Considering we can all agree that time goes faster as you’re older, what year felt like the “middle” of your life? For example, if you’re 80 right now, maybe the period from 30 to 80 seemed to have flown by as fast as the period from 0-20. What’s the middle point from your perception?
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At 40 , now I have more years behind me than I have ahead.
I’m a 77 y.o. man and I consider the middle (and the best) years of my life were from 40 to 50.
Prob 45 to 65
M 67. I suppose 40-50 was the middle of my life, although I didn’t feel old at the time. We didn’t have kids until I was 37, so I was busy with youth sports, boy scouts, church activities, etc, during those years. Raising children with my wife defined my life at that time.
I’m 60, don’t really think about age much….still consider myself young….but the world/people treat me as old…..pisses me off.
I’m 51 but I have multiple female relatives on both sides that lived to their late 90s or over 100 so I think I might there right now.
The middle probably began in my late 30s, when I had my second episode of depression and required treatments for a chronic illness that took time and required lifestyle changes. It lasted until my mid-50s, when I clearly entered pre-retirement mode.
Once I turned 42, time seems to be speeding by since.
72 here. 0-20 took forever. 20-45 went regular. 45 to here had flown by. Middle time would have been 45-60. And although quick, we’re good ones.
Raising kids
The middle would, for me, be peaks in my career and personal life. My 40s for sure.
I’m 64 and kept fit (ride horses nearly every day, do yoga and weights). I don’t feel old. There are some reminders (my feet hurt, and need good roomy shoes) but otherwise I feel pretty much the same as I did 20 years ago.
Photos are shocking though — I don’t see those wrinkles in the mirror, so it’s always an unpleasant surprise.
I always felt 50 was the middle, but that’s only right if I live to 100
There was something about turning 50 that got to me more than 60 or even 70 and that’s because it ended the middle years which was my 40s. When you’re 50, you realize that you have probably lived over half your life.
To begin with most of us don’t remember much of the first 5 years. Recollection get more solid around 10. So, if one took 80, subtracted 10 and then divided by 2 that would be 35.
I’m not 80 but i had some Milestone events around 40. So, probably 40.
I’ve never really considered my mortality, though it probably will happen. I especially enjoyed my 33rd year, and base a lot of satisfaction on that particular age, but I think that the years from 60 to present day 67 seem to have zoomed by the quickest. It used to seem like it took a longgg time between birthdays. Now they seem to come around every few months.
I feel like I’m toward the end of the middle (60s) and holding on as long as possible.
I’m 78, cancer survivor twice. I’m in pretty good shape for an old guy. I guess my middle years were from 40-70. Got my first cancer diagnosis at 70 and that threw a pretty big monkey wrench into my life. I’m pretty lucky. Always have been.
At 40 I was a bit shocked to realize, hmm, I suppose this is a true middle age (figuring I’d live to about 80 give or take a decade).
45 to 55. Height of my career and designed and built my last home in my now retirement state. Before seemed a prep for those middle years. Since then to now at 71, it’s been a slow decline into a very mundane boring life.
When I was 52 I mentioned my being middle aged to my adult son. He gave me an incredulous look and asked, “Middle aged? You plan to live to 104?” Clearly, I didn’t clearly understand the term.
Why is this important?
My life is today thats all there is. There may be no tomorrow.
So i guess a little after lunch…
I never lived this weird segmented life that people appear to think exists. Where you pass certain milestones like levels in a stupid game. I just lived. The single real milestone was the age where i became legally and morally responsible for my own actions….and could now drink legally.
Maybe 35-52. I relate it to the ages my twins were, (10-27), and to my leaving a corporate executive position & starting my own business.
I’m 65 and fill great so maybe I’m just reaching it. Lol
I am -55.
I think 40 was half.
50-55 felt like the middle to me. I’m almost 60. I don’t feel old at all. But I am very aware that I am aging. I kinda love it.
I started to think I looked old around 35, then started feeling old around 40. That was depressing and unnerving. Close to 3 decades have passed since then, and my outlook is better. Guess I got used to the new reality.
Now!
I have every intention of living another 70+ years. I’ve got that much left to do.
I had a rude awakening at 26, that I was not going to live forever. Started maturing bit by bit lol. Id say 40-50 I consider my middle years. I’m 57 now so I get the senior discount at most restaurants. Lol.
30 to 50. Those were my child raising years. That’s when the burden was heaviest.
My civilian career, 40-59. After a fantastic career in the Army ended at 39, I felt old and beat up. Then getting a suit and tie job and being the new guy again, it felt like starting over and I didn’t feel old at all.
Retiring again at 59, that was enough. Now, feeling old and beat up again (more mentally than anything), I’m glad I’m at the ‘real’ retirement phase because I wouldn’t want to have to start over again.
Things worked out, retirement is good. It’s been a tremendously great run, I wish everyone could be so lucky.
30-50 4 me. 68now
I’m 58 now.
I feel like this is the middle
Heh heh heh. now
I mean, I’m in my 60s, and in better health and finances than I ever was in my early adult years.
And, I’m not decrepit and sitting in a rocker. More like, I’m still a rock and roller, with a gf who’s about to turn 50, and smokin.
So, this has got to be the middle, before I’m decrepit and closer to the end.
45 is the mountain top, after that you go through a kind of reverse puberty and your body changes for the worse: vision (you’ll need readers), hair loss + hair appears in weird places on your body, things start to sag & wrinkle, you eat a cookie 🍪 & gain 5 pounds. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
45 … my divorce.
Two distinct lives.
I guess the middle of my life now that I’m 65, was when I was 32 – 40. I was working and raising kids. My biggest hope was that they would all have a college degree one day and live productive and enriched lives. Since I have had kids, I have lived for my kids, making sure I had great houses to raise them in made sure I met all their needs physically and emotionally and made sure they were well educated and made sure they stayed in church each Sunday.
It was a lot of working and a lot of effort. But now they are all adults on their own, college educated, married with kids, they own their own homes and they all still go to church, and they all make great salaries.
One did not wish to go to college, but they are doing quite well as a realtor and property manager and also owns their own home. I could not be more proud of my kids..
I’m glad I put the effort into my kids. I did not deny myself though. I went from being a store manager to a Realtor to make all that happen. I feel that when you make an effort to improve your children’s lives, your life gets improved as well.
Technically speaking 38-45
My 50s.
Definitely started at 40.
I am 59 and this is the middle of my life.
I see ages in seasons. 0 -21 spring, 22- 42 summer, 43 -63 fall, 64 – 84 winter……
at 59M (is that old?), I feel I’m there right now. but I’m planning on living actively until 120.
so far, so good.
I’m 49 now. According to the oncologist I hit middle age at roughly 25. I didn’t even cry. Well
I did, but I’m so tough the salt from my tears started to rust my face. Nothing a light spray of WD40 doesn’t fix of course.
This is a tough question because I never thought about it before. By years, the middle of my life is 34-35.
But I feel like the real middle in my mind is about 50, maybe 45.
I came to say 40-60. I’ve had some health issues since 60, but I’m still out there cycling daily and fit.
I read an artificial that said that the body ages in spurts. Children have growth spurts, pretty common. Well shit, I turned 69 this year and everything is breaking at once. Need a new knee, need a new shoulder, I belong to the skin cancer of the month club, got hearing aids, even stronger glasses, and my fucking heart is acting up, fuuuuck. But I’m going to battle. I’m going to buy new knees and shoulder and I’m getting back in the game, damn it. But If I die tomorrow, I will not feel cheated.
Mid 40s where you have a lot of stuff “figured out” and you know who you are.
How old is “old”?
For me, it was between 38 and 48, when I experienced the most volatility and angst, 5 companies, going independent, moving away from my home base, purchasing a place to live, stabilizing health issues, beginning to feel my years.
Over and above all of that was this feeling I had peaked before then, and this was life from now on, and I began seriously looking at down the road retirement numbers. What I did not anticipate was bouncing back to a new peak right around then, with ten years at a MAANG all of a sudden, almost a 180 from where I was. You just never know – that’s the third phase.
Haven’t reached it yet. I plan to live to 200.
Nows about good. 52
46 to 81+ (now). Not too bad!! USAF retirement!
40’s
Around 45 or 46. My grandparents lived into their 90s as did my father. Cancer killed Mom at 80. Longevity runs on both sides of my family. Still, one never knows, right?
When my Dad died when was 67 and had just retired. I was early 40’s at the time, and my mortality and a lot of life stuff bubbled up. Not quite an existential crisis, but def made me realize I was getting to the point of having more years behind me, than ahead of me.
I’d say I peaked at about 45. My 40’s came with major life decisions and changes.
So, my 40’s & 50’s are mid-life to me. They were the time I was most productive, most healthy, and accomplished the most.
It’s just a shame that I also spent most of that time regurgitating all the mistakes and trauma of my teens, 20’s and 30’s. Had I been in a better frame of mind, instead of treating life like a daily battle to be survived and conquered and viewing myself as a victim of circumstances fought through with questionable results, I think I’d be much happier, healthier, and more social today at 70.
I truly lived in survival mode from about the age of 7 to my early 60’s. Retirement left me with time to think about where I am and how I got here.
And boy howdy, does that ever come with having to accept a whole lot of the reality of one’s past. Owning up to the simple fact that my feelings of victimhood were of my own making isn’t easy. For example, going from “so-and-so really tore me up and broke my heart which screwed me up” to “you know, I wasn’t really a very good boyfriend/fiancé so it’s no wonder things went south” is not an easy bridge to cross.
It seems I need a reason to forgive and accepting the reality of many things is the path to that. Sure, not everything that went bad was due to me or my actions, but many were, and I was too stupid and stuck in my own head to view things objectively.
Same goes for all the beating yourself up over decisions that resulted in missed financial opportunities and regurgitating the old “man, if I just would have (or wouldn’t have) done that thing or made that choice I’d be so much better off now.” It is not just unproductive, it’s harmful. I knew of the saying “You can’t change the past, but you CAN change the future” for decades before I really understood how important it is to learn from but not live in past mistakes. Best to live for tomorrow not letting yesterday get in the way.
Whew, the coffee is really kicking in right now and I managed to get way off topic. Better get busy living out in the real world. It’s spring and out here in the country that comes with a whole lot of things that need doing.
Around my 55th year i was the healthiest and now 80+ my body is like a car, great looking but engine needs some repairs. 😂
40
Middle-aged is defined as 45-65.
This is actually not an easy question. I’m 70, and in pretty good shape physically, and in many ways young at heart. But in chronological terms, there needs to be a “middle.” I’ll go with roughly 40-55.
I’m mid 40s and shooting for 88, so I feel like this is the middle. My 30s were the best so far. I still have young children at home so I need to keep it together for a long while yet ❤️
I believe my prime was 35-45. I think after my kids moved to other states and got cancer at 46/47 that was when it seems the downslope
65 is when I started thinking “gee, I might be old”….but then that thought creeped into my head “fuck that, I’m still 19 and love fart jokes!” Won’t be out of my “Middle Ages” till I turn 75!
56 now and thinking I’m in the midst of the middle. Fitness peaked in my 40s but I’m realizing maintaining that is an uphill struggle. But I have to say 50s have been this best years thus far.
40, nobody lives to 100
I’m in middle of my life..I’m 51
35-45
Probably from my late 30s to early to mid sixties.
My oldest child was born when I was 37. I was an adjunct professor in those days so WIC really came in handy.
About a year later I got my first full time teaching position, and a couple of years after that I went into the private sector where there was more money.
I was forced into retirement about a year and a half ago, but I was able to get some temporary work for a while.
At this point I am retired, whether I like it or not. Within the next few months my wife will retire. youngest will graduate college, my oldest will get married, and we will have to sell our house. We plan to slow travel on a tight budget for a while, and see the world, before we finally find a place to settle down.
So my middle years are winding down and will be officially over very soon.
I have mixed feelings, but I am proud that all of my kids will be college graduates and some have advanced studies.
My career didn’t go nearly as I hoped, but at least I left the next generation in decent shape.
When our kids became young adults – before they graduated high school and moved out
I’m 53 and the best years of my life were in my 40s and continue now in my 50s. I do think middle age is between 40-60.
40 felt was in my prim when 30 – 35
There was a day when I had the idea that exactly now, exactly at that day would be half of my life. I was 47 and about four months then.
My middle starts about where I begin to have lasting memory (approx 2-3yrs old) and will last to within a few hours before I die. I don’t use conventional measurements for hardly anything since most strike me as nonsensical. Highly recommend this pov for better living.
I have no idea
When the kids were educated and gone.
I don’t really look at it like that. I define my life as 4 different journeys or lives.
Life #1 … birth to age 18, my youth.
Life #2 … Age 18 until 42, my life in the Navy. I spent 23 years doing that. It was a life all to itself. Considerably different from what came before or after.
Life #3 … Age 42 to age 67. The time of my civilian career. During which I was an engineer as a profession, not gone a lot like when I was in the Navy, had plenty of time for home life. Etc.
Life #4 … Age 67 to now. Retirement. Again a whole different sort of life than the previous ones.
Each of those lives or journeys have been really different from each other.
I was early thirties and a Dr dictating described me as a well fed middle aged man. Hey wait a dog gone minute I’m not middle aged! He was right.
When I turned 30 my grandfather said for him the years between 30 to 40 past very quickly, and then 40 to 50 even faster. I found this alarming and depressing.
Now that I’m in my 60s I understand what he meant. It’s not like the years go by faster, it’s just that as you look back on them, there’s just kind of a blur of time. Major events help break that up.
But your query about a middle point? I honestly don’t have a sense for that.
My life’s “before and after” point is when I moved across the country at 28 to start grad school so I could get away from a career I decided I didn’t like, and a relationship that was soul sucking.
Not long after I started I met the person who I’ve spent my life with ever since.
I consider that a life-defining event which, interestingly enough was just over half my life ago. For a long time afterwards I considered all the time since then as one long “now”. This half of my life feels like it’s gone considerably faster than the first part. Possibly because it’s been a lot more stable: same career, same partner, same city?
My 40s were.
Now? I have time blindness
40
I’ll let you know as I get closer to the end.
Well I was thinking it was now. I’m in my 50s.
But with a diagnosis of cancer in recent weeks….I’m thinking my middle age might we well gone. MIght have been 30s if I die in the next year or 2.
I’m 64 now. I’d say my middle was 37-41… ish. That’s when i had my kids.
45
25
About 47-57.
45-59