ofthrees

I lost the shingles lottery

Posted by bluealien78@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 921 comments

ofthrees@reddit

if it helps (it won't), my bff got shingles at 37. because she was so young, it took WEEKS to get it diagnosed. she was a runner, so the docs kept chalking it up as a running injury.

Do you think we can make Fetch happen?

Posted by tpt75@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 111 comments

The nineteen hundreds

Posted by goodbyemooninites88@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 146 comments

Ever go back somewhere you haven’t been in literal decades? How did it compare to the memories of it in your younger days?

Posted by bigt197602@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 127 comments

Ever go back somewhere you haven’t been in literal decades? How did it compare to the memories of it in your younger days?

Posted by bigt197602@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 127 comments

My 20 YO co-worker didn't understand why I called Mark Wahlberg Marky Mark, so I sent him this.

Posted by ManicOppressyv@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 257 comments

My 20 YO co-worker didn't understand why I called Mark Wahlberg Marky Mark, so I sent him this.

Posted by ManicOppressyv@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 257 comments

My 20 YO co-worker didn't understand why I called Mark Wahlberg Marky Mark, so I sent him this.

Posted by ManicOppressyv@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 257 comments

Did you actually sneak out as teenagers?

Posted by Complete-Chipmunk-0@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 4554 comments

ofthrees@reddit

Only once... to go to my cousin's, haha. (Who was three years older and the WORST influence, tbf.) Otherwise, I was a "good kid," so my mom trusted me, and as such, I was allowed to go to my best friend's house whenever I wanted, stay there as late as I wanted, and meanwhile we were out at keg parties and pulling thousands of miles on my car committing multiple sins and petty misdemeanors. No real need to sneak out. But I totally would have if my good grades and amenable demeanor hadn't eliminated the need.

Downsizing

Posted by Ok_Key_4731@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 166 comments

ofthrees@reddit

good timing for me to see this. I ADORE my house, and the neighborhood, but have recently been thinking downsizing isn't the worst idea. i have cancer, and i know the stairs are going to be a problem at some point. i'm leaving my house to my son, who now has a baby with plans for a second one. so i feel like a single level at this point is a good idea, period, and am hoping to buy a few miles over in a lower-taxed county. unfortunately, housing prices are through the ROOF and i'm currently seeing homes half the size of mine listed for as much as 800K more than mine (and mine is valued at a pretty penny), so i'm flummoxed. but your post makes me think i should keep looking.

Gen X and Watching Our Friends Get Sick

Posted by Plantron1@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 61 comments

ofthrees@reddit

well, my husband died at 48 from cancer, i was diagnosed with cancer last year (four years after he passed), i lost a childhood friend to whom i was still close in 2020 of liver failure, and geez, so many otherwise. my father in law has CLL (a form of leukemia) and prostate cancer, my surrogate mom has lymphoma, i can't even count everyone i know who have had knee/hip replacements... it's honestly easier at this point to call attention to those WITHOUT any issues.

Peanut butter on a spoon

Posted by Ahkhira@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 2181 comments

ofthrees@reddit

i hated - HATED - peanut butter my entire life, until i discovered in on a spoon at 3a. (honorable mention - canned frosting. whole other discussion.)

Who is the most quintessential Gen X actor/actress?

Posted by PourU_25518@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 1204 comments

What did or do you still listen to because you had boomer parents?

Posted by studieswillshow@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 434 comments

How many of you still have close friendships from high school?

Posted by just321askin@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 837 comments

ofthrees@reddit

many. my second grade blood sister (we got suspended for sharing blood) was my maid of honor, and i hers. we're both 52. i'm in frequent contact with multiple friends apart from her with whom i grew up. in the first case, we never fell out of touch. for the rest, social media ultimately got us in contact. apart from those old school friends, i'm still super close to friends i met when i moved states at 17. one of those, i talk to and see several times a week.

Any thrash metal fans still out there?

Posted by No_Roof_8787@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 383 comments

Anyone else kind of surprised they're still kicking?

Posted by Infinite-Lychee-182@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 69 comments

ofthrees@reddit

my late husband and i always assumed i'd die first. many vices, i have, to his one. here i am, five years after watching him die in ICU. so yeah, surprised i'm still here. he is too, i'm sure.

Is anyone else reaching the "everything is too damn loud" stage of life?

Posted by sorieno@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 128 comments

ofthrees@reddit

my time to shine, at least as it pertains to my dental appointment yesterday: country music. loud. i fucking hate country, period, and new country all sounds the same to me, but when the second song played at like 9 was about dying (when i have cancer), i would've traded the cleaning for a root canal to get out of it. i muscled through, because i guess i'd need the distraction to clean teeth all day, but it was SO FUCKING LOUD. i feel like this isn't what you were referring to, but i had this experience a day after my USPS office worker also playing music super loud from her phone (beyonce, maybe? i think?) either way, STOP IT.

Who is your favorite sitcom character?

Posted by LifeSubstance8619@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 236 comments

Would u pick your dad again…

Posted by BarelyyBound@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 1099 comments

Would u pick your dad again…

Posted by BarelyyBound@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 1099 comments

Swimming naked in high school gym class

Posted by xiphoid77@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 494 comments

ofthrees@reddit

We were required to shower after gym class every single day throughout junior high. Hated it. Nothing like being forced to show your naked body to other girls at 12 years old. Not awkward at all.

As I walk to my shed I realize something

Posted by Powerful_Coyote6068@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 1319 comments

ofthrees@reddit

when it was inescapable was when a hospital parking attendant kept pushing me toward the $45 annual parking pass for people 55+ (my granddaughter was in nicu). i explained that my need wouldn't last more than six weeks, so i was happy for the month long pass. he pointed out a month was $15 more for "everyone else," and again encouraged me to go for the annual 55+ pass. finally it dawned on me, and i grinned. "oh, i'm not there just yet." so i guess this is more about realizing i LOOK old versus when i realized i was. (that was when i heard guns n roses as background music in 7-11.) all that said, i later discovered this is just what they do to help people out - my 32 year old son experienced the same thing, but in his case, he was told, 'any 55+ ID will do,' so he texted my 74-year-old mother in law, got a photo of her license, and got the cheaper annual pass. haha.

Do you carry something daily that belonged to your dad/grandfather?

Posted by wolf_of_the_bees@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 247 comments

Remember when you went to a club at 11 pm?

Posted by PrettyWorn_@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 354 comments

ofthrees@reddit

see you on reddit that night! ;) but seriously, yeah. when i saw it was the only show with available tickets, i purchased, but i already know the only way i'm going to get to a 9:30p saturday night show is if i nap from 2p-5p, and perhaps not even then.

Most influential soundtrack of the ‘80s

Posted by scraps1364@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 624 comments

Remember when you went to a club at 11 pm?

Posted by PrettyWorn_@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 354 comments

ofthrees@reddit

yes! i remember 'getting ready' starting at the ungodly hour of 10p, and showing up at the club around 11p or 11:30p. i have tickets to a comedy show in a few weeks, which starts at 9:30p. odds are even that i'll end up blowing it off, because wtf. it's currently 8:49p in california and i'm ready for bed. how i'm going to get 30 minutes from here for a 9:30p comedy show in a few weeks, i have literally no idea.

Who taught you how to drive

Posted by Sad_Donkey_1751@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 700 comments

ofthrees@reddit

high school taught me how to meander down the highway in an automatic minivan. my mom taught me how to actually DRIVE. once i passed the easy test, she took me out with a stick shift, and taught me how to own it, as well as drive defensively. i paid it forward and by the time i was 16 (i was licensed at 14), had passed that knowledge to multiple friends. there are at least four people currently roaming the earth who know how to drive a stick shift because of me. honestly, one of the things i'm proudest of.

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

ofthrees@reddit

it's weird, it never seems to get too hot for me! but then, i'm female and just started HRT, so with the overhead fan on, white noise black screen on youtube, and the heating pad, i sleep like i've been dosed on special k (except for the other night - but last night i slept from 930p to 5:30a without moving).

Spouse's 50th birthday is approaching. What did you want for your 50th?

Posted by drunkbettie@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 442 comments

ofthrees@reddit

thank you. it will be five years on september 28, and some days it feels like yesterday. it has taken me this long to get mad at him for leaving me.

Gen-x Music Classes

Posted by MisterEd1966@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 164 comments

ofthrees@reddit

ooh, you just unlocked a core memory for me. in second grade music class, we were invited to bring our favorite records to class. other kids indeed brought things like love gun; mine was a country home. i brought in 'jolene'. remains one of my favorite songs, but it did not make me popular in that class in 1983 or whenever it was.

Gen-x Music Classes

Posted by MisterEd1966@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 164 comments

ofthrees@reddit

yes, had music classes as a kid in the 80s. all i remember is the recorder, which i (and everyone else) sucked at, but our teacher really tried to teach us strawberry fields on said recorder. my son, 32, never had music classes in school.

Spouse's 50th birthday is approaching. What did you want for your 50th?

Posted by drunkbettie@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 442 comments

ofthrees@reddit

i wanted a huge party. formal dress, great dj, great food. our plan, with our birthdays close together, was to do that and then fuck off to europe for three weeks. this was our plan from our 25th birthdays. my husband died just after his 48th (which was about 15 days before my own 48th). i had a brunch with six close frirends and that was all she wrote. for what it was, it was good. probably not what you were looking for, but that's my honest answer.

How many of you still know every single word to every single song on License to lll?

Posted by Ok_Echo_6528@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 313 comments

How many of you still know every single word to every single song on License to lll?

Posted by Ok_Echo_6528@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 313 comments

How many of you still know every single word to every single song on License to lll?

Posted by Ok_Echo_6528@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 313 comments

Today is our 25th wedding anniversary

Posted by heatherswan01@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 194 comments

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

ofthrees@reddit

ironically, i slept like shit last night. i indeed was in bed with the heating pad by 8:30p - unfortunately, i woke up at 11:50p and didn't fall back asleep till 5a. so it works - just don't get overindulgent with it like i did last night!

My children are older teenagers and I’m so sad

Posted by mimoses250@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 515 comments

ofthrees@reddit

i remember being so excited for my son's birthdays. then he turned 16, and the five birthdays he had after that were always stained by a bit of wistfulness. now he's 32 and has his own life (and kid), and i'm used to it, but the sadness surrounding his late teen years was definitely a thing for me. it was less, for me, about "losing him" and more about worrying "have i prepared him well?"

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

ofthrees@reddit

it's been so long ago that we had free bags in california that it's hard to believe we ever did. which, of course, is how they get you!

Is it just me, or did everyday life feel more connected 30–40 years ago?

Posted by LifeSubstance8619@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 205 comments

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

ofthrees@reddit

california here too. i always took my bags to the stores, but now i intentionally don't, because i need the paper bags for cat litter.

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

ofthrees@reddit

my dishwasher died a couple of months ago. took me about a week to realize i could just use it as the dish dryer. i mean, i was washing the dishes before putting them in, anyway - only difference now is, i rinse them. it's weirdly so much easier.

What's your "fine, I'm old, I'm doing it anyway"?

Posted by scarlettohara1936@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 493 comments

Ch,ch,ch,ch,changes since 1989. The year I graduated.

Posted by JezebelJade1@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 158 comments

ofthrees@reddit

my son and DIL combined earn four times what i did when i had my son in 1993. i had an apartment, paid for childcare, a car payment, car insurance, gasoline, food, etc. it was tight, but i could do it on $2000 a month gross. in their case, i'm subsidizing them because they literally cannot do it on their own, even though his car is paid off, his car is still on my insurance, both their cell phones are on my plan, and i have family accounts for streaming services. they're balancing on shit. it is only a matter of time before they move back in with me. neither of them want to, but i can only keep covering their bills for so long before it makes zero sense for them not to just move in with me.

Is it just me, or did everyday life feel more connected 30–40 years ago?

Posted by LifeSubstance8619@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 205 comments

ofthrees@reddit

this post makes me really appreciate my southern california neighborhood, and it's why i absolutely refuse to sell this house. most of this happens here on the reg. (setting aside hoses/payphones, of course.) examples: when we moved in, the neighbors brought us cookies. i'm currently listening to kids play in the park behind my house. every weekday morning, parents are walking with their kids to the elementary school a few blocks over. all day long, i see parents with strollers, people walking their dogs, old couples holding hands. when my elderly neighbor had an ambulance arrive at her house, we all came out to talk to the workers to ask about her - they couldn't share with us, but we asked. when my husband died, i had flowers and plants and cards on my porch and my neighbors asked how i was doing (and still do, nearly five years later). my son just had his first child, and everyone stops me to ask about baby pictures. so many examples. i might live in one of the last real neighborhoods in southern california, or even the country. i could sell and move to, i don't know, idaho, but my community here is solid and i love it.

So, I just actually listened to this song, actually listened to the lyrics;

Posted by Affectionate_Sky9090@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 321 comments

Then vs now — what car feature do you miss vs what you can't live without?

Posted by spotforcars@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 365 comments

ofthrees@reddit

i miss foot parking brakes. so satisfying to hear it click down, vs the button i now push. will it work? will it not? who knows, everything is computer.

Skipping, WTF?!?

Posted by roanokephotog@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 770 comments

ofthrees@reddit

omg, i just laughed so hard imagining myself trying to hop a fence. glad it didn't go as bad for you as it could have! i'd still be recovering in the hospital.

The day I voluntarily wear____, it's over.

Posted by tequilasundae@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 2224 comments

ofthrees@reddit

exactly! when i could still find them at tj maxx, i bought them every time i saw them. my favorite pair is a stylish little cream, that are great for walks, but also look cute with shorts or casual summer dresses. those have been worn to hell and back and i've been looking for awhile for a similar pair with no success. (so i guess in that case, i have indeed worn them for fashion. haha.) but yeah, i fell instantly in love. and when the world shut down and i had no reason to wear heels anymore, my various skechers became my daily drivers and it's been hard to go back. i've settled for vivaia mary janes when i have to go into the office or whatever, because i've had a hard time going back to heels and the skechers just don't work for the office.