posted August 15, 2013 04:19 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by T:
....was thinking about this as I do cleaning around the apartment.....

What do you find you love more about life and yourself as time goes by?

---

posted August 15, 2013 07:53 PM            

I'm less shy than I used to be, but I was totally self-confident as a little girl.

I take less rubbish from people, but I'm more likely to be argumentative.

posted August 15, 2013 09:33 PM            

When I was young (under 10), I thought that I couldn't wait until I was done growing so that I would have enough time to wear really *worn* shoes. You know the kind - they're soft and hit your feet perfectly, and they take much more than the season or two that growing children have with any given pair to break them in.
I also thought that I couldn't wait until I began to wrinkle - the lines on my face would show the story of my life.
And my hair - I wondered how it would grey, if it would be steely or white.

Well, now I'm older.
I have a number of worn shoes that caress my feet (thank you, Pisces Sun) and I love them all.
I'm a bit more ambivalent about my wrinkles - it's difficult to grow up in this culture and still fully embrace them - but my laugh and worry lines are making themselves known nonetheless.
In an odd way, they look familiar.
And my hair - new, lovely snow white strands appear every day. I even have the beginnings of a streak originating near my temple.

So, there it is. I like my face and feet.

posted August 16, 2013 12:08 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by YoursTrulyAlways:
No longer freaking broke and starving. I ate one slice of bread a day or one packet of sodium-filled instant noodles when I was flat broke in college.

I used to see happy, married couples walk by and wished I could be one of them. Now I am.

---

posted August 16, 2013 01:19 AM            

Seriously.

The financial stability. Earning my own money is great.

posted August 16, 2013 01:40 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by YoursTrulyAlways:
No longer freaking broke and starving. I ate one slice of bread a day or one packet of sodium-filled instant noodles when I was flat broke in college.

I used to see happy, married couples walk by and wished I could be one of them. Now I am.

---

There is also an inverse curve, one that most pro fighters experience.

posted August 16, 2013 06:38 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by teasel:
I don't know...

I'm less shy than I used to be, but I was totally self-confident as a little girl.

I take less rubbish from people, but I'm more likely to be argumentative.

I'm not a good one to be thinking about this right now. Although, I've been more likely to just DO things, and get them out of the way.

---

posted August 16, 2013 10:33 AM            

It is a great feeling to feel more at peace with yourself - mind, body and spirit, more comfortable in your own skin, not care what others think, become more self-reliant, being cool no longer matters they way it did in adolesence / early 20's.... I find myself enjoying the present moment more and am less concerned with the future. Knowing yourself and what you really want out of life, appreciating the lessons from the past and the little things that go on more ......it boils down to true freedom.

I remember at different points in life when things were going well, I wished I could stop time and live that time in life forever. I didnt want to lose it. Looking back on it, I would not go back even for a minute.

posted August 16, 2013 10:46 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Faith:
I don't believe in things the way that I used to. I don't automatically trust the experts: the ministers, doctors, scientists, media, government... it's like they are all blowing their whistles and calling me to attention, and I shrug and think, "Maybe you're right, maybe not." But they don't control me like they did when I was young. I have more mental freedom now that I've had time to think things out, and learn to block things out.

---

Same here. I went through a phase where I was hardcore spiritual, i guess you could say. It's left me now and I feel more like...."It is what it is." "It" being everything, all of It. The intense desire to Know, is gone and I'm happy just living open-minded and unattached. No longer searching for anything, just being. And doing what is right for me - making up my own mind, not relying on others to tell me which way to go or feeling like I need to argue any points. Life is much more enjoyable this way.

posted August 16, 2013 11:00 AM            

5 Reasons Getting Older Rules
http://hellogiggles.com/5-reasons-getting-older-rules

Hindsight really is 20/20, isn’t it? The older I get the more I realize this, and sometimes I think I may be a little bit off the grid in the fact that I actually like getting older! Weird, I know, but I find a lot of comfort in all of the good that comes with every new year added to my age. I’m currently just 29 (perhaps I should see how I feel at 59), but from my vantage point, getting older isn’t so bad.

The other day I had a long discussion with one of my girlfriends on the other side of the aging fence, and she asked me what exactly was so great about getting older. Well, Jessica (and all of you), here you go:

1. Things you regret now only seem part of the bigger picture.

When I was younger I was quite the little firecracker, social butterfly, wild child, call it what you will. I did well in school, was incredibly involved in sports and student government, but I was also a little out of control at times (bless my poor parents). I look back on most of my memories fondly; I had so much fun and no one could say I didn’t enjoy those years. But I also look back on some of those times and feel a little bummed out about the choices I made. I used to get legitimately upset thinking back to “mistakes,” some bad memories with not-so-good people, and it would eat me up inside. As the years have gone on though, I’ve come to realize that all of it is part of the story of me, just a different kind of chapter. Everything I’ve been through in my life has gotten me to where I am, and I love the place I’m at, so I’m thankful in a way. I’ve learned to appreciate all of it – the good, the bad, and for me, a part of getting older has been accepting and believing that my past doesn’t have to define me in any way, but that I am able to define it by the choices I make now. Positivity in the present can cause negativity in the past to become simply a bump in the road to where you end up.

2. Knowing who you are.

At 29, I still can’t say that I entirely know who I am, but I’m well on my way. In the past, I definitely didn’t even though I absolutely thought I did! I spent a good portion of my adolescent years like any other teenager- trying to figure out who I was, and from my experience, some never get that chance. I’m thankful I was able to make mistakes and grow, and now as I approach my thirties I’m beginning to see myself more for who I really am, and it’s pretty great. I’m not sure if anyone will ever have it all figured out, but being on the path to self-discovery, which leads to self-acceptance, is right where I want to be. Plus, the more you know about yourself, the more you can figure out what you want out of life, and then it’s easiest to follow your own heart and happiness to get to wherever you want to be.

3. Never having to do “that” again.

“That” is different for everyone. For some, it’s junior high. For others, it’s enduring living at home with parents, staying in the same town you grew up in, or maybe even dating. When you get to that point where you find whatever it is you’ve been looking for, it’s almost like the universe exhales right along with you. Perhaps you’ve finally found happiness in your career and you no longer have to job-hop, or maybe you finally live on your own, away from messy roommates, or even away from obsessively clean roommates. Maybe you’ve finally escaped high school and the thought of never, ever having to go back brings around a huge ticker tape parade in your mind. Whatever your “that” is, it’s a great feeling to have gotten a little older, a little wiser, and knowing you never have to do “that” again.

4. Understanding that nothing is forever, which in turn makes the “now” that much sweeter.

It’s morbid, but it’s true; we all die. And the older we get, the more we realize this. I’ve lost a lot of special people in my world, and it never gets easier, but it does bring waves of clarity to my own life. It’s scary when you have those moments of “I’m not invincible- nothing is forever,” and sometimes it’s enough to make me cry…but those moments are beyond important because they remind us to never, ever take a breath for granted.

5. Realizing that being too cool, is so not cool.

I feel like in my life I have wasted way too much time not doing this or that because of how it looked. Oh, my favorite song just came on? I have an urge to dance a little, but I won’t, because people may think I’m weird. UM HELLO younger self, who cares?! Really. The older I get the less I care, and now, I actually feel bad for all the too-cool people of the world. So what if I want to laugh loud, smile big, dance around to Bruce Springsteen, and find it way too boring to just quietly tap my foot at a show? I’m going to enjoy all these fun moments in life without regard for anyone who wants to rain on my parade. If only my junior high self would have learned this lesson, I could have had a lot more fun just being me than trying to be the cool kid. But at least I can be the coolest un-cool kid now, and to me, that’s pretty cool.

posted August 16, 2013 11:16 AM            

Look, I'm not going to bull**** you. You are going to get old, and it is going to happen lightning fast. You won't see it coming. You'll just be living your life the way you always have, thinking, "Man, I sure am young. There is little in life that I enjoy more than the simple knowledge of how completely not old I am." And then one day, out of the blue, you'll have a horrifying realization that people have stopped viewing you as an ultra cool, iconic masterpiece of sexuality ... now you're just some kid's parent. An annoying teacher. The ******* supervisor. There will be no warning.

Except these ...

#5. Slang Genuinely Makes You Angry !!!

When You're a Kid ...

You never stop learning new words -- I had never heard the term "hubris" until about two years ago, and now I see it used in every TV show I watch, every article I read, every police statement I have to sign. But when you're young, you're learning new words constantly because your mind is still fresh, and it turns out that there is a shitload of words out there, many of which double for "penis" in the right context.

In the rush of learning, slang just slips in like a Game of Thrones **** scene. It doesn't seem out of place because it's just another word you've never heard or used before, no different from any of the other dozen you learned that week. So if you grew up in the '60s and '70s, a term like "groovy" or "hunk" didn't seem like the unwashed underwear stains of language ... it was just another sequence of letters you didn't know yesterday, but do today.

The Warning Sign:

I mentioned that you never stop learning words, but there does come a point where the frequency slows to a near stop. And when a new one pops up, you can tell if it's real or just made-up ******** . For instance, when I heard the aforementioned "hubris," I knew it was a real thing before I filled my clipboard and opened up Google. It didn't sound "clever" or edgy. It didn't have some ridiculous spelling. It didn't sound like an acronym or a shortened version of a longer word. But the first time I heard someone say "probs" in place of "probably," it took every ounce of willpower I could muster to not punch them in their stupid ******* lips for having made that noise.

I also renounced the very air that made sound waves possible when I heard the first dumb ******* say "cray cray" instead of "crazy." Even widely accepted ones like "veggies" make me want to grab the person saying it by their neck and scream into their face, "YOU ARE AN ADULT!" Even if they're not.

I have no right. I totally understand this. It's just a word, and unless it's hurting someone, my reaction to hearing it should be nothing short of apathy. But I guess that's sort of the point. The fact that I'm reacting in that way to what should be a non-issue is the sign that I'm moving away from the section of my life where it was acceptable and normal ("rad," "wicked," "gag me with a spoon") and into the new section, where anyone who uses these terms immediately sets off my internal "******* Idiot" alarm.

#4. Clothing Becomes Complicated

When You're a Kid ...

Your outfit is who you are. Yes, even those of you who go out of your way to avoid name brands because you're your own person who doesn't fall victim to corporate ******** . When I was a kid, especially in the grunge era, I swore that I didn't give a **** what I looked like or what I put on. I was just wearing what was comfortable, right? But if someone would have handed me a pile of ultra preppy clothes or a stack of jock type sportswear, I would have physically fought them to keep that **** off of my body. The point is, we all have our lines that we won't cross when it comes to clothing.

When you're younger, you can get away with pretty much anything you want to wear because it's accepted that you're experimenting with style and expression. It's why we can make fun of that emo haircut where it looks like you were riding sideways in an open convertible, but we won't step in and force you to stop ... well, those of us who aren't assholes, at least.

The Warning Sign:

There's a moment of panic that I ran into the other day while shopping for clothes. I found an awesome shirt that I just loved. It fit perfect, it had a cool design, it was the right price ... but right before I decided to add it to my "**** yeah" pile, I noticed that I was standing in the "teens to young men" section. And in an instant, my shopping trip turned into an internal moral debate.

I'm 39. I don't have gray hair or wrinkles. I don't have an old man gut -- not yet, anyway. But even at a glance, it is apparent that I am a full-grown man. Knowing that, I am well aware of the go-to insult when people see middle-aged people dressing in certain outfits: "God, that's so sad. He's a middle-aged man who dresses like he's 18. He can't let go of his youth." I've said it myself about other people -- some of them movie stars, and some of them just regular people I've seen on the street. Part of me looks back on the guy who said that with shame, but an even bigger part says, "You do not want to be that creepy old douche who can't dress his age."

And that's the weirdest part. What exactly is "dressing your age"? I've seriously had to look it up because I have no idea, and what I found was ... well, I still have no idea. As far as I can tell, it's just taming yourself down. Dressing more conservatively. Less rebellion, less edge, less attention-grabbing patterns, less everything. Now, don't get me wrong here: I'm still going to dress the way I want, but for the first time in my life, I'm doing that with caution. Now I have to consider the options of: Do I wear Justin Bieber's designer Chanel ski mask and cocked fedora outfit? Or do I go with the more conservative double-zipper onesie of his bodyguard?

#3. Technology Stops Making Sense (Even if You're Tech-Literate)

When You're a Kid ...

When you're a kid, you don't sit and marvel at the complexity and wonder of a cellphone. You just use it to send racist messages to your friends. And just like every other facet of material life, when one thing starts to get stale, we invent another similar version and move on to that, abandoning the old concepts. How many people reading this article still regularly use Myspace after Facebook became a thing? And how many abandoned that when Google+ became a- OK, I guess the analogy falls through there, but you get my point, right?

In that same vein, we are quick to try out new technologies, because just like fashion or finding a really badass band, there's a rush you get from being the first in your social circle to be in on the ground floor before it gets huge and becomes the norm. Because of that, it's easy to skip through program after program after program, keeping the ones that are useful and forgetting the ones that aren't.

The Warning Sign:

And then you reach a certain age, and novelty just doesn't mean jack **** anymore. It's all about usefulness now because you're busy, and you don't have time to **** around with learning some new program or piece of hardware if it's not going to have a major payoff. For that reason, I have a smartphone, but I only use it to text and call and take an occasional picture. Ninety percent of its abilities are lost on me.

I'm going to assume that the underlying need for function is why I don't get Vine. For those who don't know, it's an app that lets you post six-second looping video clips to the Internet. By default the sound is turned off, so to me, it just looks like a high-quality animated gif. But then when you unmute the sound, it turns into ... well, an animated gif with sound. It's like a YouTube version of Twitter, and I cannot for the life of me understand why it got popular. Yet, at the same time, one of my all-time favorite sites is 5-Second Films, so it's not like I'm lost on the premise. Given, the 5SF crew are masters of the art, whereas Vine users are regular people with a time limit.

Keep in mind, I'm not new to computers. I've been using them since the early '80s. But even with decades of experience, I don't understand when someone gets mad that a Facebook user posts a full article or essay. I've heard Facebook people say, "Take it to Tumblr." Who in turn tell people to "start a blog." And to this day, I've yet to be able to tell the difference between the three. All of them have the same abilities to post photos, video, and text ... but for some reason the users have decided that one of the sites is used for photos, one site is used for short messages, and the other site is used for My Little Pony **** fiction. And my rapidly aging, bitter mind just gives up, saying, "**** 'em. Post what you want. If they don't like it, they can just lick my ******* ."

#2. Every Debate Makes You Roll Your Eyes

When You're a Kid ...

Part of creating your own identity is rebellion. And a huge part of that rebellion is taking a stand against social norms and actively fighting it. They say your hair needs to be a certain length, so you grow it long. They say your pants have to be a certain style, so you start wearing kilts. Like 10 at a time. When you can't take action, you use your voice. Maybe you've smoked some pot, so you take a stance on legalization and subconsciously look for opportunities to argue your case. If you can't find those debates, maybe you force the issue, shoehorning the topic into another conversation:

"I agree, what happened with those shootings was a tragedy. It's really a shame that we haven't legalized weed yet, because that could have prevented the whole thing. Wait, hear me out ..."

Those debates are calisthenics for the mind, and they are incredibly important. It's where you learn healthy confrontation and negotiation skills, which will probably be some of the most useful skills you'll ever acquire in life because it's how you will net yourself raises, promotions, and a neon-pink kitchen. Those things don't just hand themselves over without some debate and convincing.

The Warning Sign:

Eventually, you reach a point where you have heard virtually every debate point for every topic ever conceived by man. Nothing anyone says is new. Nothing anyone says is convincing the other side to "convert" to their line of thinking. Consider how long debates have been around between atheists and Christians, legalization and anti-drug groups, pro-lifers and pro-choicers, Democrats and Republicans, and on and on. So many of the talking points and debate styles overlap from topic to topic that you can damn near lip sync to them as they're being said. All debates have turned into a Nickelback album.

When you reach a certain age, you don't even see the intelligence or perspective in a debate anymore because you've heard the arguments so much, it's just different people saying the same things in an endless circle jerk. For instance, I know with 100 percent certainty that even without me declaring a side on any of those topics that I listed off in the preceding paragraph, someone will make a smartass, snarky comment about one of them, and that spark will ignite a debate. Just from naming the sides of a debate.

You will reach this point so much sooner than you think. Especially if you hang out on the Internet as a primary or even secondary source of entertainment. Because these debates are everywhere -- they are inescapable. All of them require intelligence, introspection, unbiased examination, and scrutiny ... yet they are almost always conducted by average people with unremarkable IQs who think that winning a debate is determined by who can make the most smartass jab.

#1. You Lose the Ability to Be Surprised by Entertainment

When You're a Kid ...

The Sixth Sense was one of the coolest movies I've ever seen. Not because of the main content, but because the ending alone was enough to cement that film in cinematic history. It was brilliant. Fight Club was the same way. Given, the meat of that movie was fun as hell to watch, but the twist was just mind-blowing at the time.

Those little surprises are what make entertainment awesome when you're growing up. I'm not just talking about "twist endings," though. They can be -- and often are -- more subtle. A punchline of a great joke is only funny because you didn't expect it. A horror movie is scary because you never know what's going to jump out at you next. Holy **** , I nearly **** myself when I saw the first two Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Those twists and turns are what keep things interesting and fresh.

The Warning Sign:

Unfortunately, they abide by a pretty strict formula, and once you've experienced so many of them, they become as predictable as a sunrise. A perfect example of this is BioShock Infinite. Don't worry, I'm not going to give out spoilers.

I bought the game because everyone I spoke to and every review I read said that it was quite literally one of the greatest games ever created. Their biggest praise fell on the storytelling, and I cannot find anyone who doesn't think that it's pure genius.

Except for all of my friends who are my age or older. None of us think it's a bad game, mind you. Hell, none of us really even think it's a bad story. But it is not even remotely close to being the mind-bending benchmark that the gaming world is declaring it to be. The reason for our very subjective, equally worthless opinions is because we've seen these plots a thousand times in a thousand different formats. Half of us predicted the "twist" in that game long before the setup was even complete.

That's not a slam on the game or a "Hey, look how smart and cool we are." It's a prime example of how our age and experience have trained us to read tone, music and visual cues, symbolism, pacing, three-act setup -- because we've played hundreds of games. We've seen hundreds of movies. We've read hundreds of books. We know stories. We know twists. And you will, too. It's not about intelligence. It's about consuming so much for so long that you can pick out the individual ingredients that went into making the cake.

posted August 24, 2013 12:57 AM            

I thought at least one or two mightve gotten a giggle out of it or given it a thumbsup. LOL Mmm...kaaaay....

anyway....

Earlier I got talking to a neighbor couple of mine, which happens every so often. I always love hanging out with these particular ones when we run into each other. He (my neighbor) is an Aries and his girlfriend is a Pisces (same as my grandparents, except reversed).

They are both decades older than me, but I could talk with them forever. MIght be my Saturn placement, in my one-on-one relationship (7th) house that makes this so. I love hanging around older people and hearing their stories. It's comfortable with them. And find i can relate to them so much better than people my own age.

Anyway, it kind of screwed my plans for the night up, but was worth it. I find it enjoyable to sit back and relax and chat with cool older people. It doesnt hurt that our dogs are in love with each other and enjoying each other's company too. lol

Conversation is so much richer and enjoyable with older people, i've noticed. People whove had so much life experience (second Saturn return) and have settled into what really matters...are comfortable with themselves and their life and they are able to laugh easier. I left feeling refreshed and happy as I always do after talking with them.

posted August 24, 2013 06:54 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by T:
Wow! ....nobody? LOL

I thought at least one or two mightve gotten a giggle out of it or given it a thumbsup. LOL Mmm...kaaaay....

---

I didn't see it before! Sooo good !

My husband hates slang, he could have written that part himself. He can't handle the word "veggies" at all.

The clothing part is so true...it's a bit tricky finding clothes that say, "I'm comfortable with my age, thanks!"

Although my good friend is ten years older than me (she's 47) and wears youthful clothes and totally gets away with it. But she's a Horse who raises horses, and it would be weird if she just had a boring wardrobe.