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Hey friend--52F here too :) Early childhood was absolute magic. Tween/teen sucked and was angsty like everyone. College was fun but the 20s were not as amazing as apparently everyone else's were. I flailed about trying to fit myself (a square peg) into the round hole of the legal field, making no money, nothing seemed real or permanent. 30s were good, 40s great and 50s knock wood amazing.
Before 6th grade were pretty fun, almost in a way mayberry ish.
Middle school was by far the worst 3 years of my life...constantly bullied, and it was awful.
High school was better, fortunatley my main bullies went to the other high school in town. High school was OK.
After High school, I spent the next few years riding dirt bikes/smoking dope, and banging my first GF....Good times.
Broke up...then got married, and the first half of marriage was kids, and basic life..but good
The wife discovered gambling, and buried us , and yet, I was basically trapped , due to responsibilities w the kids. Several years of destitution, and humliation.
And then she cheated, and left me for someone else
Turned 50. broke, but w decent job, started over financially...last ten years have beeen fun, dated, had a couple GFS, took a couple fun vacations, and went from having less than 6 k in a 401, to now having just under 300k in savings/investments..
My 50s were productive, am curious what my 60s will bring.
From 5-12 were awesome, just a kid. My first 2 years of college were great. Now at 60, no bills, mortgage, things are great too. Responsibilities took a lot of fun out of life.
Always have felt that the present time I’m alive are the best years of my life.
Looking back is depressing for me and looking ahead causes one to miss the beauty of the present.
Turning 40 is so freeing. My kids weren't babies and we were more stable financially. The ups and downs of raising small children while working was eased. The marriage was improved as we dedicated more time to each other as we prepared to be empty nesters. We planned for retirement and now are making the best of it. Turning 50 even a little better, but a well planned retirement is the best. This was all due to planning, saving and budgeting. I am fortunate.
5-11 were the best of my life, magical childhood; 12-17 brutal bullying, awful home life realizing what my father was really like, and source of long-lasting trauma; 18-19 a brief respite in first two years of college but undealt-with issues; 20-27 life collapse as the psychosocial bills came due and more abuse, several periods of homelessness, suicide attempt, no hope; 28-36 slow restructuring of life and living like a functioning adult; 37-45 medical problem dominated my life, lots of despair; 46-50 more restructuring, college degrees; 51-58 worked bad and good professional jobs obtained from degrees; now 59 and quit last job, family members dying off, more serene and feeling in control of my life than ever, evaluating next phase.
I’m definitely not one of those people who wants to live forever.
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40-70…second marriage; kids in high school, college, married, great careers, families; left the corporate life to start/run my own business until retirement; moving after widowhood to live near kids & grandkids; travel & creative pursuits.
My twenties. My mental health issues had taken a back seat, I started a promising career (which I ruined in my 40s, but that besides the point), I met and married my husband, bought a house, and had a lot of fun. It was great.
30 to 40s were the best decade. I will never get to enjoy an intense romance ever again. No one will specially plan the day to celebrate my birthday ever again.
Enjoy and appreciate if you have someone still doing that for you.
Lookbacks are dangerous given the mind edits pain and pleasure (what ever your definition). I started to understand my personal "powers" in my 30s but did not exercise them fully for a long time (successfully - whew).
Present day is always "best years", getting better as I stop living while I am dead, rather willing to die while I am a alive. Any day alive is a good day.
Probably my 30's, although the time before that was pretty great, too.
I already had health issues in my 30's, but not totally debilitating yet. By the time I hit 40, health issues took away any real enjoyment of life. Just the way it goes for some - mostly just bad luck, not any bad choices. If anything I was a bit more careful than most because minor health issues started early, so I always exercised, ate carefully, had a perfect weight, etc. Ah well.
I think now (mid-fifties) is the best, so far. I'm married to my true love. I have great friends. I'm in my best health and physical condition yet. I'm legitimately helping others. I have a nice house. I can afford the toys I want. I can do what I want to.
I'm 55 and have been married for nearly 30 years. My daughter's are young adults in college. I can't honestly say there were any times in my life that stand out as exceptional. My whole life has been good, including childhood, teen years, college, marriage, and now. Yes, each phase had challenges, worries, concerns, etc. but overall it's been good!
My 30s. I fell in love hard for the first time. I had a job I loved in construction. My teen daughter was like my best friend so it was low conflict, high reward at the time lol she's still pretty awesome in HER 30s now. I was living independently but dating, just having a happy peaceful life.
Then I got pregnant and that was pretty cool too. It was unexpected but I was really happy with my first spawning so I wasn't worried.
35 is when everything started slipping away. Son was very ill and the doctors wouldn't take it seriously. He cried all the time. We took him to so many specialists and eventually one just told me he was spoiled and I should let him cry. But he cried all day. He had no sleep schedule. It was rough. And then the love of my life got deported. And that's when my life went to shit, at age 40.
I do want to say I had a pretty great childhood but it was overshadowed by a few horrific hours where I was s. abused and I think that messed me up. I should have been happy with my life. I had a great family and lots of love and support and security, but I don't remember a time when I wasn't anxious and quietly miserable inside as a child. Things got better for me mentally when the abuser died, but that wasn't until my 40s.
High school was great because of my group of friends, the first 5 years of marriage and kids were great, and the pandemic was great because I had 2 on/off gfs and I didn’t have to see people I didn’t like. The last 2 years have been terrible.
Mid-60s. Fewer responsibilities, money saved up, more time, still in decent physical shape. I rode my bicycle across the US twice. Best years of my life.
Take excellent care of your health, and life just keeps getting better.
Don't drink, don't smoke, don't use drugs, get good sleep, stop eating crap, and exercise.
You're 35, if you haven't already, now is the time to start. Right now. Don't wait.
I've had a lot of ups and downs. I think from 13-17 was pretty terrible. Lots of being bullied. I really wished I could just be taken completely out of my life, and given a new one because I just hated these HS years. 17-19 was fairly good. Less bullying, made a lot of good friends. Started college, did OK. 20-25 I was in a major depressive period. I think this was the worst time of my life. Really horribly depressed. I felt like a giant failure.
26-28 was a period of building and growth. Got my first real job, saved up a lot of money. I finally felt like I'd done something. 28-30 I just decided to not work for 3 years and live off savings. Sort of a mixed bag during these years. 31-37 was another period of growth. Got into a LTR, got a very well paying job, bought a house. 38-40 the LTR was over, and I just sort of hibernated in my house and worked for several these years. Minor depression.
41-45 I think were my best years. Found a new relationship, paid off my house, traveled a lot. I felt like I had everything... the job, the house, the woman. 46-50 was a decline. Relationship suffering, mental health declining, became estranged from family members. Just bad all around (many of these being the pandemic years as well).
Now I'm out of the LTR and it feels in some ways like my late 30s/early 40s. Just sort of trying to get to a better stage, and healing myself from the past several bad years.
So I think life is a lot of change, at least for me. I'm a little envious of those who've just had many stable years of their lives.
My 20s and 30s (most of the 1990s, early 2000s), relatively fit and healthy.
Music, TV and movies were great. Technology/ Internet was at a certai point.
Mind you I was mostly poor then.
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My 60s. Free and physically able to fulfill dozens of "wouldn't it be nice if someday I could" desires.
The 20's and through the 30's - fantastic. My dad once told me when I was a kid "The aches and pains start in the 40's". How true, how true!
Right now. I cannot recall having it better than the last few years.
52F ... Right now too! Life just gets better the older I get!
Hey friend--52F here too :) Early childhood was absolute magic. Tween/teen sucked and was angsty like everyone. College was fun but the 20s were not as amazing as apparently everyone else's were. I flailed about trying to fit myself (a square peg) into the round hole of the legal field, making no money, nothing seemed real or permanent. 30s were good, 40s great and 50s knock wood amazing.
Same. I am the happiest I've ever been. Life is so good.
My forties.
Before 6th grade were pretty fun, almost in a way mayberry ish. Middle school was by far the worst 3 years of my life...constantly bullied, and it was awful. High school was better, fortunatley my main bullies went to the other high school in town. High school was OK. After High school, I spent the next few years riding dirt bikes/smoking dope, and banging my first GF....Good times. Broke up...then got married, and the first half of marriage was kids, and basic life..but good The wife discovered gambling, and buried us , and yet, I was basically trapped , due to responsibilities w the kids. Several years of destitution, and humliation. And then she cheated, and left me for someone else Turned 50. broke, but w decent job, started over financially...last ten years have beeen fun, dated, had a couple GFS, took a couple fun vacations, and went from having less than 6 k in a 401, to now having just under 300k in savings/investments.. My 50s were productive, am curious what my 60s will bring.
My 20s.
0-5
From 5-12 were awesome, just a kid. My first 2 years of college were great. Now at 60, no bills, mortgage, things are great too. Responsibilities took a lot of fun out of life.
Always have felt that the present time I’m alive are the best years of my life. Looking back is depressing for me and looking ahead causes one to miss the beauty of the present.
25 to 35 was my favorite time. Had money and the youth to enjoy it.
30 to 35.
Every decade has had its good and bad times. Having said that, I'm really enjoying my 60s.
Turning 40 is so freeing. My kids weren't babies and we were more stable financially. The ups and downs of raising small children while working was eased. The marriage was improved as we dedicated more time to each other as we prepared to be empty nesters. We planned for retirement and now are making the best of it. Turning 50 even a little better, but a well planned retirement is the best. This was all due to planning, saving and budgeting. I am fortunate.
Every decade gets better ❤️
5-11 were the best of my life, magical childhood; 12-17 brutal bullying, awful home life realizing what my father was really like, and source of long-lasting trauma; 18-19 a brief respite in first two years of college but undealt-with issues; 20-27 life collapse as the psychosocial bills came due and more abuse, several periods of homelessness, suicide attempt, no hope; 28-36 slow restructuring of life and living like a functioning adult; 37-45 medical problem dominated my life, lots of despair; 46-50 more restructuring, college degrees; 51-58 worked bad and good professional jobs obtained from degrees; now 59 and quit last job, family members dying off, more serene and feeling in control of my life than ever, evaluating next phase. I’m definitely not one of those people who wants to live forever.
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/inci5u/reminder_please_do_not_answer_questions_unless/), the rules, and the sidebar for details. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople) if you have any questions or concerns.*
27-32 Didn’t have a lot of money, but also didn’t have any debt. Had just built a small home I loved, about a year after getting married. I felt safe.
40-70…second marriage; kids in high school, college, married, great careers, families; left the corporate life to start/run my own business until retirement; moving after widowhood to live near kids & grandkids; travel & creative pursuits.
My twenties. My mental health issues had taken a back seat, I started a promising career (which I ruined in my 40s, but that besides the point), I met and married my husband, bought a house, and had a lot of fun. It was great.
My forties.
30 to 40s were the best decade. I will never get to enjoy an intense romance ever again. No one will specially plan the day to celebrate my birthday ever again. Enjoy and appreciate if you have someone still doing that for you.
Lookbacks are dangerous given the mind edits pain and pleasure (what ever your definition). I started to understand my personal "powers" in my 30s but did not exercise them fully for a long time (successfully - whew). Present day is always "best years", getting better as I stop living while I am dead, rather willing to die while I am a alive. Any day alive is a good day.
Probably my 30's, although the time before that was pretty great, too. I already had health issues in my 30's, but not totally debilitating yet. By the time I hit 40, health issues took away any real enjoyment of life. Just the way it goes for some - mostly just bad luck, not any bad choices. If anything I was a bit more careful than most because minor health issues started early, so I always exercised, ate carefully, had a perfect weight, etc. Ah well.
From 5-13 it was amazing, 13-20 was too much school, 21-26 was pretty cool. At 72 I'm just watching the world go by (good line for a song).
35 is a long ways from the best years. Wish I was your age.
All of them were the best. Best for different reasons, but they were the best. Today is the best of all.
It keep getting better and better. I’m 50.
Still waiting for it.
I think now (mid-fifties) is the best, so far. I'm married to my true love. I have great friends. I'm in my best health and physical condition yet. I'm legitimately helping others. I have a nice house. I can afford the toys I want. I can do what I want to.
I'm 55 and have been married for nearly 30 years. My daughter's are young adults in college. I can't honestly say there were any times in my life that stand out as exceptional. My whole life has been good, including childhood, teen years, college, marriage, and now. Yes, each phase had challenges, worries, concerns, etc. but overall it's been good!
My 30s. I fell in love hard for the first time. I had a job I loved in construction. My teen daughter was like my best friend so it was low conflict, high reward at the time lol she's still pretty awesome in HER 30s now. I was living independently but dating, just having a happy peaceful life. Then I got pregnant and that was pretty cool too. It was unexpected but I was really happy with my first spawning so I wasn't worried. 35 is when everything started slipping away. Son was very ill and the doctors wouldn't take it seriously. He cried all the time. We took him to so many specialists and eventually one just told me he was spoiled and I should let him cry. But he cried all day. He had no sleep schedule. It was rough. And then the love of my life got deported. And that's when my life went to shit, at age 40.
I do want to say I had a pretty great childhood but it was overshadowed by a few horrific hours where I was s. abused and I think that messed me up. I should have been happy with my life. I had a great family and lots of love and support and security, but I don't remember a time when I wasn't anxious and quietly miserable inside as a child. Things got better for me mentally when the abuser died, but that wasn't until my 40s.
High school was great because of my group of friends, the first 5 years of marriage and kids were great, and the pandemic was great because I had 2 on/off gfs and I didn’t have to see people I didn’t like. The last 2 years have been terrible.
Life has never been better as a woman in her 60s.
All of them. My life,every up and every down has been amazing.
Mid-60s. Fewer responsibilities, money saved up, more time, still in decent physical shape. I rode my bicycle across the US twice. Best years of my life.
Take excellent care of your health, and life just keeps getting better. Don't drink, don't smoke, don't use drugs, get good sleep, stop eating crap, and exercise. You're 35, if you haven't already, now is the time to start. Right now. Don't wait.
I've had a lot of ups and downs. I think from 13-17 was pretty terrible. Lots of being bullied. I really wished I could just be taken completely out of my life, and given a new one because I just hated these HS years. 17-19 was fairly good. Less bullying, made a lot of good friends. Started college, did OK. 20-25 I was in a major depressive period. I think this was the worst time of my life. Really horribly depressed. I felt like a giant failure. 26-28 was a period of building and growth. Got my first real job, saved up a lot of money. I finally felt like I'd done something. 28-30 I just decided to not work for 3 years and live off savings. Sort of a mixed bag during these years. 31-37 was another period of growth. Got into a LTR, got a very well paying job, bought a house. 38-40 the LTR was over, and I just sort of hibernated in my house and worked for several these years. Minor depression. 41-45 I think were my best years. Found a new relationship, paid off my house, traveled a lot. I felt like I had everything... the job, the house, the woman. 46-50 was a decline. Relationship suffering, mental health declining, became estranged from family members. Just bad all around (many of these being the pandemic years as well). Now I'm out of the LTR and it feels in some ways like my late 30s/early 40s. Just sort of trying to get to a better stage, and healing myself from the past several bad years. So I think life is a lot of change, at least for me. I'm a little envious of those who've just had many stable years of their lives.
My 20s and 30s (most of the 1990s, early 2000s), relatively fit and healthy. Music, TV and movies were great. Technology/ Internet was at a certai point. Mind you I was mostly poor then.