r/GenX

Today is the day, I will be walking at commencement and graduating with my Associates Degree at the tender age of 48!

I’m so excited and so emotional.

Congrats to everyone else who went back to school and is graduating, or graduated.

I had a bit of a rocky start, but I did it. I went back and finished.

One degree down, and more to go!

I had a patient tell me, age is just a number. She went back to school and graduated at 77 years old with a bachelors!

Congrats everyone!!! ❤️❤️👩🏻‍🎓👩🏻‍🎓🎓🎓

Strictly speaking of the US education system. I don't think I ever made it past WWII, even in my advanced class.

How many of you can still put your socks on without sitting down first or having to lean on something. I can’t.

So during my pregnancy every complaint was dismissed as “yep that’s pregnancy” until I had the baby and had to have my gallbladder removed the day after getting my newborn home. It wasn’t normal and I found out after the pregnancy was over.

Now I’m having loose teeth which I automatically assigned to “being mid fifties” until I googled it. Nope that’s not normal. I only looked it up because I have a bump on the roof of my mouth that keeps coming back. The two symptoms together are signs of mouth cancer. Shit! Where’s the guide to when I need to perk up my attention?? I could have sought a medical professional six months ago

Folks who have had symptoms they brushed off as nothing that turned out to be something, tell us about them. What’s not “normal fifty-something” wear and tear?

You people are depressing. 55 f here rock on duuuuudes.

I saw a video on YouTube about exercise snacks. The idea is to take 1, 2 minutes or 3 and do an exercise periodically during the day. Go run up the stairs etc. Right now I am doing a set of incline dumbbells in my home gym before a meeting. Its a short moderate intensity exercise that gets your metabolism going helps the heart and blood flow. I think this is a key to aging gracefully.

Don't wait for a perfect workout. Get moving.

Well, here we are, discussing getting older. Who would have thought?

Anyway, just curious how many of you plan to "age in place" in your current home, maybe making modifications, or do you plan to downsize?

We live in an old Victorian that we love. It's 3 stories and in a remote part of the country, which we also love, but the conditions are very harsh. Our house would need - at the very least - to have a full bathroom put in on the ground floor.

However: I had a major health issue last year (cancer, now in remission) but it really drove home how important it is to be near excellent health care. We drove 8 hours each way every two weeks to get chemo for 6 months.

We're thinking about moving to a small city within an hour of world-class healthcare, with more amenities...we want to do this before something forces the issue (if that even happens).

Is anyone even thinking about this?

https://preview.redd.it/tt0b3nylvh2h1.jpg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4f90f160fa805ab57ee16e770a43280a28199d4

While Neds was probably one of my Favorite bands while in HS and still love them to this day, I went to a show on September 2 1991 at the Ancienne Belgique. (Father was in the service and we were living in Mons) The headliners were The Wonder Stuff. They were good to be sure but the opening acts were by far my favorite. Carter USM opened it all up with their set and i was IN FUCKING AWE. After Carter was NIN on their Pretty Hate Machine tour. They were fucking EPIC as well. The set was loud, angry and riotous. Everything a 16 year old wanted to hear. And while I loved the Nine Inch Nails set, I had to have the Carter album. And let me tell you, I wore that shit out. It still gets regular play. Yes I listened to their other albums, this is just when I discovered them personally. Edit: just discovered I spelled it Yewt when it should have been Yute.

What kind of insane fever dream of a drug combination is this movie? Neither my husband nor I saw this as kids, so I thought why not. I think this is the craziest movie I've ever watched. What were Henson and Lucas smoking when they came up with it?

Anybody see this as a kid? What was it like with 40 years less experience?

Any GenXer's here, 55+, retire when their savings hit $500k? I know that everyone's circumstances are different, and there are many things to consider. Not looking to get into Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts...just curious.

Edit: Thanks Peeps...as an added bonus, I'm not in this situation. There's no way I could do it. I have a cousin who turns 55 in July and has already made the decision to do this. He's single, has already given his employer notice, and has 'about $500k saved'....I was wondering if others have pulled this off and I was just missing out....

My daughter’s BF has a car he added a tune to, and it’s so loud when he leaves at night that my neighbors started to complain. I had to ask him if there anything he could do, like put the car in neutral and roll it down our hill before he starts it. Man, you would’ve thought I had 3 eyes the way he looked at me! He had no idea why I suggested that or even that it was a thing!! I was like wait, you’ve never had to do that to sneak out?! 😂

I remember my parents records. And I remember playing them on better equipment than they had as teens. Because they bought that equipment. Did you know in the 60's they had best hit records? That's where I heard the song " Skinny Legs and All". But I still listen to everything from Buddy Holly to Glenn Miller. Al Green to Jimi Hendrix. Credence to the soundtrack of American Graffiti.

Was just thinking recently - my dad, who’s in his early 80’s, still has multiple friends from his high school days, a whole little gang actually, and despite living all around the place, they still get together for golf trips etc.

Me, on the other hand, I think I’ve still got *one* friend from high school school that I still hang with occasionally because we live close enough to each other and, even then, our personalities and lifestyles have changed in a way that makes hanging out feel like a chore sometimes.

So, show of hands, who still maintains close friendships from childhood and/or high school? How’d that happen, or not happen? What do you do together?

It's making a comeback. As a younger GenX dad of teenagers, I'm not sure if I'm ready for the generational appropriation. They're all asking if I can find any of my old ones, but I'm pretty sure I traded them for an dime of Mexican brick at some point.

To me a know it all is someone who talks a good game but cant fix or trouble shoot problems on their own. I'm a jack of all trades, can fix or band aide about anything. Recently I had a close friend ask for help. I remedy the situation. However they always want to do the opposite of what I suggest. This also goes for immediate family. Then why ask me for help? Do the shit yourself. This close friend said well you come off as a know it all. If you want me to watch I'm going to call out what you are fucking up. Usually I have to fix it later. I would rather do it right the first time. Anyone else?

No Gen Xer would ever carry a ring into a volcano just to stop their friends from fighting at a party.

But I think a lot of us would put on a ring that makes you invisible.

Married my Prom date (1991). We're married 32-years. She's an amazing person but, damn, it's rough. How are others doing?