What age were u happiest?

[mintacular]

Mine is 24. I want to say why but I'm afraid it might lead to me being banned so I will keep quiet now until I get Leon's permission to extrapolate. In all seriousness, it is something I have been thinking about lately...

[Leon]

Fine by me

[Exhibitman]

Wow, good question. I'd say 11. I was a kid in NYC, had lifelong friends, lots of family around (including my grandmother with whom I was very close; she died the next year), the Yankees were on the way to their first pennant in my lifetime, I got to go to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium for the first time (it had been closed for 2 years for renovations), a World Series game, my first card show (Thanksgiving weekend ASCCA show). It was the Bicentennial and there were celebrations and events all summer. My family spent most of the summer in a village called Mahopac in the Township of Carmel, Putnam County, NY. I remember it as a very happy time in my life.

A view of Lake Carmel:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Carmel_NY.png/800px-Carmel_NY.png

[novakjr]

I'm gonna say 17 in '97. It was just the perfect combination of childhood and adulthood. I could finally drive(got my license a little late), and although it was just a beat up '85 Chevy Blazer, I still miss that thing. I was finally getting laid. What's not to like about that? It was the last year that I played ball. I obviously miss playing ball more than that old Blazer.. Also, my first year wrestling varsity and qualifying for the State Tournament. I was getting good grades. And I remember ever so slightly getting back into collecting, when I finally decided to same some money and buy that '82 Topps Ripken that I always wanted(granted, I partially used a '74 Winfield in trade). But that Ripken is still one of my favorite cards to this day.. Plus the Indians were in the World Series that year. Still wish they would've won though.

Also, my father had his 2nd stroke when I was 16, and has gotten himself healthy and taken really good physical care of himself since then. So, In a way, I guess age 17 for me was a good one, because it was perhaps the first of many full good healthy years for him.

[Brendan]

I'd have to go with 10. Life was great back then. I was in my second year of little league and still in 'minors.' I don't know about you, but when you're so much better than everyone else you can't stop having fun. All I'd do is baseball, baseball, wiffleball, pingpong baseball, (you can throw some nasty knuckle curves with a pingpong ball) 6 foot hoop basketball, baseball, baseball.....toss in 180 days of school and that's it. Can't imagine anything much better than that.

At that age, the world is still fun and games. Yet you can pretty much do anything if you care to. Sure you're 10, but who cares? You're old enough for your opinion to be respected while you're still a kid. That combination cannot be beat in my mind.

[barrysloate]

Excellent question, but a difficult one to answer. Life is not a straight line, so I can't say one year was better than another. I've had happiness and sadness, as well as success and disappointment, in every year of my life. That's just the way it goes. Sure, it was great being a teenager in the late 1960's and witnessing all the cultural changes and social upheaval (not to mention the great music), but it wasn't all roses then either. Maybe my thirties and forties were my best years but who knows. As long as I have my health, my wife and some family, and a few good friends, life is as good as it will get.

[HRBAKER]

I'm gonna have to say now. Healthy, two great kids, a 25 year marriage and debt free. Hard to compare a kid's happiness to a happy adulthood for me. I have one deceased parent so that is a mitigating factor but for me, right now.

[k-dog]

I'll let you know if it happens in the next few years Pat!!! LOL! :D

[Cardboard Junkie]

Aloha! I would have to say right now. Retired, Hawaii, More $ than I ever had, daughter is a rocket scientist (really), 5 cats 2 dogs, a vault full of cards and comics, grow my own food, and don't have to answer to anyone.
Other than that I would have to say the summer of56, 57, 58, 59, and 60...............magic times first cards I remember buying Topps world on wheels and rails and sails.....first sportcard 57 topps.

[39special]

I'd say 21.I could legally drink,made decent money for a 21 year old,had a '66 GTO and a '70 Chevelle SS,had no trouble picking up girls,and gas was less than a dollar a gallon.No real worries.Life was good.

[bbcard1]

I have a friend of mine who says that on a three year rolling average his life has gotten better every year. At 50, I would concur. But my health is good, my family is wonderful, business is healthy...

[LanceRoten]

17, summer 1987. Don Mattingly had the homer streak, Robin Yount was having a comeback year, Dale Murphy had his last great season. Dale Earnhardt was dominant, met a great girl and made some new friends that summer. 1987 was good times.

[kmac32]

age 9 in 1969. saw my first cub game on my 9th birthday. hooked on the cubbies ever since.

[Doug]

I'd have to say when I was 5 back in the mid '80s. I hadn't started school yet so my only cares in the world involved sugary cereals, Transformers, Saturday morning cartoons and playing Super Mario Brothers on my (then) brand new Nintendo NES. Those were the days for sure! :)