Early this week, Reddit user u/sluuurpyy asked the AskReddit community: "What's the most favorite thing you had to give up because you grew too old for it?"
Since then, the thread has gone viral, as thousands of people began sharing the things they gave up because of age. Here are some of the top-voted and best comments:
1. "Trick-or-treating. Last time I went I was 15. I did dress up, but still the looks on people's faces when they opened the door told me it was time to stop."
2. "Playing on playground equipment. Why is that only for kids? Why are there not playgrounds for adults? And I don't mean gyms or places that you have to pay to get into. I mean adult-sized play structures that are free to use at public parks."
3. "The joy of daydreaming about my future and where life would take me and the amazing things I could do. I remember being 16 and realizing that I didn’t so much have a future anymore. Mostly just shit I had to do until I died."
4. "Roller coasters. I can't ride them anymore, because I have a bad back and last time I went to Busch Gardens I got whiplash from riding all of the coasters. Threw out my back when I rode Revenge of the Mummy. Shame too, coasters are one of the only things that make me feel truly alive."
5. "Playing with action figures. I had giant storylines for all my action figures, I'd spend hours and hours fighting them and writing down statistics."
6. "The ability to play with my toys. I remember pulling out my toy cars and just not being able to reach that state of mind where you are spontaneously making up a story while manipulating the toys."
7. "Playing sports for hours at a time."
8. "Playing hide-and-seek... nobody wants to play in their thirties ;(."
9. "What I would give for a summer vacation that actually lasted three months. I don't think I've had more than two consecutive weeks off in like 11 years."
10. "Playing on a trampoline. It was my favorite thing to do as a kid. Now, as a homeowner, I bought one for my backyard and my neighbors' kids just stare at me while I use it, and I get super uncomfortable and go inside."
12. "Binge-eating candy. It was fun as a kid, but buying my own to binge eat as an adult is kind of depressing. Also, if I kept doing it I would eventually develop serious health issues."
13. "Playing in punk bands. At some point I realized I was a grown man surrounded by children and it was time to call it."
14. "Always having a close friend around. The older you get, the less and less time people have to be around you. People want to de-stress during the week, not entertain company."
"Probably was the hardest thing to come to terms with. Especially since I live alone. But I got a dog, he’s my best friend and I wouldn’t trade him for the world."
15. "Saturday morning cartoons."
16. "Footie pajamas. I've tried the adult versions, but they're not the same."
17. "I remember being 15 years old during summer vacation, knowing that I was expected to get a job the following summer, and feeling melancholy about it. On one hand, I'm glad I'm much more independent now than I was that summer, but on the other hand, I miss just having all the time to let my mind wander aimlessly without my thoughts being interrupted by prior obligations."
18. "Climbing trees. I'm finally tall enough to cover some ground."
19. "My Winnie the Pooh teddy bear. I wish I'd kept it."
20. "Polly Pockets — I had a massive collection. When I was 12, mum said I was too old for dolls and made me give them to my niece. I didn’t want to, but thought I’d get them back for my own kids one day."
21. "Video games. I have less time each year, the games require more knowledge and input than they ever did. And a lot of games have so much bullshit attached that logging in and playing for 30 minutes is a waste of time. I still play some, but, it's getting less, however, to be fair I am turning 50 this year, so maybe I am winning still."
22. "The thing I miss most is that astronomically small window of time between when you start working and when you start taking on bills. That one very short summer where I experienced a level of monetary freedom I never experienced before and have not since."
23. "Staying up super late/all night and still being able to function the day after."
24. "Reading books that revolve around people in late high school or early college. I'm a big romance novel fan, and coming-of-age is a HUGE sub-genre of books. It used to be my favorite and 90% of what I read."
"Now it feels distant. I don't connect to it anymore. It feels icky to read about their physical relationships. Unless something is particularly good or has some sort of social relevance, I'm buying fewer and fewer of them every year."
25. "Not working."
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.