Best years of your life....

[Mick Mac]

Schooldays they used to say - not sure I agree. What are your thoughts?

So far at age 42 - I'd go for my 25-35 decade - most transiant period of your life when you enjoy being young but you perhaps commit to a long term relationship and make a move into family life which is the next stage in your developement.

The university years are fantastic but mad and riddled with concerns about debt and exam stress.

Post 40, life should I guess be settled and your committment is to pay the bills and support your family, but life is generally more predictable.

I guess its a bit textbook in terms of development, but thats where I am now and looking back "25 - 35" were the best years.

[katie1997]

30-32. That's all I'm saying.

Ps. Mic mac - at least you have square plates!

[R&A]

Happiness is smile shaped

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/happiness_formula/4787558.stm

Research into happiness suggests that our levels of happiness change throughout our lives.

People were asked how satisfied they are with their lives.

Most people start off happy and become progressively less happy as they grow older.

For many people, the most miserable period in their life is their 40s.

After that most people's levels of happiness climb.

This graph (see attachment) shows average life satisfaction based on extensive research from the British Household Panel Survey between 1991 and 2003.

It seems men are slightly happier on average than women in their teens, but women bounce back and overtake men later in life.

Women start with lower levels of average life satisfaction than men.

The low point seems to last for longer for women - throughout their 30s and 40s, only climbing once women reach 50.

Then women tend to overtake men.

Men start slightly higher than women on average, and their lowest point is their 40s, climbing again once they reach 50.

Graph source: British Household Panel Survey 1991-2003

Andrew Oswald, Department of Economics, University of Warwick and Nattavudh Powdthavee, Institute of Education, University of London.

[woofmarkthedog]

>For many people, the most miserable period in their life is their 40s.<

Really...?

Oh, am I allowed to say..

"WILLY"

* & having one of the best times of my life right now *

W**F

[Keef]

This is depressing, it would seem I have another good 3 years, then it's all dull from then on in.

[*Bob*]

Rating a certain decade of your life, now past, as 'the best'?

A bizarre and depressing concept. One to avoid.

[daizie]

All i know is that if something was that good id still be doing it

[Marmora Man]

Now is pretty good - the years leading up to it were fun and I'm looking forward to the future.

Glass half full views are usually the best - comparing the past with present is fraught, selective memory fades the pain and highlights the pleasure.

[SteveT]

In my teens the best bit was leaving school and starting work, and the wage packet gave me status as an adult.

In my late teens and early twenties I went from 'strutting' to getting a car.

In my mid twenties and thirties, women found me more desirable and made overtures by persuing me via the phone, due I believe to having money, my own house, car, business, and single.

In my forties, my two daughters arrived on the scene, and I joined the couples-with-kids-club and walking to, and collecting from, the school.

My fifties, (as someone in his sixties confirmed) 'a good age, as you know everything, and can still do everything'.

Mid fifties and mid sixties, you can no longer do everything or if you can, do it with care and pace yourself.

Now I am single once more following the divorce, and loathe the legal profession, she arranges an expensive west end lawyer and I have to pay his bill, which is most unfair as I did not employ him.

Mid sixties, I go to bed a normal-ish person and get up like a cripple with an aching back or painful shoulder from sleeping wierdly.

I do some work in the garden come back in, an hour or so later and cannot straighten up without pain,

whoever quoted the phrase 'ageing is not for the faint hearted' is correct.

The chances are when you reach this part you will have a draw full of preparations and pills etc to hold you together

from one week to the next.

My ex father in law whose company I could not stand for more than 30 seconds at a time,

said that retirement was rather like a wolf who had lived life in the forest and now living in a domestic garden.

The kids drop in if they are hungry and cannot be bothered to cook.

I love them dearly but once a week is about right.

If they are together they tend to squabble, and compete.

I remember some programme on Japan and they refered to their retired citizenry as 'big garbage'

and since I have slowed down that is I feel an adequate description of myself.

If anyone out there is looking forward to retirement fagedaboutit,

for my money the best bit is when the children are small and you can still converse with the spouse in a civilized manner.

[cate]

Steve, Interesting perspective. Amongst other things, sounds like you need a new mattress (perhaps memory foam or softer pocketed sprung) and pillow. The older you get the softer and more pliable mattress you need. Your body needs to be cradled by the mattress, not just lay on top of it. Bull**** to hard orthopedic mattresses. Have you tried glucosamine for joint pain?

At least your kids aren't squabbling and competing while living in your house. Maybe they will become more solicitous of you as they get older.

[computedshorty]

I think that the best time of life is right now, why? Because I am still here at 79.

I take no medication as I don't go to a Doctor, don't drink as it makes me ill, or smoke I used to smoke over a hundred Players a day but watched a film thirty odd years ago of an operation removing a lung and the surgeon cutting it open and pouring the Tar from it, that stopped me smoking there and then, a hard thing to do as at that time my pastime was doing jigsaw puzzles, I still have the part full packet of cigs.

I go to bed when tired whatever time of day, get up when it gets light, thankful that I have woken up to a new day, not easy to rise though or put on my clothes, the cat gives her welcome or is it for food?

There is always something to do, but each time I do, it takes longer and might take a few attempts before it gets done.

I never normally retire until the washing up is done and all tidied up and everything put away.

I have no regrets of my life, only that those who shared it with me have now died, but I have memories of them.

What have I learned of life? Use it and enjoy it. Don?t waste it on causing others to be miserable. If you can help them you will be happy.

[PeckhamRose]

computedshorty that was a brilliant post. I know you live near me and I hope we meet one day.

SteveT for all your rather odd postings before now, I now realise and understand more what makes you tick.

I am alive today. I have written a diary every day since 1st January 1970 yes 1970, and never look back at it, but every day is important and I try not waste them but I know sometimes I do. I have always been aware of death since I have a bad illness and now also do humanist funerals, so I try really hard not to be too miserable, but I do fear for my future as I get old and my lungs let me down more and more, and also because I have never earned or had much money and don't want to end up incapable and useless and scared.

The best years of my life are - well, today. Every day! I know that sounds trite but when you live with an illness that kills 2000 people a year and another illness that's linked, you want to try and make the most!

Being a motorcyclist really does make me feel good about life though.

If I ever have to give that up I shall go downhill medically and psychologically speaking in top gear!

[KidKruger]

Word to ComputedShorty.

Anyone who's had friends / relatives die may agree it kind of reminds you where we really are and how close to not being here we are at any time.

Like Shorty I'm also glad for each new day and could not pin 'best years' down to a specific period(s) so far, though my unemployed days on the IOW were great, no money, just friends the beach and dreams.

[Jah Lush]

The best is yet to come.

[MrBen]

All hail The Shorty.

*Tips hat*

[PeckhamRose]

What if you look back and realise it never did? (to the poster two above 'yet to come'...)

Hope you're not referring to the Afterlife! Ha!

[expat]

Well as a kid when it never seemed to rain in the summer holidays and the family was all alive was good.

Working overseas was fun.

Having my sons was good (even if to much time was spend in hospital).

The best I think was courting and meeting my now wife (pity that much people she care about have cancer now, but there you go).

[Jah Lush]

Hmmm... nostaligia isn't what it used to be.

[Ladymuck]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I remember some programme on Japan and they

> refered to their retired citizenry as 'big

> garbage'

> and since I have slowed down that is I feel an

> adequate description of myself.

Well I beg to differ! You are a long way away from the scrap-heap.

And you are not in Japan!

[Narnia]

Were you on the sauce Mick when you wrote that? It can do that sort of thing to ya!

[Mick Mac]

It was quite late....

[Moos]

Quite right, MickMac, I personally make it a point never to post sober.

[citizenED]

Easy when you never are sober...

[Moos]

*hic!* how daaare you. It takes work to stay this intoxicated, I tell you, real work.

[TillieTrotter]

It's all been pretty great, lovely childhood and the rest hasn't been bad either.....so far!:))