and till it happened I had honestly forgotten what it was like to get a full nights sleep or to wake up the next day feeling rested.


Some one needs to get genesplicer in here and that old cop guy.

Edit. Its also strange to think that there are kids born today with no relevance to events like 9/11 or that some one born 1993-1996 can buy smokes, booze, guns or hunting license. Also Ghostbusters came out 30 years ago, I was born 30 years ago, I am as old as ghostbusters.

Darth Freddy fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Sep 6, 2014

Mortley
Jan 18, 2005

aux tep unt rep uni ovi

30 Goddamned Dicks posted:

31 here. I have worked out the aspects of myself that I didn't like (anxiety, eating disorder, impatience, stuff like that) so I can say that I am truly happy with who I am now. I also give no shits what anyone else thinks, which is great.

I listen more and find it much easier to defer to someone else's knowledge. I don't have to be right all the time. I also know exactly when I know the answer for something and where the boundaries of my knowledge are, which makes working in a professional environment much easier. ...

I feel like I'm (26yo) on the tipping point of what you're describing with regard to the anxiety and "knowing what I know". Y'all are giving me hope!

InterceptorV8
Mar 9, 2004

Loaded up and trucking.We gonna do what they say cant be done.
My reflexes are still sharp, but my vision isn't as good as it used to be. What really sucks is my dominant eye is going bad, so my body is switching dominant eyes. Oh well, nobody lives forever!

Sockmuppet
Aug 15, 2009

Mortley posted:

What's the stuff you learned past 25 that made you a better person?

The most important thing I've learned (and I learned that before I turned 25) is that everything will pass. No matter how insurmountable whatever obstacle or heartache you're facing seems at the moment, things will work themselves out. It's a great comfort that I draw on whenever I face a problem now, and I wish I could've somehow imparted that knowledge to my 16-19 year old self, who thought that a cheating boyfriend was the end of the world.

As for growing old, this is me: Student ID from 2003 vs 2014, this year, when I went back to school because I wanted a career change because my old job was difficult to combine with the kid I had last year.

So far I like growing "old" (I just turned 30), because I feel more relaxed and confident compared to my 20 year old self. Sure, I have a few more wrinkles, my skin isn't as firm everywhere as it used to be (though you have to be me or my husband to notice), and I've had a grand total of two grey hairs, the last of which I plucked from my head a year ago, and I haven't seen another since. Oh, and I get a hangover more easily, that's honestly the biggest age-related problem I've had.

For me, I feel that as long as you've accomplished something since your last birthday, turning a year older isn't a big deal. I'm sure I'll feel differently once I begin to sag and wilt and grey, but so far I'm generally happy with my process of aging. Having a baby has changed me more than growing old has, both physically and emotionally/mentally.

horribleslob
Nov 23, 2004
Eat proper, bike every day, create a sense of accomplishment, and don't do drugs (esp. alcohol.) You'll live a long healthy life.

cheekyvixen
Aug 19, 2014

JoeyJoJoJr Shabadoo posted:

:corsair:

This year's the first year I've found a (3) legitimate wrinkles, and I haven't been carded for alcohol --ie they knew visually i was past the legal age.


Tell me what the gently caress you feel, especially if you're a woman.

Didn't get carded for cigs (not for me) for the first time last week. I was really sad and slowly walked to my car and sat in it for a few minutes. Hit me hard in the feels :(

I'm 26. Getting laugh lines :(

Number Two Stunna
Nov 8, 2009

FUCK
I'm 25, which isn't too old, but sometimes I'll talk to someone and they'll be like "I don't remember *thing that I grew up with*" or mention something that I thought happened fairly recently, and be like "yeah, that was a big part of my childhood" and it's just weird.

InterceptorV8
Mar 9, 2004

Loaded up and trucking.We gonna do what they say cant be done.

Number Two Stunna posted:

I'm 25, which isn't too old, but sometimes I'll talk to someone and they'll be like "I don't remember *thing that I grew up with*" or mention something that I thought happened fairly recently, and be like "yeah, that was a big part of my childhood" and it's just weird.

My new (to me) daily driver pick-up is older than you.

Just FYI.

H.H
Oct 24, 2006

August is the Cruelest Month
29 year old here. I remember that the first time I felt not so young anymore was when Mark Zuckerberg became well known as a self-made billionaire, and he's a year younger than me.

Seems dumb as hell, I know, and I'm not expecting to strike it rich, but it just showed me that I'm not a kid anymore and that people my age are starting to really accomplish stuff.

Other than that, there are the usual stuff: a beer belly (though that's mostly the result of medication, and I lost some of the weight this past year) and a receding hairline. When my friends first pointed this out I freaked out, but I've learnt to accept it and I'm pretty comfortable with it now. My grandfather became pretty much bald in his 30s, and I understand I'll be the same way.

Honestly, I think the biggest worry is what I will accomplish by 30. I believe that in order to truly appreciate old (or relatively old) age one has to have a sense of accomplishment. In that respect I can think of a friend of mine who is turning 30 in a few months: he has a great wife, a child , a good job and he works out and is in great shape. This is what I aspire to be: a man that can look past signs of aging because I did something with my years.

What I'm saying is that it's not the number of years you've lived, but what you did with those years.

His Divine Shadow
Aug 7, 2000

I'm not a fascist. I'm a priest. Fascists dress up in black and tell people what to do.
33, male. Mostly I seem to be getting hairier, facial features developing lines. Eyes and ears are probably worse but I haven't noticed. I require less sleep, cannot sleep as long even if I wished to, my back starts hurting so even when I get to sleep in I am up around 9am. Physically I am in better shape than at 16.

GeorginaSpica
Oct 29, 2011
Female at halfway mark. I am more fit than I have ever been. Trained and completed two tough mudder events this year. Based on observation and conversations with people decades older than me, keep fit - exercise is a fountain of youth. Even if you get wrinkles and grey hair, being able to climb the monkey bars with your much much younger family members is great and the envy of many.

I was warned about many aging issues as I was growing up and to be honest, haven't found one of them to be facts for me. I was told things like 'after 40 no man will give you a second glance'. Bull. Keep fit and youthful of spirit and men of all ages will find you intriguing. Was recently at a friend's wedding (a co-worker half my age, we have same sense of humour) and I was dancing the night away. Had several come up later to compliment my dancing.

Things that do bother me - having to watch every drat morsel that goes into my mouth. To stay somewhat slim, cheat days are few and far between but one can still 'save' calories for that special meal.

Hot flashes - stay cool as best you can and they are tolerable. Not so nice to have sleep disturbed every night but if you can run a fan or ac while sleeping you should be fine. Unfortunately I am a light sleeper too. :(

Having others make assumptions about you based on their first impression of your age. This ties into finding new friends. When you are youthful at heart and fit, many of similar age can't keep up and those younger may need some time to realize that you aren't 'old'. I have friends of all ages. I hike with an 80 yr old. Run with a 29 yr old. Rally drive with a 35 yr old. And sit around having lovely dinners with my friends from high school who are no longer fit and that's about all they have the energy to do.

So keep fit, watch your weight and keep trying new things. :)

Liam Emsa
Aug 21, 2014

Oh, god. I think I'm falling.
I hate thinking the 90s was a decade ago.

Randler
Jan 3, 2013

ACER ET VEHEMENS BONAVIS

Liam Emsa posted:

I hate thinking the 90s was a decade ago.

I keep thinking the 90s were last decade, especially when listening to music. "Oh, this is from last decade. Probably only 4-5 years ago." Then I see the release date and no, that song is almost old enough to drive a car.

SSH IT ZOMBIE
Apr 19, 2003
No more blinkies! Yay!
College Slice
Seriously, for anyone who is complaining about weight gain...get MyFitnessPal and use it for like a week or two to figure out what is causing it.
29 here.

One of the biggest annoyances I have about getting older is other people's expectations of me. Gotta have a wife and kids, house, boat. Can't play video games or watch cartoons and be a well adjusted adult. Yeaahh...gently caress that. I work hard, at least 40 hours a week, pay the bills. Live on my own. I don't want more responsibilities than I already have. Rather, 4 years ago I bought a house, and I want to go back to an apartment, and people think I am insane.

The other complaint is I think I seem to be healing slower. If I play tennis, I feel it the next day. If I go snowboarding and land kinda funny, it will be sore for a week. I need to stretch more before doing certain exercises or I cramp up.

Mister Kingdom
Dec 14, 2005

And the tears that fall
On the city wall
Will fade away
With the rays of morning light
You'll know you're really getting old when you complain about that drat "music" the kids these days are listening to. You might not actually say it, but you'll think it.

And when you hit 50 (like I did last year), you'll cringe when you get your first AARP solicitation in the mail.

Bum the Sad
Aug 25, 2002

by VideoGames
Hell Gem
29 now and the only real difference I notice is my metabolism is not what it used to be even just 3-4 years ago. It used to be I would put on some weight and I could cut calories to 1000 a day and drop 3 pounds in a week easy. Now I do the same and I'm lucky to drop one.

GeorginaSpica
Oct 29, 2011

Mister Kingdom posted:

You'll know you're really getting old when you complain about that drat "music" the kids these days are listening to. You might not actually say it, but you'll think it.


Umm....I hit your age this year and I discuss music with my friends' kids. I listen more to current top 40 than the 'old' stuff. Drives my hubby nuts when I am driving as driver gets to choose the music but sometimes he just can't take it and turns it off. sigh. otoh I can't stand listening to his fav radio station as it keeps playing 70's rock over and over and over....sure it's great music but I want it to be something that I appreciate because I haven't heard it recently instead of being in some sort of time warp.

MightyJoe36
Dec 29, 2013

:minnie: Cat Army :minnie:
I'm 53 and it dawned on me after the last election that for the first time in my life I'm older than the President.

syscall girl
Nov 7, 2009

by FactsAreUseless
Fun Shoe

MightyJoe36 posted:

I'm 53 and it dawned on me after the last election that for the first time in my life I'm older than the President.

That's pretty harsh.

But on the plus side, you're old enough to be elected president.

I think I am too. We'll never be Zuckerbergs or Miley Ciruses but we have the potential to rule the greatest nation in the world.

Pinky Artichoke
Apr 10, 2011

Dinner has blossomed.

GeorginaSpica posted:

Having others make assumptions about you based on their first impression of your age. This ties into finding new friends. When you are youthful at heart and fit, many of similar age can't keep up and those younger may need some time to realize that you aren't 'old'. I have friends of all ages. I hike with an 80 yr old. Run with a 29 yr old. Rally drive with a 35 yr old. And sit around having lovely dinners with my friends from high school who are no longer fit and that's about all they have the energy to do.

I worry about this the most, especially in a professional setting. I feel like my industry is fairly youth-obsessed and that really influences me to think about things like maybe going for a chemical peel or getting my neck fixed. Whereas if I didn't have those concerns there is no way I would let cosmetic procedures interrupt my routine.

Radio Talmudist
Sep 29, 2008
I'm 25, and I'm finding this thread really heartening. I've got a question for you sage goons:

How do you guys look back at your twenties? Growing up on a cocktail of Friends and How I Met Your Mother has made me anxious about whether or not I've having the amazing life I'm supposed to be having at this age. You know, a financially untenable apartment in Greenwich village with romantic imbroglios every other week. My life is considerably more tame, and sometimes I wonder if I'm torturing myself with a silly ideal. Don't get me wrong - I'm working hard to make the most of this part of my life, but I also think that twenty-somethings like me have ridiculous expectations.

syscall girl
Nov 7, 2009

by FactsAreUseless
Fun Shoe

Radio Talmudist posted:

I'm 25, and I'm finding this thread really heartening. I've got a question for you sage goons:

How do you guys look back at your twenties? Growing up on a cocktail of Friends and How I Met Your Mother has made me anxious about whether or not I've having the amazing life I'm supposed to be having at this age. You know, a financially untenable apartment in Greenwich village with romantic imbroglios every other week. My life is considerably more tame, and sometimes I wonder if I'm torturing myself with a silly ideal. Don't get me wrong - I'm working hard to make the most of this part of my life, but I also think that twenty-somethings like me have ridiculous expectations.

You do and you're going to be okay.

Having one (or however many) great love(s) in your life is worth thousands of flings.

Said love doesn't need to be conventional in any way either.

And now I'm doing some advice columnist poo poo. But really put yourself out there and connect with people, or just one person.

I say this as a selfish person who has, at times shared with a ~lover~ and later realized that those were the best times of my life.

Pinky Artichoke
Apr 10, 2011

Dinner has blossomed.

Radio Talmudist posted:

I'm 25, and I'm finding this thread really heartening. I've got a question for you sage goons:

How do you guys look back at your twenties? Growing up on a cocktail of Friends and How I Met Your Mother has made me anxious about whether or not I've having the amazing life I'm supposed to be having at this age. You know, a financially untenable apartment in Greenwich village with romantic imbroglios every other week. My life is considerably more tame, and sometimes I wonder if I'm torturing myself with a silly ideal. Don't get me wrong - I'm working hard to make the most of this part of my life, but I also think that twenty-somethings like me have ridiculous expectations.

Oh god, my 20s were the worst. Way too much work, way too much paranoia about my work, always feeling like I was getting too old too quickly without accomplishing enough, and no comfort in my own skin. Although I will say that I did have a great group of friends that in many ways paralleled the sitcom expectation (maybe a little more Silicon Valley than HIMYM) who have now mostly dispersed.

30 Goddamned Dicks
Sep 8, 2010

I will leave you to flounder in your cesspool of primeval soup, you sad, lonely, little cowards.
Fun Shoe

Radio Talmudist posted:

I'm 25, and I'm finding this thread really heartening. I've got a question for you sage goons:

How do you guys look back at your twenties? Growing up on a cocktail of Friends and How I Met Your Mother has made me anxious about whether or not I've having the amazing life I'm supposed to be having at this age. You know, a financially untenable apartment in Greenwich village with romantic imbroglios every other week. My life is considerably more tame, and sometimes I wonder if I'm torturing myself with a silly ideal. Don't get me wrong - I'm working hard to make the most of this part of my life, but I also think that twenty-somethings like me have ridiculous expectations.

Honestly, I think people romanticize their 20s way too much, because it's the "last" time in their lives they were "free"- before the mortgage, before the kids, before the 60 hour a week job to pay for the mortgage.

One, don't grow up into a hellah boring person.

Two, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO AT LEAST ONE WILD AND FREE SOMETHING WHILE YOURE YOUNG. Study abroad a semester. Work 16 hour shifts at the coffee shop to save up for a three month trip to hitchhike Europe. Go work at the South Pole for a year. Something. I never did any of that and really wish that I had.

Three: DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER. This includes exorbitant student loans. Do not go into credit card debt. Do not get an expensive car you have to make payments on. I have debt right now (not a ton, but it's going to take a while to pay down) and it puts shackles on what I can do with my life- I HAVE to make at least enough to make payments every month so that cuts out a lot of the more fun, carefree options I could be doing right now (like makeup school, or interning at an organic farm, or living on a houseboat in Australia... Basically the poo poo I could have done at 23 but didn't)

But yeah basically... Don't sit around wondering if you're not getting enough out of your 20s and then realize you didn't get anything out of them because you sat around too much. Go do something wild and nuts if you want, but if you're cool where you are right now then stay there and don't go into debt and then go do crazy stuff later.

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Nathilus
Apr 4, 2002

I alone can see through the media bias.

I'm also stupid on a scale that can only be measured in Reddits.
The worst thing about getting older is that time never stops speeding up. I'm 32 now and it's already insanely breakneck. Remember how as a kid a long, golden summer could last what seemed like forever? Well by your 20s it has turned into two and a half to three pretty short months, and by the time you're 30 you can blink and drat near miss one. Pretty alarming if you ask me. According to my older relatives, THIS KEEPS HAPPENING UNTIL YOU DIE. Just wow. Not cool.

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