15 replies to this topic

[thundertortoise]

So I'm not really that old and a bunch of people here will probably tell me to STFU but going from 22 to 23 soon is strange journey of being annoyed with high school age people and thinking that older people (and similarly-aged people)are wasting their lives if all they do is go to work 9-5 which is probably a reflection on my own use of life so far.

So anyway, getting older is weird. If you know how to do it would you be so kind to drop some words of wisdom? Awsum possum.

Going to Patagonia in 2011. Social mores may be damned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia

[unluckycharm]

always have a sense of humor, some humility, and a decent sense of optimism about something in your life. there ya go, wisdom from an old guy.

[joe.distort]

turning 30 this year. my advice: just keep doing what you want. you are always going to feel like you are weird and old in some situations, and some people will always be there to say 'oh youre so young, what do you know blah blah'.

its hard not to get stuck thinking about things like what you 'should' be doing, or if its weird that you are the oldest guy at a house show or whatever but seriously, just work through those times and enjoy life. when i think too much about it it just stresses me out for no reason. and then you dont enjoy ANYTHING!

[mig50]

re: getting older - BFD.

[fatguyaz]

i was at Target the other night, ya know, getting make up... And my wife, kids, and i are checking out and the 18 (or so)year old kid checking us out looks at me and says "Oh man, i'm sorry, i just had to say something, but you look JUST like my dad..." My wife and son just laughed right at me.



talk about making you feel old.

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

[thundertortoise]

do what I want - got it.

thx (:

btw, what's with the "I <3 Adam Lambert" under my name? Is that designed to make me post more so it can change to something else??

[Tony]

thinking that older people (and similarly-aged people)are wasting their lives if all they do is go to work 9-5

don't worry about what other people are doing.

how people choose to live their lives is out of your control and usually doesn't make sense anyway. you might look at someone and say "all they do is work 9 - 5, they don't have anything else going on", but that might not even be remotely true. some people choose to express themselves creatively in ways that aren't evident or publicly visible. or their priorities are different (kids). or maybe they want to work their ass off now so they can retire at 40 and lounge around in a robe all day. of course, some people really are just wasting their lives and it's kind of depressing - but when i was 23 i couldn't tell who was who.

[Quezo]

i was at Target the other night, ya know, getting make up... And my wife, kids, and i are checking out and the 18 (or so)year old kid checking us out looks at me and says "Oh man, i'm sorry, i just had to say something, but you look JUST like my dad..." My wife and son just laughed right at me.



talk about making you feel old.

What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

But you are my dad, Dad!

JK

She was 18, right? Taboo fantasy warning alert. DANGER.

On topic:

(Mental age)(Physical age) = X

to paraphrase Spock: The Mobius is a crease in space, where time becomes a loop, where time becomes a loop, where time becomes a...

[thebiggameover]

things dont ever get better, they only get worse....

[unluckycharm]

things dont ever get better, they only get worse....

That is not universally true, at least not in my case. I'm much happier now than I was when I was 23 (turned 40 last May). The advantage age gives you is that you eventually figure out what makes you happy most of the time. The advantage you have when you're younger is you can try all kinds of things out because don't have roots so much.

Feeling weird about different stages of your life is pretty much par for the course, you'll probably feel the same way in 10 years. Don't let it bother you, just be true to yourself and follow your bliss, so to speak. After all, it is *your* life, no one elses.

[JRC]

don't give up.
expect to change, it's not a crime, and doesn't make you a "fake".

Learn to enjoy stuff, not just the little niche things you're "supposed to enjoy" because of your age/gender/education/interests.

BE EASY TO WORK WITH.

[mig50]

i'm 28. every year of my life has been better than the one preceding it, despite plenty of pitfalls.

as long as you're willing to continue growing and learn from the mistakes and the bad stuff you'll do just fine.

[skeksis]

I haven't got much good advice... & most of the folks on this board, whatever age, are clinging to their youth by their fingernails - for the most part not behaving like proper adults at all :-)

My advice (@ 33 yrs):

1) Don't "do what you love" for a career... once you make it your career, you probably won't love it. INSTEAD get a job that allows you some flexibility to do whatever it is you're really passionate about. Sure, work is important, and it's important to do what you do well. But it shouldn't be your whole life.

2) Don't buy a house next to an elementary school. You'll spend a large part of your life cleaning up after other people's kids. Hot Cheetos, popsicle sticks, soda bottles. Grrr...

3) Generally... things get better in terms of your comfort, happiness. You're more & more comfortable with who you are and where you fit in. More experienced, more relaxed, and a heck of a lot less concerned with the opinions of others. On the flip side - most of the usual cliches about getting old are true too: there will be back pain, headaches, other adult problems. When you fall down, it hurts and you won't bounce back up.

4) Avoid creative/aesthetic atrophy... basically you can withdraw into a shell of what was cool when you were 18 OR you can keep your options open. Listen to new music (most of it will suck), read new books, learn new things (like learn to cook, work on your car, carpentry, whatever).

5) Get involved in stuff. Non-profits, politics, theshizz.org, whatever. Don't be afraid to take the lead on stuff... everyone wants to help out, but no one wants to take responsibility. It's not that hard, step up.

6) Lastly - happiness is what you make of it. It doesn't have much to do with what city you live in, relationship status, income, etc. If you wanna be a pessimistic grouch (usually me) then that's what you'll be.

[JRC]

i'm 28. every year of my life has been better than the one preceding it, despite plenty of pitfalls.

as long as you're willing to continue growing and learn from the mistakes and the bad stuff you'll do just fine.

I'm in my late 30s now, and finally living out the 20s I was "supposed" to have had.

Also, I heard douchebage Rush Limbaugh say once that you don't get to make any real money until your 40s, and even though I'm not there, and I HATE to give credit to an asshat like him, from what I've seen/heard he's right.
(and if you're wondering why I was listening to RL, well as they say you can't beat your enemies unless you know how they think. +sometimes it just feels good to be angery in that way.)

[Jacki O.]

it just keeps getting better for me

and i keep getting smarter and funnier

and more confident and comfortable with myself. life gets good