Here Are The Things People Wish They Could Still Do From Their Youth Now That They've Aged

Growing up leaves you in a tailspin of nostalgia sometimes.

We recently asked older people in the BuzzFeed Community to share the things from their younger days they wish they still had time and energy for. Here's what they had to say:

Note: Some responses are from this Reddit thread.

1."Not worrying about so many things."

—u/Dawid_7899

2."Knees. I very badly miss dropping it like it's hot. Now I drop it like I'm old and need someone else to pick it up."

3."Being able to see things for the first time again."

—homeyturkey30

4."I miss being physically fearless. Cutting flips off the diving board, jumping on a trampoline, doing a split, or cartwheel. I don't even get on the kitchen stool without fear that I'll fall and break every bone in my body."

5."Dancing. I was very self-conscious and spent many nights at parties, weddings, gigs, etc. wishing I was brave enough to dance without caring what other people thought. Now I'm tired and in pain all the time. I can't dance for more than a couple of minutes and miss losing myself in the music."

—noimpillagingeverybody

6."Playing outside with friends and our parents not checking on us for hours at a time."

7."I miss playing my violin. I started playing at age seven and played for 30 years in string ensembles and for the church choir. I started having problems with my right shoulder and stopped playing. I wish that I sought medical attention immediately instead of giving up."

—sillyorca22

8."My grandmother misses being able to write. She was diagnosed with arthritis at 63 and now can't write."

9."I have the time but not the energy or physical ability to ride my horses. After eight back surgeries, I have hardware in my back that would not do well if I happened to fall off. I also miss ATV riding."

—Judy from Arizona

10."I wish I had the time and energy for the love of little things like bubbles and balloons and trying to jump and catch them. I want to be as excited and energetic about anything as much as kids are about bubbles and balloons."

11."I filled a period in my life between making a unique form of art and working in an old-school machine shop. My desire to succeed at both required a sacrifice: the energy and physical output had to go onto the side of the scale of a job. Now that I'm retired from those demanding years, my body required nine surgeries over 10 years to repair the damage I self-inflicted. I wish I could have decided to take a different course, which included maximizing a good education and college teaching experience, along with a promising future in the art community."

—Jay R Barnes from Omaha, Nebraska

12."Cooking dinner after work. I love cooking and baking and used to do it all the time. It didn't matter if I had been at work since 6 a.m., followed by an appointment, errands, or got home at 7 p.m., I still loved it. It was a nice way to set a definite boundary between the busy day and the relaxing night. Now, when I get home, even though I only work 9-to-5, I just want to eat something easy and sit."

13."Not stressing over bills! I didn't even know when the power bill was due, more or less if it was paid on time!"

—Melissa from Georgia

14."Sex."

15."Stopping at the drive-in and slamming down a big burger, a pile of fries, and a quart of root beer. Then later at home, looking for a snack before I went to sleep."

—Daniel from Iowa

16."A weekend without a nap. By 1:30 on any given Saturday or Sunday, I can barely keep my eyes open unless I am doing chores or running errands."

17."Being blissfully unaware of life's challenges."

—u/Spirited_Apricot_720

18."Travel. Having the time, freedom, stamina, and money to do so!"

19.And finally, "Having those summers that only lasted a few months but felt like years with friends."

—u/Still_Artichoke8853

What else would you add to this list? Drop it in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.