Despite access to thousands of people’s life experiences, we tend to not really understand something until it happens to us. There is really no proper substitute for just living through something, but the magic of the internet allows us to at least try.
Someone asked “What’s a truth about aging that no one prepared you for?” and netizens shared the surprising examples. So get comfortable as you read through, upvote your favorite stories and be sure to share your own experiences, ideas and thoughts in the comments section below.
#1
I’m 61 and sometimes I feel like this world is not for me anymore. I feel almost like an imposter. For example, I can’t find clothes I like that fit correctly, tv is abhorrent, only old music sounds pleasant, shoes are uncomfortable, I don’t recognize most celebrities or famous people in the news or tabloids, and I don’t understand the need for most new and supposedly exciting products.
I’m an educated person, I still work and have an active life. I’m not a recluse. But a little at a time, I feel the world is moving on without me. I finally understand why, in her final years, my mother only watched movies from the 1950s and reminisced about the past more than she talked about the present. Her world was long gone.
Image source: Odd-Telephone9730, cottonbro studio / Pexels
#2
The world becomes more beautiful and people become less necessary.
Image source: Duffman_O_Yeah, Arthur Brognoli / Pexels
#3
How much I don’t give a f**k anymore! In a good way.
Image source: MotherOfMagpies23, Helena Lopes / Pexels
#4
Your body really does just start hurting out of nowhere.
Image source: CelticMayhem73, Kindel Media / Pexels
#5
You will realize that you hate planning meals and making food every single day. It’s boring and to easy to fall into monotony. But you have to make lunch again and then plan for dinner again then make dinner again and what do you want to eat tomorrow so you plan for breakfast tomorrow and get up and make breakfast again and then plan for lunch again…..
I am so tired of planning and making food.
Image source: lonelyronin1, Patricio Nahuelhual / Pexels
#6
Just how horrid menopause is and how little the medical community cares about how much you’re suffering.
Image source: cbmcleod70, Sora Shimazaki / Pexels
#7
How your mind stays young while your body starts to slow down. You still feel like the same person you’ve always been but suddenly you notice little things changing.
Kremidas:
When I turned 40 I was asked by a younger person what that felt like. I told them I just feel like a 27 year old who has been hanging around and doing stuff for 13 years.
Image source: Melodic_Researcher53, Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
#8
Your friends start to die. It’s something I never thought about.
Image source: helcat, Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels
#9
Doors start closing once you reach a certain age.
Frozboz:
Ageism is real. I just turned 50 and am in a young person’s career (software development). I feel how hiring managers look at me when asked to turn my camera on, during an interview that was going very well and suddenly it’s “we’ll get back to you”.
Image source: Witchaven_AoC, cottonbro studio / Pexels
#10
Time f*****g flies.
nor_cal_woolgrower:
The days are long but the years fly by.
Image source: CaucasianHumus, cottonbro studio / Pexels
#11
How much time you wasted in your life trying to make others like you.
Image source: richb83, Karolina Kaboompics / Pexels
#12
Time for the hard truth.
One day, and yes it will happen to you, you will see a box… and you won’t just throw it away because IT’S A REALLY USEFUL BOX.
Image source: Justaredditor85, cottonbro studio / Pexels
#13
Adults aren’t real. At least not in the way they’re viewed when you’re a kid.
When you’re a kid you can’t wait to “grow up” and then you do and you’re still you, just older. That voice inside your head doesn’t change, but what you see in the mirror does. Only now you’re just older and saddled with bills and stress and all of life’s “surprises”.
On top of this, everyone is winging it. Absolutely everyone. Because the idea of order and a civilized society is an illusion. We’re all playing by made up rules and making imaginary money and all the rest of it. A one dollar bill costs just as much to print as a hundred dollar bill. Hell, ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR BILLS used to be a thing (not in circulation, but they still represented their face value). Same principle applies.
In short, everyone is just doing whatever until we die.
Image source: SoonToBeMarried43, Daniel Frese / Pexels
#14
I’d just turned 40 and wasn’t happy about it when I happened to talk to a couple in their 80s. Oh 40 they said, eyes misting up. What I wouldn’t give to be 40 again. Made me feel better and now that I’m 60 I’m beginning to see their point of view.
Image source: lotsanoodles
#15
You start to realize the older you get that the end is closer than the beginning and you still feel like you have so much more to do.
Image source: Putrid-Stage3925, Mikhail Nilov / Pexels
#16
It’s really lonely being an adult. I mean you have friends and co workers etc but it’s just incredibly lonely because you only ever have surface level conversations with most people.
Image source: Totes_agirl, Stefan Stefancik / Pexels
#17
The fatigue.
Resistant-Insomnia:
I haven’t felt rested in over ten years. Always tired. The moment I open my eyes I’m exhausted.
Image source: Groundbreaking_Pea10, Polina Zimmerman / Pexels
#18
How much it hurts to fall.
I fell off the roof of a house as a kid and just got up and walked away.
Now I’m careful when stepping off of a tall curb…
Image source: cejiv
#19
Hair grows where you don’t want it and falls out where you wanted it.
Image source: MntEverest77, Ghassan Alkhatib / Pexels
#20
Things that seemed so important when you were younger, really are not important.
Image source: Excellent_Earth_9033, Marcus Aurelius / Pexels
#21
No one prepared me for how much energy and time it takes to maintain everything—like health, relationships, and just staying organized. It’s way more work than I expected!
Image source: Milaabbyxx, Gary Barnes / Pexels
#22
It will hit you unexpectedly, you think you’re still young but your body just won’t cooperate and will show some signs.
Image source: aslynnxhalee, SHVETS production / Pexels
#23
It’s not just you who is getting old.
Your parents are getting even older.
Image source: iVikingr, Magda Ehlers / Pexels
#24
Remember when you were younger and you’d ask your Dad: “What’s wrong?” And he’d say: “Idk, I must’ve slept funny.”
That’s you now.
Image source: willyv4pres, Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
#25
The point where you start evaluating friendships and find that most friendships are merely transactional. I’ve dropped a lot of “friends”.
Image source: Embarrassed_Car_6779, Helena Lopes / Pexels
#26
Waking up at least twice a night to pee.
Image source: Tombo1977
#27
Your face looks older than your body, your soul feels younger than your mind …
Image source: OwnEducation699
#28
That it seems to happen overnight.
I was young the day before yesterday.
I’m turning 60 in two months.
WTF.
Image source: TheCosmicFlounder
#29
When you get a flashback of a good memory and you realize that was over 10 years ago.
Bonschenverwerter:
I saw a former classmate the other day. Did the maths and realized I hadn’t seen them in about 20 years. I’m only 35.
Image source: thrivingandstriving, ALINA MATVEYCHEVA / Pexels
#30
Healthy living is just one part of living longer. Genetics and environmental influences are the two other puzzle pieces.
Healthy living only gets you so far. The last three funerals I went to were for people in really amazing shape before their illness/death. Cancer, cancer, heart attack.
Absolutely, do all you can, but denial of mortality isn’t helpful as you age.
Image source: PanickedPoodle
#31
I started to appreciate lonelines and peace. Priceless..
Image source: Impressive_Hunt_3933
#32
Household appliances start getting really exciting. Had a vacuum delivered a couple of months ago, it arrived while we had dinner guests and everyone was super excited lol.
Image source: binglybleep
#33
I’m middle aged and a funny thing is the way younger people get self-conscious or apologize when there is no need. For example, they will apologize for swearing around me or mentioning something like (gasp) drinking, or d***s, or sleeping around. I think it’s funny. Why would being on earth longer make me easier to scandalize? I’ve seen and done things that would shock them, lol, but to them I’m a very proper looking classy older lady.
Image source: Glittering-Lychee629
#34
If you choose not to have kids, you may end up losing your friends. I turn 40 this year, and my partner and I don’t see many folks these days. Parents like to hang out with other parents. And I don’t have a grudge, I totally see the value for playdates, etc. But it can be a little lonely.
Image source: OcularVernacular, Ron Lach / Pexels
#35
Everybody thinks you’re respectable if you keep a rose garden and a vegetable garden…
…no matter what you used to do at Burning Man.
Image source: doublestitch
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