Older Adults Are Sharing The Things That Get Better With Aging, And Growing Older Sounds Prettyyy Sweet
To some, the thought of aging can be a little scary! I mean, if my back feels like this already, I don't even want to know what my future holds. But good news — there's actually a lot to look forward to as you grow older. When Redditor u/CorrectBreakfast1863 asked the older adults of the Reddit Community to share what gets better with age, they didn't hold back — and neither did members of the BuzzFeed Community! Here are some of the responses from adults over 60 that'll have you looking forward to getting older:
1."You get smart about people. I can now tell far more easily whom to trust versus who is trying to take advantage of me. These were things I was oblivious to when I was younger, but now I see things a lot clearer."
2."I'm in my 70s now, and the past 10 years have been the best time of my life. One thing that gets better is, if you have kids, you have an empty nest. Your kids are adults now and have reached the crossover point where they worry more about you than you do about them. And you know what? Let them. You've earned it."
3."Senior citizen discounts."
"Senior citizen discounts at the dispensary!"
"I used my senior discount to get a haircut today. Saved 3 bucks."
4."I'm 61, and I know it'll be a few more years before I can retire. One thing I've learned as I get older is maintaining a better work-life balance. Before, I only took sick leave if I was truly too ill to work, but now I take sick leave whenever my body says I need some extra rest. I no longer fear they won't need me anymore if I'm not in the office; I have unique skills because of my age that will never NOT be valued."
5."Clothes. The new rule is casual and comfortable, sometimes even tattered. Bras last for years now because I rarely wear them, and I haven't bought anything new in a while. You can dress however you want. No one cares how you dress, and that makes me happy."
6."You can get away with a lot of things, because who wants to argue with an old lady?"
7."The sex gets better! You don't need to worry about pregnancy or STDs (if you already have a long-term partner), and no kids interrupting! That is definitely something to look forward to."
8."Knowing that you are fully formed. You don't have to take on any more self-improvement projects, even though you surely can if you really want to. But I don't need to improve my posture, my vocabulary, or my attitude; I can do whatever I want now. As long as I don't fart in front of people, just leave me alone and let me do whatever it is I'm doing. And if I'm doing it wrong, don't bother telling me! I'm most likely not going to get any better at it, and that's okay with me."
9."At 60, the house was paid off, the cars were all paid for, and all of my student loans were finally paid off. At 62, I got out of the stupid truck for the last time after grinding for 44 years. The next day, the alarm clock did NOT go off at 2 a.m. The peace of mind and the ridiculous calmness one can experience at this point is something I can only hope for every hardworking soul."
10."Just the feeling of having survived for so long. You're at ease whenever you do something. And when you tell stories about your life or how life was like growing up, people occasionally look at you in awe."
11."I spend way less money on crap I don't need. That extra money is used for lots of travel, and I have more time to do exactly what I want. Sans enduring a few aches and pains and, of course, aging, I would definitely say the years beyond 60 are the BEST so far."
12."Well, since you go on Medicare at 65, your healthcare costs get excellent, so long as you don't need any specialized medicine that originally costs a ton of money. Otherwise, you rarely pay anything for healthcare or prescriptions."
13."You get to sit back and watch how people handle situations that you've been in yourself — sometimes they get it right, and sometimes they fail. My mom used to give me this shit-eating grin whenever she knew the outcome of a situation I had to learn from. Now I'm her."
14."As I look back, I find it interesting how I've simplified my emotions. That sounds strange, but what I mean is that I've learned when not to get highly emotional and when to intensify my emotions. In 1987, if someone cut me off while driving, I would yell, flip them off, and ride their ass for a bit. But now, I realize that the guy who cut me off in 1987 had absolutely zero impact on my life today and that reacting the way I did accomplished nothing. It didn't even make me feel better. If it doesn't impact me or my family and friends, I dial back the emotional response."
15."Depending on your health, fitness work gets amazing because the more you exercise and stretch, the more it relieves most of the annoying aches and pains that come with age. I'm less worried about how it makes me look and more focused on how it makes me feel."
16.Lastly: "There's a certain, almost dangerous, level of personal liberation. Kind of like, 'I'm only gonna live for a few more years, so what could anyone possibly do to me?' This liberation in me, at least, has manifested in almost extreme levels of mouthiness. I say what I am feeling and thinking, I am NOT sensitive to anyone's attempts to hurt my feelings, and I don't really care if I hurt their feelings, either."
Wow, I truly strive to be on the same level of "IDGAF" as some of these people. If you're older than 60, what is something younger folks can look forward to? What gets better with age? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your experience using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
