# Wow...being 30-something kind of sucks! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450 "2004-10-15T20:19:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/1 "2004-10-15T20:19:03Z")
Well, as of last Tuesday, I have officially been in my thirties for two years. So far, I have to tell you, it kind of sucks! Basically, there seems to be two lifestyle choices - 1. Get married, kids, house and lock yourself into a life of repetition, aggrivation and misery 2. Live alone and become the weird single older guy as all your friends get married or move away If movies have taught me anything, any minute now my girlfriend is going to break up with me and I’m going to inheret a kid. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/2 "2004-10-15T20:22:22Z")
Then again, there’s my plan: 1. become Auntie Mame. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/3 "2004-10-15T20:24:53Z")
1. Be the cool single friend, that has the neat toys and spoils everyones kids before sending them home. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/4 "2004-10-15T20:34:51Z")
What happened to get married, have kids and enjoy being with people who love you and whom you love? (I don’t have a house, so I can’t speculate about that.) I’m not urging you to get married or have kids, if that’s not what you want. I was just a bit startled by the marriage = misery equation. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/5 "2004-10-15T20:43:48Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > I’m not urging you to get married or have kids, if that’s not what you want. I was just a bit startled by the marriage = misery equation. Odd, I’m always startled when a man doesn’t act like marriage = the end of life. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/6 "2004-10-15T20:43:55Z")
Have to agree. I’m a little bored, having not gone the marriage route. I spend my time on myself, which certainly has it’s advantages. But I find I keep having to up the ante to get a buzz. Part of the problem is that most of my friends at this age ARE married and settled, so it’s not like when we were younger and hung out all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/7 "2004-10-15T20:44:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > 1. Get married, kids, house and lock yourself into a life of repetition, aggrivation and misery Wait a sec, I’m supposed to be aggrivated and miserable? Sonofa- Why does nobody tell me these things? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/8 "2004-10-15T20:57:28Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Have to agree. > > I’m a little bored, having not gone the marriage route. I spend my time on myself, which certainly has it’s advantages. But I find I keep having to up the ante to get a buzz. > > Part of the problem is that most of my friends at this age ARE married and settled, so it’s not like when we were younger and hung out all the time. Yeah, see THATs’ what I miss! All of a sudden I’ve become “Frank the Tank” going shopping at Home Depot on Saturdays and taking the girlfriend to Olive Garden! ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/9 "2004-10-15T21:01:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yeah, see THATs’ what I miss! All of a sudden I’ve become “Frank the Tank” going shopping at Home Depot on Saturdays and taking the girlfriend to Olive Garden! Just a minute… You have a girlfriend?! So what the heck are YOU complaining about? Some of us are 30 something and SINGLE! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/10 "2004-10-15T21:04:46Z")
Don’t worry, in a couple more years you’ll be able to fully occupy yourself shoring up all the bits that time and gravity are trying to drag down. 35–that’s when it hits. ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/11 "2004-10-15T21:24:04Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Well, as of last Tuesday, I have officially been in my thirties for two years. So far, I have to tell you, it kind of sucks! > > Basically, there seems to be two lifestyle choices - > > 1. Get married, kids, house and lock yourself into a life of repetition, aggrivation and misery > > 2. Live alone and become the weird single older guy as all your friends get married or move away > If movies have taught me anything, any minute now my girlfriend is going to break up with me and I’m going to inheret a kid. Eh? When I was your age, I had already bought a house, had my tubes tied, had started a career in IT, bought a new car and was actually enjoying the fruits of my decisions. It’s really all in your outlook. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/12 "2004-10-15T22:10:49Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Just a minute… You have a girlfriend?! > > So what the heck are YOU complaining about? Some of us are 30 something and SINGLE! > ☹ Yeah, you got nothin’. How about this: 30 something single (not dating anyone) just moved to a new town where we don’t know anyone unable to find decent (or even indecent) social events in said town. Another Friday night with Chinese food and a bad movie. At least this is one I haven’t seen before. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/13 "2004-10-15T22:15:40Z")
I like option Athena: Be married (more or less), dogs instead of kids, buy a great house, and kick back and enjoy yourself. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/14 "2004-10-15T22:36:46Z")
I love being 30 something: d) Have shit together, have boyfriend (or girlfriend as appropriate), do whatever the hell I want, whenever the hell I want, with whomever the hell I want. It’s lovely. 30’s are way better than 20’s. ---
**Author:** ![Elvez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@Elvez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elvez)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/15 "2004-10-15T23:22:41Z")
Hey man, I’m with Alice and Athena. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/16 "2004-10-15T23:29:58Z")
You think being 30-something sucks? Dude, it sure as hell beats the alternative. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/17 "2004-10-15T23:40:59Z")
I got married at 39. Since then, I haven’t spent a nanosecond being miserable about anything! It was the cure for my misery. I find it odd that you could equate one with the other. Don’t have the kind of crappy marriage you’ve witnessed at other peoples’ houses, have the best kind you and your spouse can create. And enjoy your 30s. Might as well, you ain’t gettin’ them back! ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/18 "2004-10-16T00:46:47Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > 1. Be the cool single friend, that has the neat toys and spoils everyones kids before sending them home. 😃 I’m doing 3 & loving it. I like being in my 30’s - I am more at peace with life, career and self than I ever have been - and I am still cool to the kids & teenagers in the family, unlike all the other grownups. ---
**Author:** ![bittersweet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@bittersweet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bittersweet)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/19 "2004-10-16T02:08:29Z")
Yes, being thirty-something DOES kind of suck, especially when you get to that point and realize: you haven’t done anything worthwhile with your life and may very well never, because that’s just the way it goes sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450/20 "2004-10-16T02:13:46Z")
I’m liking my 30’s a lot, so far. I feel like I wasted my 20’s, and now I’ve got the chance to do it right. Which means that by the time I’m 70, I’ll only be 60. This is great! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-being-30-something-kind-of-sucks/269450.md?page=2)