The best part, BY FAR, is the way that all your f*cks just seem to just evaporate into the breeze like seawater, leaving behind only salt.
So much salt.
It's awesome.
Reddit user Gourmet-Guy asked:
"What gets less important the older you get?"
Listen folks, there are so many things you get to no longer care about when you get older that it's honestly kind of exciting.
I'm sincerely looking forward to bring one of those fearless old ladies who beats up criminals with their ridiculously giant purse, or has deadly chancla aim even though she's been blind and deaf for 5 years. You'd better believe she turns into some sort of mystic seer when you put a flip flop in her hand, though.
She gives so few f*cks about anything that her mind is clear and she can be one with the universe. Just guided by the spirit of chancletazos...
That's where I'm trying to be, but I'm not there yet. I know because I still sort of care about one or two things on this list.
Do You Like Me?
"Being liked."
"I find that the older I get, the less random acquaintances like me; but the more my friends and loved ones DO like me."
"I stopped trying to be likable and just decided to be me instead."
- brokenhippie91
"Same, also the less friends I need. Just a few good mates that are trustworthy is enough."
- Specialist_Prompt_54
"THIS! And it's crazy how fast a change like this can take place as well."
"I'm a senior in college now. Less than four years ago I was running around trying to befriend as many people as possible just to see what would stick, now I'm pretty happy with my little group."
"A possible downside of this is that meeting new people seems kind of tiring in certain situations, but that's really on a case-by-case basis."
- hammalamamba
GiphyLate Nights
"I used to like staying up late. Now I get excited to go to sleep."
- BjornBeetleBorg
"All of our childhood punishments have become our life goals."
"Going to bed early."
"Not leaving my house. (I pay the mortgage, I'm damn well going to get my money's worth.)"
"Not going to 'that' party."
- throwawayspank1017
"The absolute joy I get going to sleep by 9 so that I can get up at 4am, work out for 1.5 hours and still have so much extra time before I go to work is unparalleled by anything I did when I was young."
- Reality_Gatekeeper
"It's also enjoyable to be up fully rested, properly breakfasted and with chores, exercise or some form of entertainment already behind you while the rest of society groans and fumbles for their alarms."
"There's also a special appeal to the hours when everyone else is still in bed. It's almost like the world is yours for that brief period of time."
- Good_Dog_Almighty
GiphyWhat's Cooler Than Being Cool?
"Being cool."
"One of the most liberating things about getting older is you can just do your own thing without caring if it's trendy or not."
- DeathSpiral321
"Just started skateboarding again and I'm going full dork mode with a helmet, wrist pads, knee pads, and I plan on getting elbow pads and even hip pads when I start trying to learn to skate on bowls and mini ramps."
- evil_con_carne
"This. I started college quite a bit later than most and was worried that I'd never finish my degree. So I went all in and decided I still wanted a 'normal' college experience, living in the dorms at 25."
"It was so easy to pick out the kids who still clearly cared not only about being cool, but being POPULAR, bless their little hearts..."
"They were all so exhausted."
- Famous-Honey-9331
GiphyAge
"The age of your friends."
"When you're 20, hanging out with a 30-year old is a bit weird. When you're 30, hanging out with 40-year olds is normal."
- DomDeLaweeze
"I have a friend who's the same age as my father. I routinely forget she's not my age cause she's such a cool person."
"Not to say my dad isn't cool. My dad rocks and he's the coolest person I know. But there's always that mentality of wow he's so much older than me because he's my parent."
- TheRedMaiden
"Cuz when we're younger, even a few years makes a huge difference in our thinking."
"Like when you're younger than 20, maybe 15? Even a 5 year old difference, that is, hanging out with a 10 year old is weird."
- Working_Ad168
It's Not All Treasure
"Physical possessions."
"When you're a child, everything you own is a treasure. When you're an adult, it starts turning into junk."
- Sharrakor
"As you get older, only certain things are treasures. And that's only because you get certain joys out of them."
- Anjunagasm
"Exactly this."
"I see physical possessions as something I have to make space for, deal with, and maintain. Honestly it's not worth the energy to have more stuff if I don't need it and absolutely love it."
"Less really is more. Less makes lazy me happier."
- fivesforeveryone
"I am so excited about my stuff! It's not junk because I put thought into all of it and it's all mine. It's also part of getting older."
"I am so jazzed that I bought a new washer and dryer set! I could get whichever one *I* wanted."
"My set needed replaced so I splurged and got a Wi-Fi enabled LG matching set. So happy about it, too!"
- PC509
GiphyGoing Out? No Thanks.
"Needing to go out to do stuff. Fireplace, movie, spouse, good movie, comfy couch = happiness."
- angeltati
"I hate going places. God forbid I have to ever stand in a line."
"My wife and I, when we do decide to go somewhere, go on weekdays when it's not as busy. I feel like such a grumpy old man lol."
"I can't wait to be home most of the time that I'm out and about."
- PD216ohio
"This 100%."
"Sit outside at night with a cup of hot chocolate watching the sky. Stay inside and play games or do a puzzle. Reading."
- Electrical-Pie-8192
GiphyAs People
"What kinds of cars people drive, what kinds of homes/apts/condos they live in, what brands of clothes they wear, what kinds of new electronic technologies they have . . ."
". . . instead, I care a lot more about how they are as people. "
"Are they kind? Are they honest? Are they interested in the world and making some kind of contribution to it? Are they interesting and true to themselves?"
- RandomInternetLady
GiphyIt Works Fine
"Keeping up with new tech and apps."
"I'm at a point where what I already have works fine for what I use it for and I don't care enough to upgrade or learn how the newest thing works."
- PeterBernsteinSucks
"My phone is going on 40 months old (longest I've ever had one last, wish I could get another Note 9 when it dies lol)."
"When I get a new one, it will be top of the line, but only because I don't have the patience for slow stuttering cheap technology. And usually the more you spend, the longer it lasts."
"Beyond that... For status? For bragging rights? For that old itch I used to have for always having the best? None of that drives me anymore."
"Function > form."
- legacyweaver
GiphyLooks
"Looks."
"I'm not being cheesy here: when I was a teenager, you really had to look a certain way for any guy to go out with you. They wouldn't dare to admit that they liked a chubby girl or one without a typical sense of fashion."
"When you get older of course looks still matter, but people are a lot more forgiving! There's a whole wide world out there full of people with different tastes."
"I was so surprised with how easy it was for me to get dates in my twenties."
- DameDrunkenTheTall
GiphyJust A Job
"Work."
"First company I worked there 14 years. Outworked my colleagues, stayed late, worked weekends. Missed family events to 'get ahead.' "
"Never got me a dime more in my paycheck, I never was thought of as a better employee by management than my colleagues who left as soon as they could get out the door."
"Had enough. Found another job, swore I would never work that hard for a company that could care less about me again. Lied to self."
"Second company I worked there 17 years. Outworked my colleagues, stayed late, worked weekends. Missed family events to 'get ahead.' "
"Never got me a dime more in my paycheck, I never was thought of as a better employee by management than my colleagues who left as soon as they could get out the door."
"People I worked with, went to war with, spoke to every single day for years- I never heard from them again after I left."
"Both of these companies replaced me the day I left and never looked back. It was like I was never there."
"The only thing that is important is your family."
"A job is just a job."
- Beths_Titties
GiphyHave you found yourself no longer caring about the stuff on this list?
Or are you still hung up on a few things? What sorts of things have you stopped caring about?
Sound off, folks!
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We are often occupied with working, meeting deadlines, and keeping all our ducks in a row. Then suddenly, BOOM, the realization that we are physically or mentally not the same as when we were in our 20s cruelly slaps us in the face.
These reality checks can come in the form of random comments about our looks, or how our bodies feel the moment we get up out of bed.
"When did you realise that you are officially "not young" anymore?"
Age is just a number. Sure, but let's not talk about that.
Mutually Offended
"I was in my late 20s, at work talking with one of our new interns. I can't remember why but she asked how old someone was and I was like, 'I dunno, about our age?' She gasped and asked 'How old do you think I am??' Then I gasped and asked, 'HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM?!'"
"Anyway, that's when I realized I was 'not young' anymore."
The Fear Is Real
"I'm scared of teenagers now."
– -thegay-
"Just don't look them directly in the eyes."
– spp25
Nightclubbing is a thing of the past for these "old folk."
Checking IDs
"We went to a bar recently and the bouncer didn't check our IDs -- just us out of everyone going in. Fine. Then as we were leaving, the place was totally packed and I was outside waiting for my husband to come out and thought, 'We're the oldest people here by ten years at least.'"
"Then, to my relief, I saw an old guy in the crowd."
"Then, to my horror, I realized the old guy was my husband."
Reactions to pop culture references can give away your age.
The Not-So-Familiar Tune
"When a song I loved as a teenager appeared as an oldie on the radio."
Listenin' To The Oldies
"My 17-year old nephew has a girlfriend who's into 'the oldies' - you know, like Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins. That made me feel old, lol."
– Tauber10
Hey, Mr. DJ
"I DJ'd a wedding a year ago and the groom asked me if I could play that one oldie…'Get Low' from Lil Jon."
Random injuries are a clear indicator our bodies are headed six feet under sooner than we think.
Getting Unhinged
"When I dislocated my jaw lying in bed yawning. Didn't even think it was even possible."
Sleeping Injury
"Similar, except I woke up with a sprained ankle. No sleepwalking, no weird sleep Olympics, just held it or twisted it weird while sleeping and sprained it."
"I have done this 3 times after turning 40."
"Don't turn 40, kids, stay in your 20's and 30's."
– DrEnter
No More Yawning
"It was free day, Sunday, bad weather outside, I was in bed lying on the side, chilling, reading a book when mid yawn I heard weird noise. I was never out of the bed so fast. By the time I got to the mirror I heard another snap and jaw went on it's proper place, but I had swollen left lower side of the face for another 3 days. Talked to my doctor next day and he said, I should not eat hard or any food that needs a lot of chewing for a week or 2 and not to open mouth too much. I am reminded of this every single time I yawn."
As a Broadway dancer, I still frequented auditions to get me to the next gig.
That was pretty routine for me. Lining up in the hall, waiting for my group to be called in to learn the choreography and be judged on the spot to determine if I was good enough to make it to the next round.
I was so used to being focused on making a good impression while in the audition. But one day, I had a moment and noticed I was the only dancer among a group of college-aged kids.
That was when I realized I was being aged out from the business, at least as a dancer.
If my weak joints and lower back pain weren't clear indications, seeing all those spring chickens kicking their legs for Jesus was the biggest clue that my time was up.
Well, I had a good run. Speaking of which, I should go ice that knee after tripping on the treadmill the other day. Oops.