21... the youngster's 35. (Share your growing-up stories)

[Galuf the Dwarf]

Honestly, folks, after turning 21 not too long ago, I have to admit that I've never felt the same. Unlike ACTUALLY turning 35, I feel a bit less frail than I did. I feel stronger. A 2- or 3-hour walk takes a bit over an hour.

I can bet that many of you, whether your 16, 18, 35, or in your 50s, have your stories of feeling very different as you grew older, so share them if you wish.

[Vicsun]

Whenever a thread from a couple of years ago is bumped and I read some of my replies I feel a strong urge to delete them. Does that count?

[Galuf the Dwarf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicsun Whenever a thread from a couple of years ago is bumped and I read some of my replies I feel a strong urge to delete them. Does that count?

This about physical maturity, not old threads.

[Monolith]

Well, I'm not really sure what you're asking, but ehh...I'll just give it a try.

I turned 19 a couple of months ago and...it's irritating. I always stopped thinking of what would be after the 18. I would be 18...and...ten years later, I still would be 18. But now I'm 19! Life goes on and doesn't wait for me. I've changed during the past few years. I changed some things consciously, though other things changed without me having any influence - some for the better, some not. More responsibilities and obligations. School'll be finished in a year, then I'll have to work to be able to fund study. Well, I have work now...but as a freelancing journalist at a local newspaper I earn about 30 Euro a month which...well, let's leave it at that. Lucky me that I have parents willing to pay at least some of it.

I look differently at things now - at least at some. I'm not that stubborn anymore. I'm more relaxed, more open-minded. There was a time I thought: "I don't hate all people, they're just all idiots". Now I think: "I hate all people, but maybe *I'm* just an idiot". Things are becoming more concrete now. I know what I want - or at least I know what I'll never be able to accomplish. Dreams became ridicules, reallity a pain in the ass. I was always thinking: "In a couple of years things will be straighten out. It will turn out to the better". Now the couple of years are over and I still think the same. Problems don't get solved, they just make place for other, new, maybe worse problems. Sometimes I'm sick of it. Then I wish to be 12 again, to be able to say: "When I'm 18, I'll kick ass!". Hey, I'm 19 now and all I kick are spare partners on monday, wednesday and saturday when I've martial arts training...

I was talking about obligations, right? Well, my current obligation is to finish my english homework - writing a possible ending for a shortstory written by almighty Edgar Allen Poe (I really love that guy ). That's at least something I'm looking forward to. Just like my bed and the moment I realize that it's too freaking late to be still awake (dunno why, but somehow I wanted to write "alive"). Anyway, my bed's empty, nobody's waiting...and I feel pathetic about that. Perhaps that's the whole problem with getting older and older. There are things that don't seem to change.

[Galuf the Dwarf]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm looking for, Monolith.

Now to just start hearing from others...

[Ideal Maxima]

Well, ever since i've turned 12 this year, i haven't looked at this girl (my GF) the same ever again. Of course at the time she wasn't my GF, but i think most of us know the whole story... right Galuf?

[Galuf the Dwarf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ideal Maxima Of course at the time she wasn't my GF, but i think most of us know the whole story... right Galuf?

I think so...

Have you felt any different physically since you turned 12, though?

[Ideal Maxima]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galuf the Dwarf I think so... Have you felt any different physically since you turned 12, though?

uhh... yeah. Sadly, it was for the worse, it's better now, but life had taken it's toll on me (acne... such a scary thought)

But there was always those loop holes (anti-acne pads and stuff... you know that face wash, sounds girly, but atleast it works )

[Dottie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galuf the Dwarf This about physical maturity, not old threads.

I think he was talking about psychological maturity. If he was I have the same experience. Many of my old posts seem thoughtless and narrow-minded now. The reasoning often seems very rigid.

It is not a pleasant feeling to look back on your own history and find hints of many of the traits you have despised others for.

As for physical aging, it is so slow, and so difficult to get points of reference that I rarely notice any change. Sometimes when it is winter and ice I get afraid of falling, and then I feel very very old. other than that I can not remember anything specific.

[C Elegans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicsun Whenever a thread from a couple of years ago is bumped and I read some of my replies I feel a strong urge to delete them. Does that count?

Look at it this way: at least you develop, that's better than having stagnated into silly ideas

Regarding physical changes, I have never noticed any age related changes since age 12 or so, all the changes I have noted corresponds to my excersise and injury level. At age 20 I still did both classical dancing and alpine climbing, and I excersised about 20 hours a week. Obviously I was much stronger then than I am now, when I have quit all strenous exercise due to my multiple knee injuries.

[frogus23]

I feel that I have not grown up much for a while...I have had many 'growing up' type experiences in the last year - first experiences with more dangerous drugs, first sex, first homosexual affairs, first car-adventures, first DIY piercings...

But I have learned **** all, and I hardly feel a changed person for it.

I have seen many of my friends growing up recently (becoming responsible, going to pubs, becoming moderate and temperate, committing themselves to futures) and it has been a gruesome and, to my eyes, repulsive thing to watch. I am waiting for it to happen to me, but as far as I can tell I have not matured any for about three years.

Physically not much new. I am still short. However I am just starting to get hair on my chest, I will keep you updated with further developments.

[CM]

I have never felt that age affected me in any regard. I have always been a bastard!

[Ekental]

Hmmm... what have I realized over the years?
Well lets see now that I'm 17, I realize that life gets harder and harder and you have to do more and more to succeed.
I really wish that I had the same work load as I had in middle school... and I keep telling myself that it'll all get better when I go to college. What will probably happen though is that it will get worse and i'll think about how easy it was in high school.
So in conclusion i'll go with the old adage "Life is a *****, and then you die"

[Obsidian]

I think once you hit 20 people start talking you more seriously.

At least so I've found. I can go to professionals in their fields and they take me as a legitamate conversation opportunity.

I've been to start a lifeguard training program in my hometown to facilitate lifeguard handoff's to EMT's.

And oddly enough, the "aquatic Co-ordinators" that run the pools take me seriously. Maybe it's the Army Medic, BTLS, EMR, AMFR-2 that follows my name on my professional emails, but in person, it's still refreshing.

@ Ideal Maxima, there ain't nothing girly 'bout acne pads and face wash,
if anyone makes fun of you for it, point out the vixen on your arm.
Such was my experience, girls dig good skin.

Physically, I've been playing soccer with the same guys since I was 8, and they were adults at the time, friends of my father. Now, after years of abuse at their hands as a youngster, I can haul them. So what they're 50!

[jopperm2]

Well, besides that grey hair, receeding hairline and constant fatigue.. I get pretty mad when I hear a Guns 'n Roses song on the classic rock station. They aren't allowed to play anything I remember being new!