Donnie started at threat Lementing the 80's.  Some of us were talking about getting older and being young at heart was mentioned.  So what keeps you young at heart?

I'm almost, gulp...37!! 

I must say that my children keep me young.  I can watch cartoons all day and sing silly songs to them in public places, I can act crazy to make them stop crying, and I don't care who's watching. 

Well, I'd tell ya kid, but first I need a note from your mother.  ;D

Where do I begin? First of all, let me start my saying that about 10 years ago, one of my uncles (who, despite being a high school dropout now has a Ph.D and is a dean at Boise State University) gave me this gem of advice: He told me that he knew too many people, who, immediately after high school, went straight to college, and as soon as they graduated from college they got married right away and began focusing on their careers.  They never bothered to have fun while they were young, and as my uncle put it, "get all of the f**king around out of their systems." These are the people who wake up one day in their 40's or 50's, suddenly realize that they forgot to be young when they still had the chance, and have "mid-life crises."  He told me to see the world and have some adventures and party while I was still young and I took that to heart. And in hindsight, I now realize that most of the people who were the biggest jerks when I was in high school were in all actuality 18 going on 50.
  I also think that having a positive outlook on life and a good sense of humor are the keys to staying young at heart. That, and not holding unnecessary grudges. It's easy to get stuck in the past, to wish you could have done things differently (as I still do occasionally), but it's also unhealthy and does no good whatsoever. I try to live for today and be thankful for what I have.

I'm almost, gulp...37!! 



Yeah, me too.  By dint of genetics, I look ten years younger.  People say I'm "lucky."  Ha!  I didn't feel so "lucky" when I looked fifteen at the age of twenty-one.  I didn't care for geting the fish-eye from mental-midget bouncers in my late '20s, I didn't care for getting carded--suspiciously--until I was 28.  But now looking ten years younger than my age is not so bad!

How do I keep young "at heart"?  As much as I post about the '80s on this board I'm not "nostalgiac."  I think nolstalgia is a terrible trap.  Remember the Springsteen song "Glory Days"?  I listened intently to those lyrics when I was sixteen and never forgot them.  I didn't want there to be any such thing for me as "Glory Days," and don't worry, there weren't!  High School for me was closer to Auschwitz than to "the best days of my life," and I vowed when I graduated never to have anything to do with reunions or that suburban hell and to see only a few people I considered true friends. That number nearly two decades later stands at exactly three high school-mates I would go out of my way to see.  The number used to be higher, but in 2001 after "reuniting" with a few of them back in old North Andover, I had to ask myself, "WTF am I doing with these people?  The only thing we had in common then is we were punks, geeks, and outcasts.  Now that we're over thirty, those distinctions are meaningless."  There was one girlfriend I knew in high school but was not romantic with until years later in college.  I would see her, but she won't see me!  It's not her fault she's a broken china cup.
("She asked me to stay and I stole a room, she asked for my love and I gave her a dangerous mind, now she's stooping in the street and she can't socialize--well I love he little girl, and I'll love her 'till the day she dies..." --David Bowie)

As opposed to LoraC14, I find having no children helps, as does wanting no children.  Owning no property and having no real career career has its drawbacks in financial insecurity, rootlessness, and condemnation from the money-god, but it does lend you a kind of free spiritedness and flexibility one doesn't have among the ranks of the secure and landed upper-middle class.

I would say my desire is not to feel "young at heart," but to be free from the vagaries of "age classifications."  For one thing, there's too damn much of it and it leads to odious competition, comparison, and insecurity.  For another, if you chain your chronological age to a list of "shoulds" you set yourself up for drudgery whether "they" consider you "successful" or not.  I'm often comfortable around gays because they have often achieved the "ageless" aura that appeals to me.

Yeah, me too.  By dint of genetics, I look ten years younger.  People say I'm "lucky."  Ha!  I didn't feel so "lucky" when I looked fifteen at the age of twenty-one.  I didn't care for geting the fish-eye from mental-midget bouncers in my late '20s, I didn't care for getting carded--suspiciously--until I was 28.  But now looking ten years younger than my age is not so bad!

How do I keep young "at heart"?  As much as I post about the '80s on this board I'm not "nostalgiac."  I think nolstalgia is a terrible trap.  Remember the Springsteen song "Glory Days"?  I listened intently to those lyrics when I was sixteen and never forgot them.  I didn't want there to be any such thing for me as "Glory Days," and don't worry, there weren't!  High School for me was closer to Auschwitz than to "the best days of my life," and I vowed when I graduated never to have anything to do with reunions or that suburban hell and to see only a few people I considered true friends. That number nearly two decades later stands at exactly three high school-mates I would go out of my way to see.  The number used to be higher, but in 2001 after "reuniting" with a few of them back in old North Andover, I had to ask myself, "WTF am I doing with these people?  The only thing we had in common then is we were punks, geeks, and outcasts.  Now that we're over thirty, those distinctions are meaningless."  There was one girlfriend I knew in high school but was not romantic with until years later in college.  I would see her, but she won't see me!  It's not her fault she's a broken china cup.
("She asked me to stay and I stole a room, she asked for my love and I gave her a dangerous mind, now she's stooping in the street and she can't socialize--well I love he little girl, and I'll love her 'till the day she dies..." --David Bowie)

As opposed to LoraC14, I find having no children helps, as does wanting no children.  Owning no property and having no real career career has its drawbacks in financial insecurity, rootlessness, and condemnation from the money-god, but it does lend you a kind of free spiritedness and flexibility one doesn't have among the ranks of the secure and landed upper-middle class.

I would say my desire is not to feel "young at heart," but to be free from the vagaries of "age classifications."  For one thing, there's too damn much of it and it leads to odious competition, comparison, and insecurity.  For another, if you chain your chronological age to a list of "shoulds" you set yourself up for drudgery whether "they" consider you "successful" or not.  I'm often comfortable around gays because they have often achieved the "ageless" aura that appeals to me.




When I grow up, I want to avoid girls and children.  For one, I'm don't trust myself with another life, for two, I love my freedom. 

My kids.  Music - I always listen to new music and always read all the latest book reviews and see the latest movies.  I talk to my kids (age range 17 - 9) about anything and everything.  Always keep an open mind and listen to other people's ideas no matter how young or old those people may be.  Recently I was at a morning tea with a group of Mothers and their boys (all around the 9-10 age group).  One of the boys put the "Gorillaz" album on and I said to him "Good choice, Liam - I love this CD".  His Mother looked at me and said "Do you really listen to this crap?"  :o  I think some people think that once you get to a certain age you have to act a certain way.  It's all a bit silly really ;) 

   I also think that having a positive outlook on life and a good sense of humor are the keys to staying young at heart. That, and not holding unnecessary grudges. It's easy to get stuck in the past, to wish you could have done things differently (as I still do occasionally), but it's also unhealthy and does no good whatsoever. I try to live for today and be thankful for what I have.


Could not have said it better myself!  That is certainally my philosophy and it's worked for me so far!

I have a daughter and that's part of it.  Believe it or not she's old enough to hand with and she keeps me up to date on what's going on in the world with music and such.  I don't like all of her music but some I do like and even enjoy.  (I look about ten years younger too) I think genetics has alot to do with it, but I find that if you're comfortable with whoyou are and have fun no matter where you are that helps.  I love haveing fun around uptight people they look at you like you're crazy.  I look at the world like an adventure no matter where I'm at.  Sometimes my daughter even thinks I'm having too much fun.  I aslo don't worry about the things I cann't change and try to fix the things I can.  I'm learning (always a process) that you can't waist your time on useless energy.  I do want to view the world with new eyes and not allow life to get me down and in a rut.  I'm a pretty positive person by nature and have a sense of humor.  In my twenties I had to begin undoing the brain washing of high school.  Maxwell, I feel the same way about school too, it was hell for me.  I had ulsers then when I graduated they went away.  It took me a long time to appritate myself and love who I am.  Now that I'm in my 30's I looking at the world as one with possibilities. :D

roller blades, razor scooters, roller coasters, skipping, my kids!!

When I grow up, I want to avoid girls and children.  For one, I'm don't trust myself with another life, for two, I love my freedom. 
Do you still think girls are "yucky?"  ;D

Do you still think girls are "yucky?"  ;D


Heck no!  I like girls, they're just too much trouble.  I might change my mind.

Heck no!  I like girls, they're just too much trouble.  I might change my mind.
Just be careful which "head" you start thinking with.  ;D

You know, when I was a young whipper snapper like you, we used to have to walk 10 miles to school in 6 feet of snow-uphill both ways!  ;D ;D ;D



Good music, good food, and most importantly, good company (in other words-love).




Cat

A little of this  :D

A little of that> ;D

Some of this  ::)

A pinch of this  8)

Gobbs of  ;)

A hand full of :)

And NEVER forget to.....