Aging is a bit weird

[Just A Disciple]

We're no longer the fun generation to write news articles about it seems. Seems we're skewing a lot more conservative as we get older (because it seems politics in general is moving more left). Hearing liberal talking points from 10 years ago as standard fare on Fox News is a bit of a head spin.

Hard to keep up with new lingo Gen Z is using. Good music is now a 'banger', or 'slaps'. Seems like rock music has disappeared as a popular medium. Things parents said as a kid makes more sense, the Bible seems way more wise than I thought when I was a kid.

What are things about getting older have you not expected/thought are weird?

 

[dzheremi]

Uh...both my parents died. That was weird. I was hoping I would at least be in my 40s by the time that happened, but nope. 14 (mom) and 37 (dad). There was a lot of stuff around dealing with a parent's passing that I found a bit overwhelming, since I was just a kid when it happened the first time, so the adults around me dealt with all that stuff then. It's good to know, I guess, but I'm glad I don't have to go through it ever again.

Politics have gotten a lot more acerbic and gross-feeling. I don't feel good about voting basically ever, and the way that political things involve so much walking on eggshells has really convinced me that we in the USA are in what amounts to an abusive relationship with our own political system.

I don't know a single person in Gen Z on an individual level. I only have one friend who is even in their 20s. The rest are within about 4 years of my own age (38), with very few exceptions. I assume that this is a consequence of getting older and aging out of cool young people stuff. Where would I even interact with young people anyway, even if I felt comfortable doing so? At some college party where they'd probably assume I'm a narc cos I'm like 15-20 years older than all of them? Ugh. No thanks.

I care a lot more about quality friendships rather than just having someone around to talk to to distract myself from loneliness or whatever. I guess I've become more introspective. In religion, as well, I've not exactly had an easy time of things (there aren't a lot of Americans of non-Egyptian/Sudanese/Libyan background in the Coptic Orthodox Church...yet), but I feel more at home now than I did when I was younger and having to go to Protestant churches, or even later in my 20s when I made the decision to be a Roman Catholic. I've taken a lot of inspiration from the Desert Fathers and Mothers and their simple but profound stories, and found the Bible and related parts of the faith a lot more rewarding and filling once untethered from both radical subjectivity and one-dimensional and colorless literalism.

 

[Nithavela]

The only news articles I've ever seen about the millenials is that they're not having enough children and not buying enough diamonds.

 

[Joined2krist]

As a Christian, I'm used to not following trending stuff so to me everything is still the same

 

[look4hope]

Been told aging is just part of life and should just feel grateful for being alive this long. Hey...I’m totally grateful, and thankful. However, it don’t minimize the whole part of not looking forward to dying...slowly.

I’m in my 30s. Would this change in my 40s? I don’t know

 

[Sunshinee777]

Well I never thought that I would spend my 30’s reading bible instead of endless bar hopping and dating/dating apps.
And other thing is that I never thought that I would be still single / not married. I think aging is much to do with general attitudes towards life, like I think if you can be positive and curious about life and also take care yourself you stay fresh. It’s in the mind most of it. You can feel young even you get older.

 

[Sebastian154]

Politics have gotten a lot more acerbic and gross-feeling. I don't feel good about voting basically ever, and the way that political things involve so much walking on eggshells has really convinced me that we in the USA are in what amounts to an abusive relationship with our own political system.

I honestly feel like the country is going to split apart along the lines of red and blue states. It seems like the people of America are no longer able to amicably get along despite their political differences. The level of disparity between a right leaning person and a left leaning person in this country now means that we'd probably be better off with two separate countries, as regardless of what happens at the federal level in DC, 50% of the country is going to be unhappy about it.

 

[look4hope]

@Sebastian154
You’re so darn correct on all of it. Thanks for sharing something I had in mind as well

 

[ripple the car]

Yes, aging is kind of weird. I guess, though, I’m also happier and more comfortable with myself than I was before. I’ve phased out of hyper-evangelicalism, and I’m chiller now. And quieter, at least off-line. Like Dzheremi, I’ve taken more cues from quieter, lonelier Saints, learned to panic less and pray more, talk less, and hopefully listen more, and take inventory of myself more seriously. It’s better.

I still kind of hate the all my music is now “classic”, though. That does stink a little.

 

[Sunshinee777]

I honestly feel like the country is going to split apart along the lines of red and blue states. It seems like the people of America are no longer able to amicably get along despite their political differences. The level of disparity between a right leaning person and a left leaning person in this country now means that we'd probably be better off with two separate countries, as regardless of what happens at the federal level in DC, 50% of the country is going to be unhappy about it.

I do wish my country would split apart to those who care humanrights and those who care ”security” over humanrights. I think this will be the case.

 

[Nithavela]

I honestly feel like the country is going to split apart along the lines of red and blue states. It seems like the people of America are no longer able to amicably get along despite their political differences. The level of disparity between a right leaning person and a left leaning person in this country now means that we'd probably be better off with two separate countries, as regardless of what happens at the federal level in DC, 50% of the country is going to be unhappy about it.

The problem is that there are a lot of right leaning people in blue states, and a lot of left leaning people in red states, as well as places in a state where the political minority is a majority. For example, while Texas is very republican leaning, houston is very democratic, and overall the difference in the 2020 presidential election between Trump and Biden was only 5 percent for the state.

Surely you don't suggest that one third of your country just throw their lifes away and move to a state that conforms to their political view, right?

 

[Just A Disciple]

I still kind of hate the all my music is now “classic”, though. That does stink a little.

It's a different (worse) matter altogether when they start popping up on the oldies station.