Anytime I have a moment of worry that getting old is some kind of disability and that I should mourn for my lost twenties, I remind myself how much better pretty much everything is now than it was even just a few years ago, not to mention how incredibly much better it is than when I was a teenager. Then I realize that there's no point in being upset over a number when absolutely all the meaningful effects of that number are positive. Here's a short list:
1) No more law school -- wait, not strictly true, but the PhD allows much more freedom and individuality
2) The loss of embarrassment
a) dancing
b) when by myself in a social situation
c) walking down the street
d) running down the street
i) to catch a bus
ii) as its own activity
e) as a result of this the better ability to understand what I want in life and not confuse the wider community's goals -- money, prestige, fancy clothes -- for my own
f) slowly but surely -- and only quite recently -- loss of some general embarrassment about not looking right, being too fat, too unkempt, not wearing makeup or heels all that jazz
3) Less passion -- meaning fewer crying jags, reduced mood swinging, sense that some next step is the be-all and end-all, and all in all more control over my mental states
4) Better (I think) ability to appreciate the good things and people around
Funny so many of these are about losing something, rather than gaining something, but the overall effect is definite gain.
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