Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This question is aimed at older people, 40 and up.
Looking back to when you were a younger person, has your life turned out to be what you expected, not quite, or not at all what you expected? By this, I don't mean knowing exactly what job you have right this second, the house you live in, your car, your spouse, etc...but in the sense of achievements/accomplishments/milestones realized or unrealized.
For example, did you intend on having children, but then later on ended up not having any at all? And, were you able to get a sense of this at a younger age?
I'm asking because I'm only 31, but I'm curious as to how the next 50 years will look. Also, I appreciate older folks' life experience.
No, things did not turn out the way I wanted it to...at all. But, I make the best of it each day. I will tell you this much, 90% of the happiness in your life, is based on who you marry, this is not a decision to make in haste. Also, think twice about borrowing money, whether it is for a car, using a credit card, or a student loan.
Well my life kind of turned out to be the way I thought, however so far as business, way back when I pictured myself being in real estate. I'm not and that business has certainly changed since the 1970's! (Environmental laws, background checks needed on renters due to meth labs, very high cost of remodeling, etc. Something to stay AWAY from now.)
When I was younger, I mostly thought about what the world would be like after the year 2000. I pictured something like the "Jetsons" TV cartoon. Flying cars and robots. And that also was a nice "Leave it to Beaver" family...
I did not picture a bunch of selfish out of work people who have their faces buried in video games / cell phones and never talk to each other. Nor did I picture all the violence which is common in society. And I did not picture the selfishness of large corporations cheating their employees out of benefits and retirement!
So I am quite "disappointed" as to how the world has turned out.
But on the bright side, my life has had many "different lives" as I reached each decade of living. The 20's, 30's, 40's, etc. each were quite different. Like I was quite impatient in my 20's. Always in a hurry. Wanted to move around and see the world. My 40's were the exact opposite. Very patient, low stress, wanted to settle down and stay put.
So I have become interested in new different things and changed as I have grown older. I am like a cat with many different lives. Each new "life" is like a flower blooming into a bright new world. New things to do and see...
Did your life turn out the way you thought it would?
Virtually not at all, I think. (I was born in 1938, by the way.) In my teenage years and very early twenties, I had internalized all the goals and objectives that my parents and their generation thought were appropriate. However, I received a much different education than they did, and moved to a much different type of environment, so very quickly these unquestioned, inherited goals changed. My life went through many phases, and certainly held unforseen negative events...several times I changed direction substantially. At this point, as I have said elsewhere, I sometimes find difficulty identifying with or much caring about the past. Where I have arrived at seems a good place, but I cannot imagine ever having been able to aim for it in decades past. I/my life seems to have unfolded in totally unpredictable ways, but I like where I am at.
My life turned into a disaster, so no, not what I thought. Career is in a shambles and divorced with no kids at 43. Yeah, a nightmare, total nightmare.
My life is nothing like I imagined it would be. Looking back I had such a naive, pollyanna view of the world from living such an isolated childhood. I never realized how hard it was to find love and a relationship and am heartbroken I am still alone and childless at 43 with hardly a real friend in the world who would bother to go out and spend face to face time with me. People seem to view friendships and relationships with one another as if we are all disposable. I never envisioned this was what being an adult would be like nor how cruel the working world is, nor the illnesses I would have to endure and accident injuries nor how scary the world would become. One thing I wished I'd done was not get myself in major credit card debt doing everything my stupid doctors told me to do to get better because it didn't work but cost me thousands. I did manage to get out of debt but now have no life savings and doesn't look like much of a future to look forward to. I also wished I'd not blown off the two people in my early adulthood I met that seemed to love me thinking I could do "better" because I've not met anyone since who treated me with such respect and love. Maybe some young person will read this and learn from my mistakes and my life might be worth something then.
My life is nothing like I imagined it would be. Looking back I had such a naive, pollyanna view of the world from living such an isolated childhood. I never realized how hard it was to find love and a relationship and am heartbroken I am still alone and childless at 43 with hardly a real friend in the world who would bother to go out and spend face to face time with me. People seem to view friendships and relationships with one another as if we are all disposable. I never envisioned this was what being an adult would be like nor how cruel the working world is, nor the illnesses I would have to endure and accident injuries nor how scary the world would become. One thing I wished I'd done was not get myself in major credit card debt doing everything my stupid doctors told me to do to get better because it didn't work but cost me thousands. I did manage to get out of debt but now have no life savings and doesn't look like much of a future to look forward to. I also wished I'd not blown off the two people in my early adulthood I met that seemed to love me thinking I could do "better" because I've not met anyone since who treated me with such respect and love. Maybe some young person will read this and learn from my mistakes and my life might be worth something then.
I can sure feel your pain. Same age, debt, no kids, no support system, no real friends. I've been lucky with my health except for some major low back issues, but sort of used to that now. I agree with everything you said. I also wish I'd fought harder for my marriage, as nobody will ever love me like she did, and I blew it. I deserve to be alone.
My life turned out better than I thought, and I thought it would turn out good. I've been married 23 years to an angel from the fine state of Pennsylvania, and my kids are smart, beautiful, and incredible. I also followed my heart careerwise, after slumming as a software engineer. We're all healthy. I'm fortunate. These are good times.
no , my life did not turn out the way i hoped it would , so much so that i consider myself to have only been technically alive this past thirteen and a half years , anytime i look back fondly , its only ever pre 1999 , the person i was prior to that is long dead
I'm only 43, but it what I thought it would be when I was 30, and I'm glad for that! At 30 I was sure I didn't want kids, but now I have 2 and can't imagine life without them. One thing that sort of stayed the same was that I knew I wanted to be a college professor. I am one now, but it came about differently than I expected.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
