This isn’t intended to be a political thread. The forum opinion of the current political administration is well known, and I’m hoping this doesn’t turn into yet another political thread.

This is a hard to explain question, but here it goes…

So with the state of the world, politics, political correctness, the push for everyone to accept all 52 genders, looming inflation, basically the state of the world, many times we look back to a time that we think was “good”.

For me when I look back, it’s to my early 30’s. It was 2004/2005 and the world seemed so great. Jobs were available, homelessness wasn’t to the levels we have now, there wasn’t a national opioid addiction, things were just better. You could survive as a single person with an entry level job. The gap between wage and rent seemed a lot closer than it is now.

I have asked this question to quite a few people I know. People give me an answer, explain why it was so good, and what they loved so much about that time. When I ask how old they were at that time, it usually always us the same, early 30’s. I feel like every one who is older, looks back with a story of “when I was younger”, and most of those stories were from when the person was in their 30’s.

Is it that in our 30’s we are in our physical prime, old enough that we are on our own, and have an established life. Young enough that we aren’t worried about getting old, retirement, debt, death, etc. Young enough that we haven’t been jaded, or maybe just unaware of all the bad shit going on in the world?

So when we’re things “the best” in your opinion, and how old were you at the time?

I am 46, I do not wish to be any age but it.

I do wish my 46 year old self could go back and click my ass a few times but that is about it.

The older I get, the better the era of "I Like Ike" looks....in a non-political way.

Big fins, gas was 24 cents, I was going into 'real' high school soon, all the girls I knew were becoming more....exotic....although the heartbreak of unrequited lust was a bit in the future.

Plenty of pocket money from my lawn mowing route.

Almost to 'drivers license time'. I could ride my bicycle anywhere I wanted to go, or a bus downtown was still 15 cents.

15 minute B&W cowboy shows once a week were available a few streets over at a friend's place whose parents had just got an actual thing called "TV".

Another dad in the 'hood had bought a double lot with his house, big enough to let us kids play baseball nearly every night until too dark to see the ball.

If I picked 'em just right, now & then I could make a fortune selling a crate of strawberries to the local grocery store.

It was actually fun riding bike miles to school & playing action-packed mumbly-peg on the lawn in front of the community swimming pool.

I was 30 in 1980. We had just purchased our second home and had our first child. Both my wife and I were employed in banking and finance jobs. We weren't rich but didn't want for much. We spent lots of time with friends and summers in the wild on camping and fishing trips. Life was good.

Life is still good in spite of all the bullshit happening. I spend very little time reminiscing about the past and concentrate on the future. (see signature). We are about to embark on our next great adventure as soon as we close on our house and move to a warmer climate. Retirement is fantastic for both of us.

Yes from a physical perspective, because I was in the best shape I'd been in since my early teens.

I wasn't in good shape by any means, just better than the rest of my life before or after.

35 for me. Was on the job for about ten years at that point and still really enjoyed it. Single. Happy.

I look back fondly on the age I was when it didn't hurt to get out of bed.

No way. Too much uncertainty at that point. I was just a few years into building my practice, saving for first house, etc.

I prefer the calm and stability of middle age.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

Is it that in our 30’s we are in our physical prime, old enough that we are on our own, and have an established life. Young enough that we aren’t worried about getting old, retirement, debt, death, etc. Young enough that we haven’t been jaded, or maybe just unaware of all the bad shit going on in the world?

I think this is very much the reason. At 30ish, we still feel young and are generally strong and healthy. Many of us have at least a little money at that point, and are feeling stable in a job. Many of us have young families at that time, and that is a great thing in life.

So we look back on that very fondly. It is a good time, but we also get our rose colored glasses out as we age. Things from our younger years often seem better to us. The music was better, people were nicer, and society was more congenial.

I enjoyed my 30s, and my 40s, and now my 50s. Somethings are better now, and some are worse. I've got no complaints.

I try to remind myself that stuff changes. Music is different, for example, and that is okay. I try to remind myself that people have been thinking that society has been in a decline ever since the reign of Julius Ceasar, and that if that were really true, the collapse we all fear would have come centuries ago.

And I am sure someone will come along and say, "but it really is worse now." It isn't. We just don't like change, and human nature has been the same for tens of thousands of years.

Definitely not for me.

The time (1980's) was okay, but my life was a mess for most of my 30's. I was a drunk and my marriage was suffering from my assholiness.

I got my shit together (mostly...) by the time I was 45 and my health was overall pretty good, but I was working jobs I had to to pay the bills and that wasn't pleasant. It wasn't AWFUL, but it wasn't fun either.

I would say the last ten years have been the best personally and other than the aches and pains that are a part of getting older, I'm still in pretty decent shape physically, I'm financially comfortable and do pretty much whatever the hell I please, whenever it pleases me to do it.

Honestly if you could plop me in any age to stay time looped in it would be about 10 years old. I just have such fond memories of playing with my GI Joe’s, no real responsibilities, all the grandparents and family alive, some great TV/Movies etc. etc. So I am going with around 10 or so.

Early 30s was good. Just prior to us having our first kid.

I would gladly go back but would prefer to go back even further. 18-21 was a really good time.

Mid-to-Late 30's was a good period, as my career was starting to take hold, got my first brand new in-season vehicle, I was in a good, mature relationship, and vacations were nicer than the standard booze-cruise or, tropical trip.

My answer it the younger the better.
You get to a point that you know the evitable is coming and want to put it off as long as possible.

I don't know that I have a particular age I look fondly back on--most of my life has been fairly pleasant. I was still 30 in 1968 and a USAF Captain attending USC for a MSIE degree. A year later I graduated and was sent to Iran to be the Radar Advisor to the IIAF (Imperial Iranian Air Force). Life there with the Shah in power was OK. However, a few years later in the 1970s I met my 2 Best Friends (at different USAF assignments, both of which I enjoyed immensely), so I'd probably pick ages 35-40 as the ones I'd favor.

flashguy

I think with the passing of time we tend to look back with nostalgia and sometimes forget the things that stressed us out. I say this because I used to have the same opinion as Beancooker in the OP.

What changed my opinion? I discovered a long lost journal I kept from that time and HOLY SHIT it was like stepping back onto a time machine. I had completely forgotten how stressed out I was over some things that turned out to be minor or totally not worth the worry.

Reading that journal made me realize the importance of keeping a written record of your day and it provides quite an illuminating picture of my mental state and mindset during certain periods in my life.

I think the best time in my life is right now. I have no reason to look back too fondly. My journals gave me priceless perspective.

For me, 40 seemed to be the best age. I'd go back to 28 in a heartbeat though (which would be 1986-87) for about a week if I could. Life was so good then.

18 years old is when I look back with the most memories.
I just graduated in 1986, my senior year of high school was great and I was in the DEP doing drills/running. I was in great shape and an excellent attitude.
Hard to believe it was that long ago and I'd go back if I could in a heartbeat.

For me, it was early 20s. I was in college, and working my dream job as a mountain guide in the Colorado Rockies. Not a care in the world except the safety of the 20 or soo teenagers I was responsible for, and my work kept me in great shape doing something I truly loved.

After that, it was my 30s. I started making some money, learning how the business world worked. Plus, I still lived in Colorado, so I still got the benefits of the mountains, only now with new toys.

Then I moved into my 49s and 50s and learned what teams were all about when it came to complex projects, Not as physically hard, but more rewarding, especially when it went well. And I still lived in the west!

Now I'm in my 60s. I work engineering projects, which tend to be more solo for me, I do well, but there's not always the sense of accomplishment, And I live in the east now, and don't get out enough to look as hot as I feel. But I still accomplish things and get rewarded, although I'm slowing down.

I had good times when I was 32. I've been debt free ever since.