Venting I Regret my 20s

[Celerity]

Even though life has gotten better and I have hope for the first time in a long time, I just can't get over how much time I wasted. I am 30 and only now getting around to things people did in their 20s and even late teens.

Most of my coworkers, classmates, and friends are younger than me. I never thought I would be the person I have become. Even when I get past the shame, thinking about all that lost time just blows. I am already physically feeling older with joint problems that just won't go away and a chronic health condition affecting my gut. Learning also takes more effort, though I have more discipline than I used to.

If I had told my younger self where life was headed, she would have bought a gun and taken care of business for sure.

 

[Kattt]

Like a great many girls/women, I had kids at a young age. By the time I was able to start college, all my peers who hadn't done as I had, were in good jobs and progressing with their chosen career.
I then went on to make a series of terrible choices. Some people just can't be told and have to learn the hard way.
Without going into detail, I'm now over 50 and about to go back to university, where I am sure to be by far the oldest there.
It's true that learning does become harder as you grow older, however in a way, you are at an advantage. You have a wealth of life experience to draw on. Employers are often reticent when considering women for positions or for promotions, lest they require maternity leave.
I think everyone has moments when they wish it was possible to turn back the clock and do certain things differently. But it is what it is. There's nothing that you can do about it, so it's a waste of time and energy to stress over the things you can't influence.
The likelihood is you have more than thirty years ahead of you before retirement, which is time you CAN influence. So use that energy to make the best of it. There's going to be plenty of others in a similar or worse situation.