What is something you used to do that you don’t do anymore but would really like to? Maybe you can’t because of health or finances or whatever, but it’s nice to dream about
What is something you used to do that you don’t do anymore but would really like to? Maybe you can’t because of health or finances or whatever, but it’s nice to dream about
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Climb small mountains and hike into the Grand Canyon
I used to dance all night in heels
Singing. I used to have a beautiful voice and an impressive vocal range. Now I croak like a frog.
Ski. I’m older and our nearest ski area is hours and hours away, so it’s a multi day event.
Ive been skiing since I was very small, but where I currently live its just so far away. Now I feel a bit more fragile as well. I do miss it..skiing is fun!
Stay up late and go to work the next day without it impacting my performance at all
I love to ride horses now I’m too old and decrepit
Run like the wind, as fast as I can, for as long as I can.
Horseback riding. Broke neck in auto accident now can’t risk it
Walking
Run. I mean I missed running when I ran. I would have come home, had a long shower and recovered and if I saw someone run past I would long to be with them running.
So now with arthritis I can’t and I dream about it
I can still play basketball but I can no longer dunk, can’t remember the score and have to call timeout to go pee.
Miss digging Dinosaurs out of the ground, but so glad i was able to do it when i could
My first career was a Paramedic. I tore my fifth lumbar disc lifting a patient. I was a natural, meant for that career and lost the ability due to injury
Travel. Not sure if I really want to do that, anymore. But it was something I enjoyed a lot.
TL;DR- bench press with real weight.
my right shoulder had surgery 20 years ago and PT with a diy witches brew of supplements two years ago. it gets a sharp pain that i cant seem to fix. i cant get under a bench press at 225lbs that I’ve been targeting. i dunno. i dont want to go again under a knife but i cant see another real solution.
I was always a bit out of sync with the universe, but my friend, he loved motorcycles. After so many health issues, he still rides in his sleep, but that’s the only time he gets to experience that freedom. Breaks something in my soul to know a beloved person has lost something he considered integral to his identity. Doubly so since it wasn’t his occupation.
I loved skiing in the Rockies. It was like flying for me. I’m glad I got the chance to do it in my life, but now I’m unable to do it so I remember it fondly.
Whitewater rafting and kayaking. I now live in a flat state.
Ride roller coasters
Biking long distances.
Get yakked out on coke all day every day
Backpacking
Proper gardening.
Retired, bought the few acres. Cleared half the weeds and invasive vines/brambles.
Got sick.
Now, I can hardly walk to the letterbox without getting out of breath.
Swim. I need a shoulder replacement, maybe two shoulder replacements. Last time we were on vacation I could not get in the water to snorkel due to the pain. Got my fingers crossed for surgery in the fall.
Smoke. I really enjoyed it.
I wish I could still handle crowds. I wish I could drink with my blood pressure raising.
I used to love hiking and now I have an illness that makes it harder. It’s taking time but I’m learning to work within my disability to achieve my goals.
Go on road trips. Like a day trip or several day trips
Walk
I’ve never been super active, like running marathons or weight lifting, so I’m not sure what I can’t do anymore since I probably never did it in the first place.
Someone mentioned they can’t go horseback riding any more, and I’m still able to do that. I’m more concerned about the horse actually so I stick to hacking and trail riding, low intensity stuff. So far so good with that hobby, and I’m 64.
Bushwalking and hiking to beautiful unspoiled paradise like secret waterfalls and waterholes. I can still watch other people on yt doing it.
Sex with my wife
Rollerskating! Saturday nights at the rink throughout my teen years were the best! Zipping around on skates was such a carefree feeling. I was an excellent skater and got lots of attention from the boys!
Jogging.
Ice Skate. The risk of breaking a hip is too great now.
Golf or tennis. My body decided enough is enough so a balky back and leg make playing either or both a happy pastime. Watching on tv isn’t a good substitute.
Play rugby.
All night roller skating. Or just roller skating at all. I haven’t tried in years, but I would love to try again. I went every weekend as a preteen and teen.
Downhill Skiing – can’t recover like I used to, let alone if I break anything.
Travel. Go on vacation.
I played drums in a punk band with my brother, cousin, and a friend. We wrote original tunes that I wrote lyrics for, as did my cousin. It was fun, and we recorded a tape, back when tapes were a “thing”. We never got past the backyard party and church basement level, but it was fun. We never made any money, which you need to keep a band going. My cousin especially drifted away from the “punk” thing, but has recently gotten back into some of the music. Kids, marriages, and life happened, and we’re all “grown-ups” now, but I’d love to get out the drums, rehearse, and play another gig.
Sleep through the night
Ride my horse like I’m unbreakable.
F*ck
Ride a motorcycle, ride a horse.
Windsurfing, downhill skiing and rock hopping MTBs.
Have sex most of the night with my wife. Man I miss that!
Oh, it’s not that either of us are in bad health or anything. We’re actually very healthy.
I’m just afraid the law would stop it after a while. She divorced me 15 years ago!!!
But dammit, I still have fond memories!! 😆
Honestly, I miss the days of partying hard several nights a week, closing the bar, then going to work bright and early like a champ! I know that’s wildly unhealthy, but damn it was fun!!
Riding a motorcycle. Spent a week in the hospital after my last spill. Too old now to chance injury again!
Backpacking into wilderness areas was my favorite activity from 19 to 74, so a pretty good run, saw some of the best the western US has to offer. Would love to still go but health issues finally put an end to it. We were fortunate to retire on acreage in the forest, so I can still get my outdoor fix, but it is not the same as just rambling through the country.
Heroin.
Long distance cycling. I have lymphedema in my legs and while compression keeps it under control, they are disfigured and my bike would not accommodate them. I miss it.
I (f62) like to dream about having my own place and not having to live my sister.
Jump. The answer is ‘Jump’!
My legs are probably as strong as they were when I was a teenager 40 to 50 years ago, probably enough to overcome the extra weight I carry now. This means that I have the mechanics to be able to jump fairly far in the air.
The problem is not jumping UP. It is the fear of what will happen when I come DOWN. It feels like I could break a bone, tear a ligament, or any number of other orthopedic injuries.
I played pickup basketball games with my then-teenage sons until a few years ago. It was great exercise and I loved the competition. Then one day I jumped (just a little) to grab a rebound. When I came down, a shock wave went from one end of my spine to the other. I collapsed to the ground and rolled around in agony. My sons told me later that they thought I was having a heart attack. It took me a couple of months to recuperate and I still remember that painful feeling. Never want to go through that again.
Old men can’t jump.
I really REALLY miss walking around neighborhoods and parks. I used to walk 15-20 miles every week and had to give it up a few years ago.
Crochet. I miss it sooo much. The herniated disk in my neck just causes too much pain and my Dr says it will cause more damage. Sigh
I would skateboard everywhere, I know it no age limit but it feels weird
Sleep!!!!!!!!
Drive the Alaska Highway one more time.
Go anywhere and not be ignored. I’m so invisible now.
Put my right shoe on
My daughter got me a cool expensive mountain bike the day my second hip started hurting. Went for an xray today to see if it also needs replacing. Won’t be able to ride it for at least a year
Swing dancing. Motorcycle touring. Sleep through the night. I miss ’em all.
Running!
I used to snowboard, but because i suffered a major head injury that resulted in my neck being fused, I had to give it up. Still have dreams of snowboarding at night on Mt Hood (Oregon). At least I have my dreams.
I used to eat a whole full size snickers bar and not think twice about it.
Snow 🎿
Had a marine (saltwater) aquarium back in the day. Lived in an apartment at the time, but now with a house to maintain, it’s not in the cards. I could get completely lost in it, and I totally recommend it for anyone with the patience and the dime.
Marine corals are incredible. Invertebrates doing their thing, even starfish that knew when you were feeding would do cartwheels. Soft and hard corals, yellow head gobies that lived in the sand, sun corals that wake and sleep under the lights, all the tiny shrimps and crabs that do their duty to pick through the sand. The symbiotic relationships, even these gorgeous clams (advanced) were so cool to stare at. Local online forums were full of advice, and you could even catch aquarium conventions in town. Miss it bigtime.
Windsurf. Now I can’t even standup paddle.
So many things. I take a medication that gives me cramps in my legs and also causes fatigue, started three years ago. TIL then, I swam 5-6 times a week, I skied, I hiked- I can still do that but it’s slow going. I loved river rafting. I went to the Caribbean last month with my kids and grandkids and while i loved watching my grandkids learn to snorkel, I would’ve loved to teach them or at go with them. OTOH, I’m alive, I travel a lot, I’m taking my grandkids to the desert next month to see the night sky. I walk miles along the ocean every day. So I can’t complain.
Find a job
Live without pain.
Intravenous drug use using schedule 2 controlled substance. Been almost 30 years now.
I miss camping hiking and fishing. Wearing high heels. Mini skirts. Normal bras ( I’ve had a mastectomy)
Fly places at the drop of the heat, same with long distance spontaneous overnight driving trips
Concerts
Garden. Knees don’t bend, too unsteady to walk on uneven ground.
I used to go out all the time and socialize, almost every other day and sometimes every day. Dancing is another one.
I bowled in a league for 20 years.
The local alley closed and I don’t really have the stamina to throw a 16 pound ball for 30 frames anymore.
But I do miss it.
Skiing. Used to go almost every weekend. Made me not hate winter. Repeated injuries to one of my knees ended that.
Got sick 12 years ago. 57 now.
Miss socialising, having a life outside of being housebound.
Miss Dressing up, wearing heels. Having fun.
But most of all I miss creating. Former artist ….hmm, not sure you ever stop being an artist, but now all my projects are in my head. Hands don’t work, eyes don’t work, focus doesn’t work, standing is draining.
Edited to add: Eating!! Going out to dinner for a three course meal. Hell, a two course meal or ever a one course meal would do, without feeling ill, needing to lie down. *sigh
I used to do crossstitch, embroidery, and make toys. I can’t do them anymore as my hands shake all the time.
Drink a few beers 🍻 every afternoon. I really enjoyed it. Never got drunk I just liked a little beer buzz.
Ski.
I’d cut firewood and stack it, dig out plants and put different ones in, rip out invasive species, and generally exhaust myself doing fun outdoor stuff. Plant a garden. Hand weed the front yard.
I got old, my arthritis won’t let me, and I hurt for days after I try it now.
Date/Sleep around. I am blissfully married. And have no desire to lose what I have. But dating was fun.
Used to jog but now I can’t because of s bum ankle
Sleep for 8 hours or more without waking up.
Race Motorcycles.
I miss being able to just go. Now it’s checking for my keys/phone/meds/bag/water for meds/knee brace/snack so meds don’t make me sick… added to the fact I move more slowly overall now. I miss having a body that supports my enjoyment of spontaneity.
Run a marathon. Yrs of smoking has ruined that for me. I faintly remember that runner’s high.
I want to roller skate regularly again. I went twice during March and loved it, but my skating muscles are so very weak. I want to go at least once a week to get that strength and skill back. Skating is not a workout to me. It’s recreation that happens to make me stronger.
The skate schedule doesn’t match my personal schedule, so this will be very hit or miss.
Snow skiing and water skiing and dirt bike motorcycles
I went to Jazzfest for 21 years. It was wonderful. Unfortunately due to health issues, money and nobody to go with, I don’t go anymore.
I used to walk into music instrument stores, find something that caught my eye, try it out, and if I loved it, I’d buy it.
Music instrument stores are mostly gone.
Skiing/snowboarding. It was always expensive, but somehow it got much worse.
Be more active on my feet. I have the diabetus and it has wrecked my feet.
A nice cold beer. health issue.
I’m 75+ years old.
This will probably sound stupid, but using a chainsaw and splitter to refill about 3 or 4 cords each spring.
Yes, I do know how cords are measured.
We have been using firewood for supplementary heat for 40+ yrs.
We hope to move very close family/grandkids this year.
We will use a push button natural gas fireplace. 👍
Getting up from the floor in one swift motion.
Pee like a racehorse!
Ice skating. Sometimes I dream of just skating away on a long pond.
Run
I wish I could get excited about doing things the way I used to when I was younger
Interact with others.
I had a frozen shoulder several years ago. I worked very hard in PT to heal my shoulder. I used to bowl in leagues over the years and I will never bowl again because it would risk my shoulder. I also had a bad bout of vertigo that led to no longer bike riding. My balance is not what it once was. I miss those things!
Getting laid
Long bike rides. Used to do 20 – 50 mile rides each week. Now I’m lucky if I can make 10. At least I can still ride for now.
Long bike rides. My balance is too poor now.
Concerts and music festivals.
Stay up all night, dancing or just hanging out with friends then rolling into work hungover.
I honestly don’t know why I miss that last part but I do.
Ride a bike. I’m afraid now of falling off and shattering my Swiss cheese bones.
Psychedelics.
Too much on my mind these days to have an enjoyable trip.
Thank you for this post.
I have found some of my people on here, and I feel less alone in my struggles.
Thank you ❤️
My wife had a bunch of eye surgeries and couldn’t drive for years. When she fell asleep at night, she would literally dream of driving (and she was aware that she was in a dream, because she knew it was impossible).
Happy ending: the surgeries eventually worked, and now she can drive again.
I would love to get a camper van and travel all across the U.S. and see all the sites that I have never had the time to stop and see. I have traveled across the country before, but always in a hurry to get somewhere. Would be nice just to take my time and enjoy the trip and see the sites!
Sex marathons! I mean… I don’t even want to. But I want to want to! Those all nighters are now nothing but pleasant memories
I plan to try again but –> Myself and two friends were backpacking in the high Sierras in California. Dan and I had been up this same trail twice before with no problems. It starts around 8000’ (2440 m) and goes up to a pass at 11,400’ (3480 m) in about 8 miles. This time however, by 9000’ we were all quite tired and took a long break. We moved on and up and within another mile we were all ready to stop but the canyon is very narrow with no camping spots. We had to continue, but we searched for campsites every step.
By 10,000’ we were all nearly exhausted, one of us in particular. He threw off his pack and was going to camp right in the trail, which is not allowed. I volunteered to scout ahead for a campsite. Maybe 1/3 of a mile on and about 10,300’ I found a nice area next to a beautiful lake. I left my pack and went back to get my friends.
We were moving on shaky legs. It took forever to set up camp, fix dinner, pump water, clean up the cooking stuff, and so on. We were in bed before dark and slept like logs. From then on, for the rest of the week, we were fine. But it surely highlighted aging. (I was 71).
Anyway, I’m 78 now and have been working hard and consistently on my conditioning. I had open heart surgery 2 years ago and that has greatly helped my aerobic ability and I have a new plan to approach altitude. It may or may not work.
I miss skiing and running daily.
Roller skate
Hike, line dance, wear heels , work out like crazy , eat what I want , sing and talk without pain in my throat , sleep through the night ….
Attend live music concerts. They are prohibitively expensive now, and the prospect of being stuck in the midst of a crowd whilst needing the loo frequently takes this activity off the table for me.
Long road trips! I used to love driving and going exploring. Now I can only drive up to 20mins, not on the freeway, only during daylight hours. Even riding longer than an hour gives me car sickness.
I miss just hopping in the car and going.
I’d like to talk to my mom. Some crazy fucked up shit has been happening since she died, I’d love to hear her absurd observations about it.