Most people don't associate "old people" with having a good time.
Most people are missing.
It turns out quite a few things people typically think of as "old people activities" are fun! More than that, they always have been.
"Old people activities" seems to just be a really ageist way of saying "stuff that has a chill vibe and let's you savor the moment."
Reddit user Tellurye asked:
"What's an 'old person' activity that you thoroughly enjoy?"
Except the sounds. That's mostly involuntary, as fun as it is to make a whole big production about getting out of every chair.
Sound Effects
"Getting up from a couch/chair/bed with a grunting sound."
- Nununugget
"I just told my husband this morning that the 'uuuuungh' is the fuel your joints need to work after 30."
- fantasyflyte
"I started doing it ironically a few years ago, and now it's not ironic anymore."
- Goseki1
"Also sitting down and making a contented sigh. That’s me all the time."
"I think I started doing it ironically, but it’s been 100% organic for years now."
- mr-nefarious
"I do that with every activity. It definitely adds more power."
- VirginVibes_TV
"Man I remember when I was a kid and would help out my uncle work on his cars (aka hold the flashlight) I would always hear him do this weird grunting/loud breathing type noise and I always wondered why he’d do it."
"Well a couple years ago I was working on my car and as I went to lay down on my creeper I made that damn same noise involuntarily and I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and think 'ahhhh motherf*cker comes with age.' lol"
- jakstoughpuppy
GiphyOld Man Walk
"occasionally putting my hands behind my back as I walk for no reason."
- [Reddit]
"Dude..."
"The old man walk is seriously the best. Plus a bit of a shuffle to reduce impact."
"10/10 walking style."
- TentacleHydra
"I did this in high school and one of my friends mothers called me The Rabbi. It came in handy going to museums and exhibitions to keep my grubby little hands off the priceless antiques"
- MissHibernia
"I've had a horrible lower back my whole life. I do the pregnant lady thing where you press your hand in the small of your back and waddle forward."
- ChadMcRad
GiphyRocking and Looking. Looking and Rocking.
"Have you ever sat in a rocking chair? They're amazing!"
- DarkMarketRebel
"Yes! I love sitting on a rocking chair on my porch…just looking and rocking and rocking and looking."
"My husband sits in a chair next to me and we rock and look together. It’s nice."
- HeartFullOfHappy
"My husband and I are in our rocking chairs right now."
"If we’re sitting, you’ll find us in them almost all the time. The only thing better is one of those hanging chairs that you can swing in."
"If I ever get to build my own house, I’m going to install a few that will overlook the water or forest or rolling hills."
- Tacoma__Crow
"I asked for a rocking chair for Christmas this year, just on the off chance that someone found one on Facebook marketplace or something for real cheap."
"It's been fantastic. Rocking chairs rock."
- BronzeAgeTea
GiphySelf Soothing
"Knitting and Crochet kept me sane those the last 5ish years of world chaos. I have something else to keep busy with while watching tv instead of doom scrolling on my phone."
- Hopefulkitty
"I'm a fidgety autistic mess and can confirm, crocheting is such a fantastic self-soothing tool."
"I finally decided to conquer amigurumi and made some octopii recently, they're so cute! I also made myself a really cozy scarf and so far my crowning jewel is a huge waffle stitch quilt."
"It's great having a little project to work on all the time."
- Concerned-Pineapple
"That crochet sh*t is amazing."
"Like you can do a hobby but also do other things at the same time AND you can make a physical thing like a blanket or scarf or whatever! It's relaxing."
"...although I admit when I started I drastically underestimated how much yarn you actually need."
- Zankwa
"I wish I still crocheted!"
"I taught myself how to do it and was really proud of myself. Unfortunately some of my friends made fun of it and called me an old lady a few times and it soured it."
"Now I can’t crochet due to hyper mobility and pain in my hands due to repetitive, small movements. Maybe I am an old lady after all."
- Miladypartzz
GiphyHard Candy?
"Eating hard candy. Werthers original anyone?"
- lag_rvp
"When I was a little kid, there was an old man and his wife who always sat behind us in church. He would always sneak me Werther's Originals when he thought no one was looking."
"I always keep a bag of them around and they're still just as good."
- Klaudiapotter
"Lol an old guy customer would always bring hard candy to the bank for us tellers."
- follyandmayhemer
"This for me. Anyone sleeping on hard candy is missing out."
- eightfoldabyss
GiphySenior Tours
"Going on tour groups that are marketed 'for seniors'."
"I know a lot of people my age like to just go wherever they want and do exciting physical activities and hike and paraglide and jump out of planes or whatever."
"To be honest, I prefer it when someone is there to drive me to and from places that they've picked for me, show me all the cool things and tell me all the history, take me on a slow, easy walk, and then put mounds of food in front of me."
"It could be that I'm a bit lazier than most (which is true), could be that I'm not the type that enjoys spontaneity (which is true), could also be because I was used to going on these trips to accompany my grandparents when I was growing up."
"Either way, I kind of prefer it over the impromptu no plans kind of vacation. It’s great fun!"
"I love chatting with everyone else on the trips. Having the majority of the rest of the group being sweet elderly people who’ve retired and just want to see the world and meet new people is always nice."
"I’ve never been judged by them. 9/10 they just want to talk and are super curious. Takes the pressure off of me and I always get treated like a precious grandchild. Good memories."
- historygoose
GiphyStaying Home
"Staying home"
- Akira282
"Amen!"
"Why spend $6 on 2 drinks, plus tip? I can make 10 drinks for $20 at home."
"Why dance around sweaty people in ear-damaging levels of music? I can listen to whatever I want, at whatever level I want at home."
"Why spend $25 on a hamburger from a restaurant? I can make a whole cookout at home for $10."
"I could actually go on and on with this list..."
- theredwillow
"Using your own bathroom with your preferred TP instead of sketchy public bathroom!"
- glenarbourgal
GiphySnail Mail
"Paying bills with a check in the mail."
"Now don’t get me wrong, 99% of my bills are automatically paid and drawn electronically from my bank."
"However one of my bills (don’t ask me why, I have no answer for you) requires a check to be snail-mailed in monthly."
"Every month I have this ritual of going to my office desk, pulling out my check book, filling out the check line by line, pulling out a fresh envelope, and writing in the sender and recipient addresses, then carefully placing my stamp on the envelope before sealing it and walking it to my mailbox."
"It’s weird but it’s one of those analog versions of something that I oddly enjoy more than the digital version."
"In fact as a result of that, I’ve gotten me more into snail-mailing things. I love sending handwritten thank you notes in the mail and people usually have great reactions."
"Turns out receiving anything in the mail that’s not a bill or junk mail can really make someone’s day."
- bradleykent
GiphyAs A Treat
"As a treat for myself to unwind, I usually break out a cigar and pour myself a drink and enjoy that while sitting on my rocking chair on the porch."
"I’m 22, but the combined peace of the outdoors, the pairing of the cigar and fine whiskey, and the feeling of being left the f*ck alone is just beyond amazing."
- 3pointstonibbadore
"Oh man. You gotta try a cigar and some gas station coffee!"
"Trust me. Gas station coffee sounds gnarly, but it's got a good kick to it and depending on the roast it can go real nice with a robust cigar"
- transzient
"Hell yeah."
"This is some real old man sh*t. Love it!"
- Tellurye
GiphyFor The Birds
"Bird watching. I always get excited when I see a new type of bird at the feeder."
- another-modern-leper
"I remember the first time I was happy a pretty bird landed on a tree outside my window."
"I was like 'This is it, I’m no longer a boy, this is how older people feel inside!' It was humbling, overwhelming and beautiful."
- Thx_but_no_
"I set up a few bird feeders in our backyard at the start of the pandemic and was enjoying all the different birds that flew into the yard."
"Then we had about 10 days of snow and two mallard duck couples stayed for a visit and it was truly so divine to witness. I looked forward to their visits each day."
- leesajane
GiphyIdeal Fridays
"My ideal Friday night: 4 Advil, a muscle relaxer, fresh baked cookies, a movie or show with walk and talk vibes (think Aaron Sorkin), a fuzzy blanket, and in bed by 9:30 at the lasted 😂👏🏻"
"I’m 28 but I feel 82 because chronic illness 😂"
- SomedayMightCome
Coin Collecting
"Coin collecting."
"I've been collecting coins since I was around 12 years old, I'm 29 now and my collection has grown tremendously over the years."
"My grandpa also collects coins so we have great conversations going through our collection together."
- swamptheyard
Super Mario Nintendo GIFGiphySeamster Bro
"I like hemming clothes, sewing patches, or and general seamster activity."
"It's funny because I'm a gym bro/gamer guy but every now and then I damage my wardrobe and get to reward myself with a natgeo special and some needle and thread."
- lilBanshee473
Classic Clean
"Shaving with old fashioned shaving soap, boars hair brush, and razor."
"My 83 yr old uncle & retired barber has soaps still in their boxes from over 70 yrs ago. I've been tempted to ask him if I can try one."
- Cycleofmadness
Daily Life
"Naps, wearing slippers, solitaire, squirrel watching, going to bed early, tea and biscuits, spending all day with my plants, looking at store flyers for deals."
- heckin-gecko
New York Nyc GIFGiphyNo Social Life?
"Reading a book."
"It's something a lot of people do these days but the people I know who hate reading or have no time for it say it's an old person activity for people who have no social life."
"I mean, I don't at the moment so I don't see why they'd have to state the obvious."
- Lovely_Lucario227
Old School Reaction GIF by LeVar Burton KidsGiphyPuzzle Time
"I’m 16 and a dedicated table to do jigsaw puzzles."
"Like not just one of those white fold out tables or anything. A table especially designed to do them, with a lip around the edge to keep the pieces in and little drawers that also hold the pieces."
"I love it."
- Perfectlynext
Art With A Needle
"Embroidery, it's very fascinating to be able to create beautiful art with a needle, thread and a piece of cloth"
- Hisokas_Babygorl
Independent Breakfast
"I enjoy turning my phone off, buying a newspaper and taking myself out to breakfast. So I'll sit there by myself, reading the newspaper and/or making a sad attempt to do the NYT crossword puzzle and enjoying my breakfast."
"I love doing it and 10/10 would recommend."
"Honestly, just learning how to be okay spending time doing things by myself. Not just to be okay with it, but actually enjoy it. And I do, I thoroughly enjoy my independent outings."
- stephanielil
Turns out old people have been totally onto something this whole time.
Protect your peace, pick up a craft you can do while sitting in a rocking chair, and go watch some birds.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
- Medical Professionals Reveal Which Everyday Activities That Cause ... ›
- People Explain Which Activities Are Great As A Hobby But Terrible ... ›
- People Explain Which Activities Not Everyone Realizes Actually Will ... ›
- Age Differences in Daily Social Activities ›
- Helpful Daily Activities for Dementia Patients: 50 Expert Tips and ... ›
- Activities for Dementia Patients: 50 Tips and Ideas to Keep Patients ... ›
- Growing Old in America: Expectations vs. Reality | Pew Research ... ›
- Adapting Activities for People With Alzheimer's Disease | National ... ›
- Best of 2021: 9 Enjoyable Activities for Seniors with Limited Mobility ... ›
- Beyond Bingo: 14 Activities for Elderly People That Aren't Boring ›
- Participating in Activities You Enjoy | National Institute on Aging ›
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.
