Older Adults Are Sharing What They Miss The Most About Their 20s, And It's Incredibly Honest
Though life certainly doesn't stop after your 20s, it's not uncommon to reminisce about what your life was like when you were younger. Recently, Redditor u/ThatMuslimGamer asked the older adults of the Reddit community to share what they miss the most about their 20s, and the answers were honest and a bit poignant:
1."I miss my hair."
2."Feeling like I had my whole life ahead of me. The pure optimism of the '90s."
—None
3."My athleticism. I used to be able to run every day — in the morning and after work. And on the weekend, after putting in my early morning miles, I'd go play a few sets of tennis with my roommate, or we'd ride our bikes the eight or so miles to the mall (this was around 1978). These days, I'm satisfied with walking a little over three miles on the treadmill."
4."Not feeling like I got hit by a bus every morning."
5."Being able to intake calories with reckless abandon."
6."My back and my knees."
7."I miss everyone I love still being alive."
8."Not having social media or cell phones and needing to actually talk to someone face-to-face."
9."My babies being little. That time went by so quickly."
10."Feeling hopeful about the future, partying, still thinking most people were decent, less technology, and having a larger group of friends."
11."Being able to hang out with friends and family at the airport gate until their flight left. And being there to greet them when they arrived."
12."The bliss of youthful ignorance."
—None
13."Cheap concert tickets."
14."Honestly, just how new everything felt. In my 20s, even mundane, everyday things felt exciting since I was doing them for the first time. Life felt so vibrant, shiny, and new. Now, everything has no real novelty. Even if I do come across a new experience, I've had so many similar ones that I don't feel the same excitement as when I was young and less experienced."
15."Sleeping through the night."
16."Not being referred to as an old person."
17."People minding their own business and not making politics their whole identity."
18."Writing and receiving letters from friends."
19.Lastly: "Immortality. Intellectually, I knew that everybody dies, but emotionally, dying wasn't even on the horizon. Death wasn't in my thoughts, nor was disability or chronic conditions. One day, out of nowhere, it actually sank in. I was 31 or 32. I thought about death a bit and went on with my life. But I do like to say that I know what it's like to be immortal because I was, once."
I'm closer to 30 than 20 now, so I'm trying not to take anything I do in my 20s for granted! If you're an older adult, what do you miss the most about your 20s? Let me us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
