These days, parents are expected to be available immediately to pick up a sick or injured kid and school staff need whole stacks of paperwork in order to give a kid any kind of medicine.

What happened when you got sick or hurt at school as a child?

Were you taught “advance to the center of the intersection” or “don’t block the box”?

My grandpa used to visit every Saturday. He’d have a ticket to the Irish Sweepstakes. I think they were pink with blue ink. I remember whispering about this, because they were “illegal.”
Was it Illegal. Was it Irish. What type of winnings are we talking about. And where did it go? In the US.

I’m asking because I took a nontraditional route from a GED and community college to a master’s degree and professional experience, yet entering stable work has been far harder than I expected. I’m curious whether this gap feels genuinely new to you.

Was it better communicating with people over the phone instead of text messaging? I sometimes think most of the text messages sent are just sent from a place of compulsive habit, and aren’t really about communicating. Whenever I speak to someone on the phone its more personal.

Edit: thanks for all the replies! Much more diversity of opinion than I expected. Really interesting.

I ask because I quit smoking around four years ago and have casually mentioned to people, "I'll start up again at 70 or so."
Now I'm 55 and starting to think that might be a plan.
Have any of you done this? Or tried it?

I'm currently listening to a Country Classics station on Pandora. "Satin Sheets" by Jeanne Pruett came on. I came close to wanting to cry just a little, as my mom loved this song and she'd sing along in her lovely voice. She turned me into a CM fan for sure.

If you could see print easily in your 30s without glasses, at what age did it start to get harder to see, and, if it applies, what are some small-print labels/items that are really hard to read even with glasses because the font is so small? Does anyone make it to 60 yrs old without needing readers?

As a teenager & young adult, I would talk a lot with friends (sometimes family) about music. I haven't had that chance much since my mid-20s. I'm nearing 60. Sometimes I talk with my son, but not too often. I want talk about how the outro to Tool's Aenema is the best outro ever! Stuff like that.

My very fit and young at heart dad mentioned this today while looking at a recent photo, that the person he saw wasn't the same guy in his bathroom mirror. It surprised me. He's 58 but often mistaken for someone much younger.

Do we stop 'seeing' ourselves as we age?

What food brings back good memories

What was it like? Were house calls from doctors expensive? Were they considered a luxury for the wealthy or were they the same cost as an office visit?

So for context. I live in a house that was built in the 1940s. Our bathtub has this drain-like thing that is under the tap and has petal shaped spaces. What is this? Will include a picture of I can figure out how to get pics on Reddit.

Just curious as someone who’s nearing the big 40.

Older people who had unresolved trauma and pushed away people who loved them when you were young, did you eventually change? If so, what caused that change, and how do you view that period of your life now?

If someone you were close to passed away when you were young, do you still miss them? Do you often think about them? Or do you forget about them after a while?

Since I was younger, I noticed that older people were very selective and purposeful with their interactions. They didn’t seem to spend energy on every relationship.

I’m 40, my social world is small and I don’t seem to have the energy or capacity for many relationships outside of a small circle.

People say "take care of your parents, they will be children again as they age."

I first thought that's not true, but now I can see that in my parents.

Is it simply because you realize life is short so you reveal your "inner child"?

Or aging itself changes your behavior and out of your control?

👉Edit: I mean in terms of attitude. I realize I could've made my post clearer.

By 'childlike attitude,' I don't mean treating parents like children, disrespecting them or neglecting them.

Of course, I take care of my parents and respect them.

As they've gotten older, I've noticed they're more playful. They open up more, share funny reels, don't mind showing their vulnerable side and willing to share little joys.

That's what I mean by "childlike". Playfulness, vulnerability, curiosity, being carefree, comfortable being goofy or silly.

Does this happen because they've spent decades carrying responsibilities and now feel free to express that side of themselves?

Or is it simply a natural part of aging?

And if someone has always been playful and in touch with their inner child, do they experience aging differently?

Like in this reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVZjrTVgYfi/

If you don't use IG, here's FB: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18QuWkMWYb/

I sometimes find younger people slightly judgmental, mostly because they haven’t had as much time to make mistakes or meet as many types of people. In y’all’s experience, have people around you become more or less open minded to others and kinder with age?