What do you wish people would stop romanticizing, because you’ve lived the reality of it?

[HazelMaker]

The 1990s

I don’t think any of us who lived like that romanticises it. We’re just telling it like it happened. I really didn’t enjoy wearing a hat in bed.

I'd agree wedding days. I've had happier mundane married days , weddings are just long and hard work.

No one romanticises Hen dos

Now see I loved the 90's, as did all my friends, but that's probably because we were teens at the time rather than it being a utopian paradise...

What was the previous title? I didn’t think you could change them without asking MNHQ to do it?

turning your hobby into your job

Yep, quickest way to hate doing what you used to love.

'White Christmas', and snow in general. Unless it's on a mountaintop and I'm looking up at it from the nice safe non-slippery ground!

Cancer. Everyone doesn't suddenly rally round you and send you flowers and casseroles. Most people won't even text cos they don't know what to say. Most people have to keep working through treatment or face severe financial hardship. That and the expectation that we all need to be brave and positive and run marathons. It fucking sucks.

Manifesting.
Living in a commune.

Coming from a big family.

Everyone thinking you’re nice.

It depends.

My DH is a site manager building houses and he's never wanted to move into a new build.

The 1970s. Drab, harsh, little protection for girls/women in everyday life.

Being more content as you get older. I have several chronic health conditions and am full of aches and pains. I have lots of regrets about what I haven't done in my life but I'm aware that I'm far over halfway and running out of time. I'm terrified of death but equally terrified of living too long and mouldering away in some godforsaken hellhole of a care facility. Bollocks am I content.

Prison. I work in one. I get fed up with people describing it as a holiday camp. It definitely isn’t!

@squashyhat , I completely agree

Motherhood and parenting.

That said I loved the 1990s, and I’m mid-40s and so far it’s my favourite decade! I love being in my 40s.

Owning a hot tub. Expensive to heat and it didn't get used much. We were more than a little delighted when we couldn't find the air leak and got rid of it.

Being more content as you get older. Bollocks. I'm full of aches and pains, have lots of regrets about what I haven't done, aware that I'm far over halfway in my life, terrified of death but equally terrified of living too long and mouldering away in some godforsaken hellhole of a care facility.

This could be me, @squashyhat! I really wish I didn't feel this way but I do. I hate reading about women (it's usually women) saying they feel more comfortable with themselves in their 50s/60s/70s than they ever did before. I don't even recognise myself in the mirror, how on earth am I meant to feel comfortable with myself?

Being poor - both growing up poor and then being poor again later in life. It's not a Nadine Dorries Catherine Cooksonesque misery novel.

How cheap the north is (it's not, any more and it comes at the price of job opportunities and potholes the size of Australia and drastically and systematically underfunded infrastructure, health, and education).

Being a librarian (there's no money and if you're unlucky enough to have a senior manager who thinks books and information are both unnecessary prepare for your budget to be stolen and undercut at regular intervals).

Having to apply for PIP and other benefits AND TRY TO LIVE ON THEM. I'd have been on the streets if a friend hadn't taken me in. I could go on but will stop there.

Adore my children, would 1000% have the same kids if I had my time again but they are hard work as I have to be constantly selfless. I do wonder how different life would have been if I’d chosen a different path.

The 1980s - great music, but racism, riots, homophobia, constant threat of nuclear war, and - my God - it was open season for abuse/murder of women and girls 😢 and an unrelenting battle as a woman to have even the chance of a good career

The ‘84 Miners Strike.

Now it’s portrayed as a time of communities pulling together and all looking out for each other. It wasn’t it was shit.

I think as far as music was concerned, the noughties were horrendous. At least some decent music came out of the 90s, though more the earlier part.
The 00s was the worst era to be romanticising about I think overall. Especially the way that young female celebrities were treated.