Do You Miss Being Young?

[Nemo2]

We know a guy who has that attitude. He has had a great life but now depends on others to stay out of the rain and get fed.

His wife finally left him 20 years ago with the house.

Moderation in all things...

We'd be quite prepared to start over - especially with the qualifier of "Knowing what we know now"......(even though I didn't know anything then and don't know anything now )

 

[nap470]

As the saying goes...
"Yesterday is History
Tomorrow is a Mystery
Today is a gift....that's why we call it the Present"

With that said, age 30-35 were some good years physically, and also had some financial resources and a little bit of knowledge.

 

[cyber888]

I miss the physical aspect of being young, it was great being able to eat anything I wanted without gaining weight, of having tons of energy, no aches and pains, no wrinkles, etc. but I would not want to relive it all over again. Too many painful lessons, too many slime buckets along with the way, too many hurts and sadnesses. If given the choice, I would not want to be 21 again.

I still try to eat anything, and just exercise Caffeine and naps still gives me energy. CBD, Near Infrared Heat, and my massage chair eliminates aches and pain. Collagen eliminates my wrinkies and has actually rebuilt my joints after 2 years of religiously taking it everyday, and keeps me up and about. So, still not feeling old with these remedies

 

[Montecfo]

It's an interesting thread. I hate the feeling of regret so I analyze decisions before I make them but do not look back too much.

I do not wish I was younger or wish to do things over. I think it is seductive to think you would live better with youth and by knowing then what you know now. But I wonder, would I really make better decisions and end up in a better place? I cannot point to many big mistakes. Would I dodge all the bullets I managed to dodge the first time. There is no saying the environment would be the same in this do-over world (like Biff's America). A the knowledge might not work.

I'm just not sure it would be any better which is another way of saying I'm pretty happy with how things have worked out, by God's grace.

My DW also said that she has never thought of going back.

And now, I have overanalyzed this idea .

 

[Sarpy]

Street, my first impression of your photo was that it was a picture of Gordon Lightfoot in earlier days. Looking good.

My first impression as well. But then I thought, "What's Gordon doing with that turkey?"

 

[Yoheadden]

There's no sense in wishing I were younger or could go back and change something. Best I can do is learn from mistakes and not repeat them. Health-wise I try to stay active so that I feel younger. 10 years ago I had some good success and talked about it in this thread: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/older-thinner-faster-52566.html

Five years ago I worked on increasing distance rather than speed, and felt great then too.

The past 4 years, I've had various health issues that have limited my running, and I didn't do a good job of finding alternatives. My weight is at an all time high and I just don't feel as healthy, but those issues are diminishing and I'm trying to run myself back into shape. It's a lot harder at 59 than it was at 48, but I'm going to keep trying.

It's good to hear you are still pushing yourself. As you know, it's just as much mental, if not more, as it is physical. I ran my first (and only)marathon (Marine Corps in DC) at 39 as well. I've done a bunch of Halfs and more recently OCRs (Obstacle Course Races). Kuddos on the Ultra.
Even though I get more aches and pains these days and need 2 weekly recovery days from working out, I still don't wish to be younger.
Every day is a great day. You just have to know what to do with it. It's all about prospective.

 

[mountainsoft]

I definitely don't miss my childhood or teen years. Divorced parents, constant moving, bullying, etc. I still have insecurities formed during those early years.

Lots of good memories from my 20's and 30's, got married, had a baby, bought our first home. But there were a lot of ugly times during those years too that I wouldn't want to relive.

Life got a lot better by the time I was in my 40's. We were debt free, had energy to get out and do things, and traveled a lot.

I just turned 57 and life feels better than ever. I've got a great wife, I'm in good health, we have no financial worries, and I still have energy to do the things I enjoy. That said, it does take more effort to do the same things now. Sex has definitely changed, less frequency, more effort, but we do enjoy a better connection now. Still, I miss the drive and stamina I had in my younger years.

Life is good, there's not much I miss from my youth. There were good times and bad throughout my life. Those good times wouldn't mean as much today, and I would probably respond differently to the bad times. Live and learn, I'm excited to see where life takes us in the future.

 

[Speculator]

As I approach the "big 70," I am starting to experience the more pronounced physical deterioration which seems to come with aging and I do not like it at all. I miss being young for that reason.

 

[tmm99]

When I was young, around junior high age, I used to laugh and giggle triggered by the silliest things. I used to get together with girlfriends, and we would laugh so hard that our stomachs would hurt and tears would roll down our eyes. And this didnt just happen once in a while either. It happened a lot.

I miss that.

 

[Retire52]

I am happier now than at any other age, which is saying something since i have always been pretty happy. i think i am at the goldilocks age where i am young enough that my health allows me to do anything, short of competing in the olympic decathlon , and old enough to have garnered the resources to retire comfortably. I am also old enough to know nothing lasts, so will bask in the moment.

 

[ncbill]

I'd also be kinder & spend more time with family.

My mom developed a rarer form of dementia (hits as early as your 40s) so by the time I was in my 30s she barely recognized me anymore, much less her friends or extended family.

What I really regret was that she didn't live long enough to know my kids, so I'd want to have them earlier as well...as my wife jokes we could have gotten married straight out of undergrad instead of waiting & had our first kid months later instead of years.

 

[Dtail]

When I was young, around junior high age, I used to laugh and giggle triggered by the silliest things. I used to get together with girlfriends, and we would laugh so hard that our stomachs would hurt and tears would roll down our eyes. And this didnt just happen once in a while either. It happened a lot.

I miss that.

Interesting thought and similar from the male side too.

 

[ER Eddie]

If I could take all my accumulated wisdom back in time with me -- become 12 physically but retain everything my 59-year old mind has learned/experienced -- I'd do that. However, that would be cheating and sounds a bit like reincarnation with memory intact, so I assume that's not what the OP intended with the question.

I assume that if you go back to age 12, you have to have the mind of a 12 year old again, then live through all your experiences again in order to accumulate the semi-wisdom you have at 59.

In that case, hell no. Life at 12 was good, but things went downhill after that, and I was miserable and lost for a couple of decades after that. Lots of struggle and suffering. I've accumulated a lot of semi-wisdom at 59, but man, it's been a hard road and a lot of work. I wouldn't want to repeat all that.

Honestly, I'm happier and more content now, at 59, than I have ever been in my life (well, except for when I was like 6 to 12 or so).

 

[neihn]

I assume that if you go back to age 12, you have to have the mind of a 12 year old again, then live through all your experiences again in order to accumulate the semi-wisdom you have at 59.

...

Yeah, this ^^^.
Imagine that you are 12 years old with all the calculus, differential, statistics, physics, chemistry under your belt

 

[WestUniversity]

Only the stamina and the lack of aches and pains...

 

[G8tr]

It's an interesting thread. I hate the feeling of regret so I analyze decisions before I make them but do not look back too much.

I do not wish I was younger or wish to do things over. I think it is seductive to think you would live better with youth and by knowing then what you know now. But I wonder, would I really make better decisions and end up in a better place? I cannot point to many big mistakes. Would I dodge all the bullets I managed to dodge the first time. There is no saying the environment would be the same in this do-over world (like Biff's America). A the knowledge might not work.

I'm just not sure it would be any better which is another way of saying I'm pretty happy with how things have worked out, by God's grace.

My DW also said that she has never thought of going back.

And now, I have overanalyzed this idea .

Reminds me of the Star Trek the Next Generation episode"Tapestry".

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapestry_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)

 

[Koolau]

Only the stamina and the lack of aches and pains...

Yes. I'm pretty happy with my life otherwise. Pain and inability to do the things I once did get to be a real downer sometimes. But I still wouldn't "go back" if it meant doing stuff over. YMMV