So far in your life, what age do you associate with the best memories? This was the question posed by my boss one morning as a meeting conversation starter. It forced me to think hard.
But honestly, I didn’t have a solid answer. I don’t really recall my kid years to be particularly noteworthy. My teen years that I remember more were also just fine. I grew into myself more and certainly had less stress than I do now, but I don’t think they were at all exciting enough to be the best. My university years were certainly not the best, as I constantly felt slightly out of place and like I was missing out on something better. This brings us to now, where I am a young adult.
Weirdly enough, last year when I was 25, I think I had a pretty good year. It seems weird given that COVID was still very much a thing that dictated a lot about how I lived, but I had friends, I had hobbies, I had a job. I felt reasonably content with where I was at, all things considered. This year, age 26, also seems to be going fairly well.
But is this the best? Is this as good as it gets? As the youngest person in my department at work, I really hoped that wasn’t the case and that my comrades would tell me that their late 20’s and 30’s were very fun. Only one did say that he felt he was in a good place (mid-30’s) and looked forward to the future. But we all agreed mid-20’s was a sweet spot.
Which brings me to a question I’ve pondered for so long it’s been on a list of blogging ideas for a long time: Am I wasting my good years? Despite the good things I’ve listed about my life as of late, I have to wonder if I’m making the most of my life. As mentioned, I felt like I did not make good use of my life in school—a time that people consider their good years—in terms of meeting people, exploring the city, or developing new skills. When looking at the lives of my peers now, I have to wonder if I’m squandering my overall adult potential.
For years people have told me that they loved being my age. “Enjoy it while it lasts” kind of thing. Except this is often being told to me by people decades older than me. And when they were my age, they were able to rent an apartment on a single salary and didn’t have to worry about global warming. I feel like I spent too much time being stressed out over those things too, which could be taking away from my well-being or setting me up for decades of bad years.
At the end of the day, we’re all on different paths. My coworker’s idea of a great mid-30’s life could be my worst nightmare. There’s no right answer and I know I just have to keep living and working toward what I think is the best.
Here’s to years where you and I are thriving, no matter how old we may be.
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Coolbeans4 
Seriously- that is a hard question, some years are harder to remember than others. Don’t all periods of your life have both ups and downs?
Obviously, the hardest memories to think of come from your childhood years- yes, there are some we remember. Just a few though. I really don’t think there is a single year I can say was the best- even though some were better than others
I think we really need to adopt a mindset of gratitude for the present and minimize glorifying any one period of your life. Im sure anyone can feel nostalgic about a certain era in their lives, but who’s to say you won’t feel the same about the present someday in the future? There are good and bad to any given time period but I suppose one can choose a great one based on how you were feeling intrinsically and not by what was happening around you.
There have been periods of complete harmony for me during every phase of my life that I can remember. They were times that I felt reasonably confident and hopeful regardless of what was happening or what I was dealing with. But I can also remember times when all was good and I felt unsettled and anxious for no obvious reason.
It’s tough to define. And it’s subjective.
I wish that everyone lived long enough and well enough to reminisce happily about different time periods in their lives.