I struggled through my late twenties. About a month out from my birthday, I'd get mega depressed while looking back at my life. I'd just think "I'm not where I want to be or where I expected to be." Turning thirty was even worse, but when I turned thirty-one, things came a little easier to me.

Wow, some excellent responses!

pikachulover wrote :

In the legal sense I'm an adult and look like one, but I'm a child masquerading in a badly made adult costume. 
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I know that feeling. I always assumed I'd just "grow up" and mature with the adult skill set when I hit 20 or whatever. I dress pretty plainly, but still find myself gravitating towards kids stuff. 

Vaporman87 wrote :

On the plus side, I have a steady business. I have an amazing family. And I'm being proactive in battling my physical and mental issues. My diet changes have surprised even me. I never thought I would be able to give up soda, yet I haven't had a sip for months (except at Epcot, when we were flavor testing drinks). Whole grains, nuts, fruit and veggies, and lean meats (mostly poultry and seafood) are what I stick to for the most part. I've forced myself to get my bloodwork done (which I HATE!!! I get so nervous giving blood) and I plan to have a new round of testing done to see if any damage has been done to my arteries from my previously poor lipid profile.
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Vapor, I always looked up to you. The family man who takes care of his family and can provide for them like a boss. Your business must be pretty successful because I know Retro-Daze isn't cheap, the contest prizes are always jaw dropping AND you take like 2 trips to Disneyland a year haha. I hope I can one day provide like that, excellent work man. As far as your health issues, are they really serious, or is your anxiety amplifying them? You don't seem like the drinking/tobacco type so I can't imagine anything being too bad.

echidna64 wrote :
For some people, high school was the time of their life. I had a terrible time in high school- no money, no car, no power. Plus I had a full beard during a time when boy bands and emo kids were all the rage. Anyhow, for me 25 was an awesome year. I was in the best shape of my life and that's when I met my wife.

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High school for me was pretty uneventful. I did just enough to get by both academically and socially.  I wouldn't go back to that. As far as physical shape, I definitely feel I can keep progressing well into my 40s before I start noticeably losing strength. I met my wife at 23 and we got married last year and had a daughter as you know and that's been a blast and has breathed new life into my...life haha

massreality wrote :

Whenever
I get really depressed, I like to revisit the past. It makes me feel
comfortable again. For years, I'd only visit RetroJunk whenever I was
about to hit rock bottom, but once I started coming here that all sort
of stopped. I'm not saying I don't still get depressed, but its nice to
be around a community of like minded people, who love to share stories
from their past. I think its the constant reminder of easier (and
arguably better times) that helps keep me adjusted at times.

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I loved RetroJunk because I could always go there and say, "Man, I may be doing crummy but I'm nowhere near as bad as that guy!" I really liked the oddballs. I would love to have a friend in his 20s who still played Pokemon and collected Transformers and watched Sailor Moon. I feel like if all you guys were in my town, I'd love just chilling at a park throwing rocks and reminiscing about Go Bots.

I'm 22, so I still got a good number of years ahead of me. If I regret anything, it's the things I did (but mostly didn't do) in high school and earlier. I made a vow to myself to never again regret not doing something, to never be a sad sack who beats himself up over the couldas and the shouldas. 

vkimo wrote :
Vapor, I always looked up to you. The family man who takes care of his family and can provide for them like a boss. Your business must be pretty successful because I know Retro-Daze isn't cheap, the contest prizes are always jaw dropping AND you take like 2 trips to Disneyland a year haha. I hope I can one day provide like that, excellent work man. As far as your health issues, are they really serious, or is your anxiety amplifying them? You don't seem like the drinking/tobacco type so I can't imagine anything being too bad.
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As far as the business is concerned, all the credit belongs to my grandfather. It is, and always will be, his business, and I'm merely looking after for him. I still hear stories from people who dealt with him... always heartwarming. He is greatly missed.

As far as health issues, there is no doubt that my anxiety amplifies them. My mental battles make my physical ones more difficult than they should be. In some cases, the trials of my mind have directly affected me physically. My last OCD episode (which took place around 10 or 11 months ago) caused me to suffer heart arrhythmia (sometimes called "skipping a beat"). I took magnesium to make them subside, which must have worked - either that or they just went away when my stress finally subsided. Keeping myself on an even keel is a balancing act that I perform daily. But I happily do it, for my family.

massreality wrote :

I struggled through my late twenties. About a month out from my birthday, I'd get mega depressed while looking back at my life. I'd just think "I'm not where I want to be or where I expected to be." Turning thirty was even worse, but when I turned thirty-one, things came a little easier to me.

I still feel like a kid playing grown up. I'm still in the same mind frame that I was when I was nineteen and that bothers me at times. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to progress past this, but I'm beginning to think no one ever really does.

Whenever I get really depressed, I like to revisit the past. It makes me feel comfortable again. For years, I'd only visit RetroJunk whenever I was about to hit rock bottom, but once I started coming here that all sort of stopped. I'm not saying I don't still get depressed, but its nice to be around a community of like minded people, who love to share stories from their past. I think its the constant reminder of easier (and arguably better times) that helps keep me adjusted at times.

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The truth... I cried when I turned 30. That is absolutely the truth. Ask my wife. It wasn't as bad turning 40, but again, I was faced with my own mortality in a way that I never had been before.

I know how you feel... and so far, I have not progressed passed my youth either. Sure I'm wiser, more responsible, etc. but I still feel like a high school kid trying to live life as a 41 year old.

Keeping this place alive and relevant keeps my mind busy and focused on things I love. Otherwise, who knows what other worrisome or anxiety-inducing things it would zero in on. And despite all my worry over them, my family is also my source of relaxation and distraction from my cares. When I play with my kids, I'm not thinking about the trials I DON'T want them to face. I'm just enjoying being a part of their imaginations.

jkatz wrote :

Retrodaze meetup when?

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Sometime in 1985, preferably. Break out your time machines.