I turned 30 yesterday. Granted, this isn’t THAT old (though it bugged the shit out of me). However, I’ve re-assessed myself (as one is wont to do when they reach one of the decade years), and found that, though I was much better at some things than I was when younger, I’ve lost some abilities.
I can no longer spell. I used to be a fan-freakin-tastic speller. I could look at any word, and instantly memorize it. I was the mac-daddy of spelling bees.
The other day, I couldn’t spell “succeed.” And I also had to think about how to spell “of.” Really. For a while, I thought there was supposed to be a “v” in there.
And I caught myself writing “Could of.”
Anyway, what abilities have other dopers found that they’ve lost as they’ve aged?
Sid
By the way, my libido hasn’t waned since I was a teenager, though I wish it would sometimes.
Vision, and it’s driving me nuts. Used to be, while I couldn’t see things far away (like to the ground for example), I could see things close up. Now, there’s an ever shrinking piece of the universe that I can focus upon. Glasses or no, doesn’t seem to matter.
and my knees are aching. and my back. and my feet. and my hands.
damn.
thanks for bringing this up.
OTOH, I can still pull an all nighter if need be, and crack wise w/the best of them. My memory is still pretty damned good, tho’ I am forgetting some names now (but, since I meet at least 7 or 8 new clients per week now, I don’t think that’s due to age).
Balance. When I was a kid I could go on the roundabout for hours, but now that I’m 26 and have a kid, just a few spins make me dizzy. Otherwise I’m fine so far, but I am youngish yet.
Well, I can’t do an ‘all-nighter’ any more, seeing as at about midnight I tend to turn into a sleepy pumpkin!
The vision is deteriorating (but that is prolly due to another condition rather than just middle-age, but the advancing years certainly aren’t helping much). Ditto with hearing.
Tolerance to OTHER PEOPLE’S loud music, but it’s fine when I play mine up at full volume.
However, on the plus side, they say that a woman comes into her sexual prime in her forties…I can vouch for that. So some abilities are enhanced with age!!
I’m 47, will be 48 in the fall. The vision thing has seriously deteriorated since I hit 40 (have always had bad vision, it’s just escalated substantially)
The name thing, like I said, I’m convinced that it’s more 'cause of the sheer number of new people I interact w/on a weekly basis - before, I worked in a correction center, we had like 12 or so people at a time, held on to them for months. Had something like 6 to 8 co workers, most stayed for quite a while as well.
But for the past decade or so, I’ve been in an office doing appointments w/folks looking for work (offenders) and see anywhere from 3 - 10 new folks per week, now spend half my day in a cubicle land with some 60 other workers, and go to minimally 3 - 4 meetings per week, with lots of folks there, too.
Add to that, I’m the mom of a popular teenager, and I’m lucky I remember my SO’s name (Snookie).
But I still remember faces and so recogize if I know some one. OF course, I don’t remember how so it’s a 50/50 chance that either they’re an offender or a politician (insert suitable joke here).
I will be forty this month. I find my patience with managerial idiots is wearing thin. Not to mention cold calling stockpushers. I am sure that just after I turn 40 I will have to run outside and yell at those dagnabbed kids playing on my lawn.
Staying in shape. If I was this active when I was 20 I woulda been a beanpole. It REALLY is harder to lose weight and keep it off as you age. I always thought that was some cheap excuse my old relatives would say. Not fair. It should be easier as you age, but it’s not.
Ditto staying up late. If I’m in a smoky bar past 11 and with a beer or two, I’m a mess the next day.
When I get bruised or sore from a long bike ride or something, it takes longer to heal, the soreness stays longer. When I was younger, I never was sore.
My vision has changed but no more than I’d expected.
I’m much less tolerant of assholes, but I’m better at ignoring them.
I’m also much less tolerant of corporate politics (the managerial idiots mentioned by ShibbOleth), oversized egos, and ostentation.
But I’m much better at doing my own thing. Age 50 seemed to be a turning point. I finally realized that I didn’t have to care as much what others thought. (Should have realized that at 25.)
I’ll turn 60 in November. When I grow up I want to be an eccentric old lady.
I’m 43 and my biggest complaint is that I physically can’t stay up past 11:00 pm on a work night. When I was a teenager I could have kept going till 2:00 am but my parents felt I should expend my energy on schoolwork instead of goofing off. Life is unfair.
-My memory has been left behind somewhere and can’t seem to find its way back to me.
-I can’t recover from all nighters like I used to.
-My patience with fools (never high to begin with) has drastically detoriated.
48 here, and my eyes are rapidly deserting me. Up until I was 45, I occasionally wore reading glasses. Now I need my trifocals almost all the time. My distance vision is OK, but up close, it’s pathetic. I can’t even read my computer screen without the specs.
Lots of aches and pains, but I think that’s from going to the Y a lot and doing more physical tasks of late. I’m pleased that I can do as much as I can, but when I hurt something, it takes longer to recover.
OTOH, I’ve reached the point in life where I don’t much care what people think of me. I figure if you don’t like me and don’t want to associate with me, that’s your loss. I like to think of it as self-assurance.
37 checking in. For some reason my equilibrium went out the window at 30 and I suddenly suffer from motion sickness. I actually got carsick watching COPS one night.
My knees are about shot, too, and I find myself going to bed lately at about the time I used to start getting dressed to go out partying.
32-year-old ringing in here. I have noticed that I cannot run as fast nor as far as I used to. My handwriting, which was never good to begin with, has gotten worse. Also, while I have always had little patience in general, I find myself losing my patience with stupid or otherwise irritating people, being delayed, etc. more than I used to.
I have recently discovered that I completely lost my jump shot. In college pick up games, and IM I was never a ball handler or jumper, but I was damn good at outside shots, and was often picked up for my three point shot. Last time I went and shot at the local park most of my three pointers were airballs, let alone hitting the net.
Hell David, I’m not quite half your age and I can’t get up from a sofa on the first try most of the time. You’re still doing good.
I am tired of my joints aching all the time, although that’s an inherited problem primarily. Memory’s still as good as ever, I just choose not to utilize it on some people as it’s a waste of time.
But, Mein Gott, what happened to my skin?! I don’t mean the wrinkles even though I hate to see myself smile in the mirror. Ugh. I mean my skin somehow seems a lot more fragile than it used to. Years ago I could work out in the yard mowing or gardening with no gloves and nary a problem. But now five minutes work with a trowel and I’ve got freaking blisters! I ended up rubbing some skin off my hands a couple of weeks ago just by tying string. I mean, at this rate, when I’m 80 a stiff breeze will flay me alive. Yeesh.
