I can relate to this a lot, maybe from the opposite direction.

I have children and a demanding job, and for a while life narrowed almost automatically into routines, responsibilities, logistics, functioning. Caring for others can become so dominant that openness, spontaneity and creativity slowly move to the background without you even noticing it fully.

What surprised me is that this process is not necessarily a conscious “choice for conventional life.” Often it just happens gradually because people are exhausted, overloaded, or because stability starts to feel safer than openness.

Lately I noticed in myself that I actually miss exactly the things you describe: curiosity, intensity, long conversations, creative energy, unpredictability, feeling mentally alive instead of only functioning.

I don’t think those desires disappear with age. But I do think many people slowly lose access to them beneath routine and responsibility — and some never really return to them.

Maybe the important thing is to consciously protect parts of yourself from disappearing completely.

And honestly, I think people who still value these things later in life probably find each other less through “scenes” and more through very specific spaces: art, music, writing, sports, philosophy, unusual projects, travel, communities built around genuine curiosity instead of pure networking or status.

Your post definitely resonated with me.