For those in their 40s and 50s

[Fatandfifty49]

Do you miss being younger (ie late teens, twenties) or do you embrace middle age?

What do you miss about your twenties and what do you enjoy about being older?

I miss the spontaneity you have when you are young, the exuberance because every experience is exciting and new and the bravado.

I didn't like the insecurity and worrying about what people thought or the poor sense of judgement I had - especially re friendships and men.

I love having the experience behind me and being past caring and the confidence that comes from it. I don’t like that the best years ard behind me or the signs of advancing age plus all the extra stresses such as elderly parents

I miss the freedom . The simpler times .
I'm glad it was before the mobile phone/ social media explosion.

I'm 50 soon and I'm settled and happy and wouldn't change anything.

I am mid 40's and although l never did anything wild or crazy in my 20's and 30's, l have really happy memories of those years. Had dd mid 30's so obviously life changed and having her made me so much more confident in myself which can also be an age thing so l wouldn't want to go back and be the doormat l used to be! Love being older and as a pp said it was good to not have social media etc so if you did something a bit daft, it wasn't out there for the world to see!

I've found it harder. I miss the fun and silliness of being young. I also sometimes berate myself for not appreciating it enough.! Life has got harder the older I get. Work is more stressful, more responsibility, I feel older/tireder, my mum died last year and my dad needs lots of support. It use to be all weddings and parties now it's funerals ☹️ I struggle to spend time with friends and don't feel as connected to them as when I was younger. My teenagers are mentally tiring and I struggle with their critiques of me. I use to be a really optimistic person but the last five years I've lost that.

I miss the way my body worked.
I miss having the person I shared so many memories with in my life

I don’t miss thinking I had to be able to do everything
I don’t miss feeling a failure

I’m 42 and absolutely not middle-aged thank you.

Oh god I miss my youth so so much!

My body, my face, my gorgeous long blonde hair!

Planning holidays, flights, shopping trips on my days off, buying clothes and records and shoes!!

Going out to a club at weekend, what I was going to wear, who was going to be there.
Concerts and music festivals.

Now I’m fat, frumpy, 50 and on a hamster wheel of monotonous routine.
No concerts, no dancing, no holidays or shopping trips. Short frumpy greying hair, middle aged middle fat spread.
I miss it and I enjoyed every moment!

I miss having energy

I wish I had my 40's mindset/confidence in my 20's body. I love how in my 40's I've stopped worrying about what other people think and I have so much more confidence in everything. I wish I had that kind of self-assured mindset when I was younger.

I miss pre-mobile phones/social media. I miss what Christmas etc... used to be like when I was growing up.

I miss the innocent arrogance I had about my expectation of marriage.

Yes I miss not having a phone and listening to music properly on records not just playing at it! Ditto taking photos.
I loved fancying and snogging boys and all that stuff.
Miss travelling / backpacking.
Don’t miss social anxiety and emetophobia and body hang ups
don’t miss exams though I’ve done many since.
Don’t miss not having hair straighteners!
Don’t miss having a limited palate and eating crap food.
Do love being a mum now.

59, adult children, soon to be divorced and I’m as free as a bird. God it’s exhausting keeping myself entertained

Mid forties. Have my kids and a husband who adores me. After a very difficult childhood and teen years. Last year or two, starting to lose my looks, which I've been a bit worried about. Found it's nothing but liberating!

Wouldn't go back, I am enjoying this time of life.

I miss the energy and things not aching! And being able to cope with hangovers!
I'm in my mid 40's and my body seems to have fallen apart in the last couple of years with injuries that have taken longer to heal or are ongoing still and either they've got worse or my tolerance to every day aches and pains has reduced, and I just don't have the stamina any more, I once worked 16 night shifts in a row, and regularly did 5 or 6 on the bounce and still had a social life, I'm exhausted after 3 now, and I'm switching to day shifts soon as I can't cope with permanent nights, and I can't remember the last time I went 'out out' - but actually I don't really want to either.

I am however enjoying more confidence and the freedom that comes with experience of life and not giving a shit about a lot of things and being more sure of myself.

I miss being super skinny. I miss going out every night and never giving a second thought to being single. I think sometimes looking back is hard because I had a really great life pre dc

@coodawoodashooda

I miss the innocent arrogance I had about my expectation of marriage.

This is really interesting. Could you elaborate?

I don’t miss anything. I’m happier and more comfortable with myself every year.

I find not being young any more incredibly liberating. I don’t have to …insert thing of choice here…any more, I’m past that!

I miss having a fit, healthy body that would do almost whatever I asked of it. I also miss the UK of ten years ago: remember 2012, and the Olympics, when we felt good about ourselves?

I’m exhausted as I have responsibilities for elderly parents and a very ill sibling , as well as working full time in a demanding job whist being a single parent .
I miss those carefree days!!
I literally cannot plan anything without checking out things with so many people and frequently have to cancel / modify plans to attend to others ..

Enjoy your youth would be my message to the young 😀

I'm early 40s and had my kids young so I'm pretty free in that respect.

I guess the only thing I miss is the way I looked, but that's lack of motivation on my part...I could make myself look a lot better if I could be arsed

I'm late 50s, great job, happily married, grown up DC. I'm much wiser than in my 20s, much more self-assured and confident and I'm generally happy with myself and my life. I don't like that I'm somewhat creakier than I was in my 20s but that's a small trade off for the good things in my life now.

@CatherinedeBourgh

I don’t miss anything. I’m happier and more comfortable with myself every year.

I find not being young any more incredibly liberating. I don’t have to …insert thing of choice here…any more, I’m past that!

Agreed!

I am late fifties and definitely do not miss teens and twenties. Wouldn't mind being transported back to 40 however but with the added wisdom and confidence I have now as well as the three stone lighter body. I have no problem with aging other than a slight downer on feeling so stiff and achey all the time.

I don't miss anything. I lived life to the fullest in my 20s and 30s and I still am in my 40s, just in a different way. To be free from the male gaze is liberating, and it's easier to navigate the workplace now I give no shits about what people think of me

I loved my 20s and 30s, lots of fun, always busy, thin, healthy and really active, having great career, marriage, kids, great holidays.

Now late 40s and got cancer stage 3 so miss having my health but enjoying a slower pace of life in thatched cottage in countryside, husband has been amazing, lovely kids and pets and savings from the years of manically doing everything so can stop work now to do treatment and relax inbetween. Still can have good holidays if restricted due to covid and cancer to uk. I would not go back in time as been there, done that. Glad that I did so much living then so feel have achieved what I wanted already apart from seeing kids into adulthood.

I miss the energy (physical and mental) I miss having everything to look forward to and investing so much in friendships. The pandemic has exacerbated, accelerated my fatigue and isolation. My dreams have turned into memories. I keep harking back to the old days of no phone, real letters. I had a milestone birthday 18 months ago and had planned to reconnect with old friends but covid put paid to that (I don’t zoom).