It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Yeah, yeah.
I was known for my horseplaying, rough-housing, and all that other playful combating with friends. I was wrestling with a buddy of mine and chased after him until I felt a shooting pain up through my right leg.
I discovered I tore my hamstring.
It was at that moment I realized, "I'm too old for this." It was a painful lesson, and I'm thankful my hyperness didn't lead to a more serious injury.
Curious to hear about the experiences of strangers who grew up too fast, Redditor sluuurpyy asked:
"What's the most favorite thing you had to give up because you grew too old for it?"
Adrenaline Rush
There is only so much our aging hearts – or any other body parts – can take.
Rogue Knee
"Running. One of my knees decided it was too old for it without consulting the rest of me, unfortunately :("
Thrills
"Roller coasters. I can't ride them any more, because I have a bad back and last time I went to Busch Gardens I got whiplash from riding all of the coasters. Threw out my back at Disney when I rode 'The Mummy Returns'. Shame too, coasters are one of the only things that make me feel truly alive."
Comforts
Being around a plushy environment we created for ourselves was something that provided a sense of safety – as well as expressing our creativity.
Kid Astronaut
"A card board box I'd sit in and had drawn, in my mind, the controls of a rocket ship inside it."
"I'd sneak food from the kitchen to eat because I was sure I'd get hungry on my journey and being so far away. It wasn't an option to shout down to Mum for food."
"I used to sit in it and my imagination did the rest."
"Oh if you could only see the places I've been, the journey's I've taken and the adventures I've had."
"50+yrs old now and I still remember back to those places I've been and seen."
Stuffed Animals
"My Whinnie the Pooh teddy bear. I wish I kept it."
"I have a bunny plush (named Bunny lmao) that I've had for almost 28 years. He's in absolute shreds, barely holding together with the strength of hope and dreams. But I still sleep with him every night."
In The Closet
"I used to love sleeping in my closet as a kid. Nestled in their under a bunch of hanging clothes, in a pile of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals was the most comfy, secure, cave like feeling ever. So dark too. Mmm those were the days!"
Sweet Tooth
"Binge eating candy. It was fun as a kid, but buying my own to binge eat is kind of depressing. Also, if I kept doing it I would eventually develop serious health issues."
Social Behavior
Ever find yourself increasingly opting to stay in and have a date night with Netflix?
Yeah, it's called aging and not having the energy to go out and have a social life after working all day.
Boo
"Trick or treating. Last time I went I was 15."
"I did dress up, but still the looks on people's faces when they opened the door told me it was time to stop."
– Okorela
All-Nighters
"Staying up super late/all night and still being able to function the day after."
"Man, I went back to school in my mid/late twenties. I pulled ONE all nighter, then I learned how to budget my time. I think I traded in that ability in exchange for my bachelor's. I used to pull one bi-weekly, sometimes multiple days in a row, but not anymore. I'm 33 now and think I'd probably just die around noon on day 2."
Human Company
"Always having a close friend around. The older you get, the less and less time people have to be around you with families and work. People want to destress during the week, not entertain company. Probably was the hardest thing to come to terms with. Especially since I live alone. But I got a dog, he's my best friend I wouldn't trade him for the world."
– MhrisCac
Sonic Blast
"Rock concerts. I started having to deal with hearing damage in my mid-20s."
The painful reality of growing up and adulting is something many of us have grappled with.
And there comes a time when we must leave our stuffed animal-embracing, roller coaster-riding, and rough-housing selves behind.
That doesn't mean we stop having fun.
I'm still a kid at heart who now knows better than to run around like a crazy person and snap their legs in half.
