As age creeps up on you, you might find yourself reminiscing about the good ol' days of youth. Well, snap out of it. Your mind is playing tricks on you and as the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. At least it seems so.
Most qualms we have about getting older revolve around the southward migration of once perky body parts, but what you don't realize is youth isn't all it's cracked up to be -- though a lightning fast metabolism is always welcome. In fact, if you were given the chance to relive the horrors of high school cliques, worrying about now-inconsequential things, and breakouts, you'd probably leap for your AARP card in a heartbeat.
Many of our readers agree. We asked our Facebook friends and readers why they'd never want to be young again. Here's what just a few of them had to say:
1. You care a little too much about what others will think.
From choosing the most impressive prom dress to public speaking in debate class, you constantly worry about the wrong move that could make you the class laughing stock or equal social suicide for the rest of your time with your peers. Later, you find out life's too short to give a damn.
"I'd never want to be a teenager again because no matter what kind of personal life you have, you have to live it in view of all your schoolmates and your parents. Leaving your teen years behind means gaining a measure of privacy -- to do with as you please," said reader Anne Bagamery.
2. You're not entirely sure who you are yet.
And it's not just figuring out what career path to take. It can be a confusing time for identity in a number of ways: sexual, cultural, religious.
"I could not handle the angst and pressure of being an Indian girl trying to live in two different cultures again," said reader Aneeta Rashad.
3. You're broke, more often than not.
We shudder to think what a perpetual diet of instant noodles, energy drinks, and greasy pizza would do to us today.
"Do I get to keep the car and the money?" asked reader Jonathan Grant. "Cuz I ain't goin' back if I gotta be broke again."
4. You think you're the center of the world.
Everything is major. Getting left out, rejected after a job interview, or just plain not getting what you expected can cause a serious meltdown.
"Happy to leave the self-absorption behind. Mememe becomes US...happier way to live," said reader Maryjane Fahey.
5. You're not fully comfortable in your skin.
Insecurity can be a constant and unwelcome companion, but luckily with age, comes a sense of self.
"Nothing about my adolescence and youth would make an adequate trade for the sweetness of life for me now," said reader Julie Hairston. "Not the natural beauty and energy of a young body. Not the endless prospect of future glory. Youh was a difficult time for me. So long, insecurity. Bye-bye uncertainty. Ciao, recklessness."
6. You're not established in your career.
You've got to worry about the right door opening at the right time, and wowing potential employers with your extracurriculars -- oh and don't forget about the job market.
"I wouldn't want to be a teenager of any race or gender in today's world...It is harder and more expensive to get a good education. It is even tougher to get a good job right out of college. And if you do get a job-say in journalism-- you end of doing what used to be two or three jobs and paid a lot less than you should be. And that's on top of all the other teenage and young adult problems," said reader Sylvester Monroe.
7. You lack the maturity, wisdom, and sweet perspective that can only come with age.
Priceless.
"Wisdom trumps youthful beauty any day of the week," said Post50 blogger Sharon Hodor Greenthal.
"The confidence, comfort, and contentment of experience and maturity rock my world!" ssaid Julie Hairston.
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