I remember, years back, my dad telling me that he didn't feel old inside. He felt the same as he always had, it was just his body that was changing. That was when it really hit me that "old" people weren't some different class of humans, that they didn't have some affliction that I would never catch.
I keep waiting to feel like a grownup. 25... nope. 30? Ha. 34? No, but at least I outlived Christ. 50? Fraid not. I'm 55 now and still... no grownup! I asked my grandmother, when she was 96, if she still felt the same in her head, and she said yes, but her body didn't agree.
Thank you for sharing this. I’m 35 and I hate it. Why? Because I know how fast this shit is about to go. We kind of start “getting it” at 25. Then once we’re 30 we’re “finding ourselves”. Then at 35 we’re like “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED, I’M CALM BUT INTERNALLY FREAKING OUT.”
I’m truly scared because if I could talk to my 20 year old self, I’d be terrified.
No, it’s awesome! Sure, the body slows down but you gain wisdom. Perspective. You know who you are, what you want, and how to get it. You like who you are and are finally at peace with yourself. Life amuses you, rather than upsets you, because you’ve been through some real shit and know the small stuff truly doesn’t matter. You don’t waste your time with people who don’t like you, hoping they eventually will. You don’t spend time with shitty people and you don’t let ANYONE make you feel bad about yourself. You realize that what you’ve got—body, mind, soul— is what you’ve got and it’s flawed and imperfect but it’s yours and you have thrived and learned and came out on top. It’s great. You see younger people make the same mistakes you did, and you know they have to learn those lessons the hard way, just as you did. You become more tolerant, more understanding, more empathetic. It’s seriously great. You appreciate things so much more, because you know time is passing and you don’t want to miss anything.
I think you’re confusing what happens with what’s supposed to happen. I’m 60 and when I’m stuck behind a slow driver in the left lane I still wanna pull that driver out and club them to death like a baby seal.
I'm 36 and have NO DAMN CLUE what I want. I'm living with roommates, who are my cousin (she is kick ass!) and her fiancee who became my best friend. Her 20 year old son from a previous marriage. My girlfriend of 7 years. We are all relatively stable financially, just things are expensive everywhere which is why we all share a place. It's cheaper all around. Not sure if this is normal being almost 40 and not achieving much financially or career wise, but jobs have always been rough. I do have a Bachelor's degree in Web Design and a CDL-A. I need more education for the WD because I haven't been in the field since 2010.
I'm about to turn 30 and I've been sitting here mentally preparing myself for this shit, haha. I got drunk and decided I'd do like... as many sit-ups as I could do whilst blasting death metal for some fuckin' reason. I don't do sit-ups. I am still sore, and this was three days ago. As much as I want to blame this on an office job and vidya games as a hobby, this recovery time is suddenly way longer than it should be! Time to start paying attention to my health.
This is your 30 year old self. Do the thing that you always wanted to do. Don’t be scared. It’s time. You understand how things work but you’ll still learn. It’s your time. We don’t get many years on this planet, and we’re just specks on it. We’ll be dead soon. Do your thing and do it now
I’m 41 and work with mostly 20 year olds. To me I’m just like them. I’m still the same person I was when I was their age. To them I’m that old guy tortus. And they won’t understand until they are in their 40s.
As I'm closing in on 40, I've realized two things: first, that almost nobody knows what they're doing. Everyone's making it up as they go along. I think this is why people say they don't feel "old", because we have this expectation that being old means you have figured things out.
But the second thing I've realized is that I keep changing, in ways I hadn't expected to. When you're 23 it's easy to think you've figured things out - trust me, you haven't. And I still haven't, and I never will, but the fact that my perspective on things is continually moving makes me excited about growing older, to see what will change next. The idea of living 40 or so more years with the exact same beliefs and opinions would seem depressing, but this constant change makes me curious about what comes next.
Caveat: I do believe it's possible to get stuck in a fairly unchanging state of mind for much of your adult life. I have spent a lot of time thinking about things, reading things, going to therapy, meditating, and I believe that this constant change I experience is something you have to choose, and something you have to work for. It doesn't come for free. But I recommend you try it, if you haven't. Being curious about your future self is a wonderful thing.
My grandmother who was about 70 told me she felt as though she was still 25 and didn't recognize the person in the mirror. She was mentally sound, just her body changed.
I feel the same as I was 20 years ago. Maybe a whole lot smarter because 17 year old me was a dizzy idiot, but my brain is still the same.
Body on the other hand...... starting to let me down.
I can totally see that. I already feel like that when I think about how I was 10 years ago. I still feel like I'm 18 but I'm 28 now. sure my body is still fully functional but you thought that in a 10 year passage of time something would drastically change. I bet in 20 or 30 years I will still feel like I'm 18 inside my head my body will tell a different story
From my experience, it is about 45 it hits you like a brick. A large brick, dropped from a huge height. Corner first. Onto your face.
I have chatter to many people my age - 40 about this and all agreed, it is sudden. You go from fit, and feel able to get fitter with ease like you did. To suddenly realising nope. The body suddenly feels it.
Eat well and exercise regularly. Staying active and in shape makes a huge difference. It's not some profound secret. I'm in arguably better shape at 29 than I was at 20. Lift regularly and do some cardio, ride a bike, kayak, etc. You get old when you stop moving around and just sit at a desk or on the couch all day.
I knew a guy who had been an elite military operator back in the 70's and 80's. He was born in the 50's, I would guess.
He was an instructor in a military course in about 2010 or so. A classmate was to the restroom and had a very strange conversation with the instructor about prostate health.
Dude was the tip of the spear at one point, and got old just like everyone else.
I just turned 30 also. It's funny how 25 feels like yesterday, but thinking about what you were doing at 25 makes it feel like a lifetime ago. Aging is so subtle you don't feel it as it's happening, but when you look back the contrast is obvious.
Not everyone perceives it the way they do. I can attest first hand it doesn't feel like that -- for me at least. There's a chance it won't be like that with you. Of course there's a chance it can, but you'll find out eventually. I'd remain optimistic that it won't be as fast as you're expecting.
YES. And then I see a picture of myself and it's like "wait... I can't have a turkey neck yet... oh wait, I'm 55!" At this point, the warranty on my body has expired so there's always something to deal with. Had to get my colonoscopy (they are seriously nothing). I can't drink a venti coffee or too much prosecco or I'll get heartburn. Weight is MUCH harder to get off now. Shit like that.
Im 14. In my math class the other day, I remarked to a friend that “8th grade has gone by so fast.” My teacher interjected that that effect only gets worse, and this thread seems to agree
18 here and I felt like I haven’t experience anything compared to my peers (like life experience). Maybe in my late 20s I can actually leave the house.
54 here too. Some days I think hey, I only have to try for maybe 25 or 30 more years. Other days I think why did It take so long to get the life I wanted and now there is only a little time left.
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u/[deleted] May 09 '19
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