im afraid of getting older

I liked college a lot more than high school.

As well you should be afraid...be very afraid.

Use that fear to develop a zest for life now. Leverage this newfound zest to excel in school, building friendships and attracting a mate. Apply this zest to your work, your relationships and your athletics. Pass this zest on to your kids, others' kids, your community and everyone you meet.

Then sit back as an old fart, laugh and say, "It was a good life."

Revel in the fact that you don't have to do it all over again because, hopefully, once was enough.

Precious Roy wrote:

Actually, college is not that great once you think about it. You drink shit cheap ass beer when you party. And you are either spending your parents' money or racking up debt that you will carry for the next 20 years.

Sorry you had a bad college experience. The point of drinking in college is to get drunk, not to be a beer snob and comment about the rich, hoppy taste and nutty aftertones.

Also, if it takes 20 years to pay off college debts, you should probably quit your job at wal-mart and actually use your degree.

(This my son is you)

XCMiler wrote:

okay so im 18 and 9 months getting ready to start college. After a truly nostalgic senior year im not ready to move on. Im excited to start college but scared that it signals the last good 4 years of my life. Im afraid of turning 19 in December not because its a bad age, but because its closer to 30 40 50 and so on. Im afraid of being in my late twenties up unil mid forties because of the 40 hour per week dead set routine without any fun that ive seen so many adults live. Im afraid to be older than that and look in the mirror and see my face get wrinkly and notice myself running slower... Ive seen old people pretend to have fun in their retirement, but who cant help but feel sorry for them in their pathetic state

Precious Roy wrote:

Actually, college is not that great once you think about it. You drink shit cheap ass beer when you party. And you are either spending your parents' money or racking up debt that you will carry for the next 20 years.

skinnyrunna wrote:

Sorry you had a bad college experience. The point of drinking in college is to get drunk, not to be a beer snob and comment about the rich, hoppy taste and nutty aftertones.

Also, if it takes 20 years to pay off college debts, you should probably quit your job at wal-mart and actually use your degree.

College is full of dicks like skinnygayrunner.

dude what you just posted is exactly what ive been thinking about lately! I'm 17 and just started my senior year in high school. I'm thinking the same thing and I dont want to let my childhood go! its just so great and my friends are true friends that i get a good laugh with and really enjoy. i still have that sense of adventure and it just seems that when you're 35 there is no more adventure left in life.

damn man i just want to stay 17 forever and run the 800m and go out drinking once in awhile. sh!t, shakespearian writers wrote about how great youth was. they were so right. i love myself right now and i dont want to grow up, stay young dude.

When you find a job you like okay, you marry the right person and have great kids you just don't really care how fast you are running anymore, trust me. At least that's how I see life now at 43, and that includes all the c*^p that goes with working it out in marriage and parenting teens right now, it's hard but it's the good life, and that's NO LIE! Life does move past running glory!

XCMiler wrote:

okay so im 18 and 9 months getting ready to start college. After a truly nostalgic senior year im not ready to move on. Im excited to start college but scared that it signals the last good 4 years of my life. Im afraid of turning 19 in December not because its a bad age, but because its closer to 30 40 50 and so on. Im afraid of being in my late twenties up unil mid forties because of the 40 hour per week dead set routine without any fun that ive seen so many adults live. Im afraid to be older than that and look in the mirror and see my face get wrinkly and notice myself running slower... Ive seen old people pretend to have fun in their retirement, but who cant help but feel sorry for them in their pathetic state

TROLL. 0/10.

How are you starting college in nine months but you've already finished senior year of high school?

I'm two years removed from college (mid 20's) and while I LOVED college, I also don't miss it a bit. I studied hard, ran hard, and partied hard and enjoyed every minute of it. The running hard helped pay for my school, and the hard studying helped me to walk into a great job right after graduation with minimal debt. Now I'm in another, less stressful phase of life and I'm loving it just as much.

I work 40 hours a week and make more money than I know what to do with. I live in a great place, finally have nice furnishings, a nice new car...and I'm putting myself into position to enjoy an early retirement. Is 40 hours a week too much?? I spent way more time than that in class/studying during my last few years of school so I feel like I've got so much more free time now. I'm taking long weekends to visit new places, fly off to wherever sounds interesting--beaches, snowboarding, anything. I never had the time or $$ to do the things I'm doing now. I take care of myself (although I still drink cheap beer) and I feel just as good as when I was 18.

High school was a lot of fun but if I had to go back to living with my parents, I'd go crazy. College was a blast but there is no way I could go back to living in the dumps that I lived in. The number one rule I live by: have no regret. Life is what you make it. I wake up with a smile on my face each morning and wonder what the day has in store for me. If at age 18 you feel like life has passed you by, then I truly feel sorry for you!

Widespread wrote:

Mid 20's is awesome. Its pretty much college-homework+more disposable income.

NOt everyone is a spoiled white kid.

Each day is a gift.

You do not know when you will depart this life (it may be tomorrow!). Do not ever pretend that you do.

Make the most of each moment of the gift, and help others to as well.

But trust me on the sun tan.

Psh, worried about 40 hour work weeks in your late twenties? I had to work 40-60 hrs a week depending on if it was the summer or not in undergrad when I was your age. Life sucks, and life is work--at least until retirement.

Get used to it, man.

XCMiler wrote:

it just seems that the only plus about getting older that you guys are giving me is the money. My dad is pretty wealthy, yet I know that he was less fun at his 200 dollar per person restaurant with his fake friends than I do going over to Chipotle with the pals and then hanging out in some parking lot smoking a bowl, or looking for mischief

Dude, money is just the means to and end, and that end is FREEDOM. Maybe your dad is just a boring guy with boring friends. You can still have friends when you're old. I have a running group I run with 1-2 times a week. I have lots of musician friends, some of whom I've played in gigging bands with that I do stuff with...music, beer, brats, football games, etc. I have another set of friends that I go bowling with or camping with or we get our families together and head to an amusement park (usually Kings Island north of Cincinnati) or some other family-friendly thing, and then of course if you ever get married and have kids, it's a blast to watch them do the things they are good at; both my kids are involved in sports, and it's a blast to watch them both compete and get better.

Like I said before, PLAN your life to be any way you want it to be. You don't HAVE to stop doing what you're doing now. You can keep (and will keep) many of the same interests you have as a teenager when you get older. I mean, I still play video games on occasion. If you're 30 and still smoking a bowl and getting into mischief, then you're a bit of a loser, but my guess is you'll stop wanting to get into mischief. Work part-time your whole life. Work like a dog for 15-20 years and then retire for good. Go live in cheap housing near a touristy area of the country that you'd like to live in and sell hotdogs and surf the rest of the time. Your life does NOT have to be boring, and if it ends up being then you only have yourself to blame. Being afraid of the future is being passive, and that's weak. Be strong brother and make the future what you want it to be.

XCMiler wrote:

it just seems that the only plus about getting older that you guys are giving me is the money.

Actually getting old sucks A ss. Jobs, wife/wives, kids... tons of stress, it's just not much fun.

When you look at it from a pure running point of view, it's even worse.

Once you're past your 20's you will get slow- now college is a blast and you will never have a better time to dedicate to being a great runner and student.

Don't waste your youth

Widespread wrote:

Mid 20's is awesome. Its pretty much college-homework+more disposable income.

Agreed. 24 now and it's pretty damn fun. I'd also add this: college-homework+more disposable income+More confidence in yourself

That's the point I'm trying to make. 19 and 20 look horrible to you now. But when your 35-40-45 you will look at 19 and 20 the way you look at 16 and 17. It's all relative.

dudemetoo wrote:

dude what you just posted is exactly what ive been thinking about lately! I'm 17 and just started my senior year in high school. I'm thinking the same thing and I dont want to let my childhood go! its just so great and my friends are true friends that i get a good laugh with and really enjoy. i still have that sense of adventure and it just seems that when you're 35 there is no more adventure left in life.

damn man i just want to stay 17 forever and run the 800m and go out drinking once in awhile. sh!t, shakespearian writers wrote about how great youth was. they were so right. i love myself right now and i dont want to grow up, stay young dude.

I feel like that is something that I would have written my senior year of high school. While you will miss high school running, you will make better friends, and have more fun in college. Trust me, no matter how great you think your friends are now, when you go to college and LIVE with people you become that much more close.