"I use to be..."

I have recently noticed my senior friends repeating these words over and over again, "I use to be..." followed by one of these identifiers; a lawyer's assistant, a swinging single or beautiful.
I showed Sharon (the swinger) a photograph of me at my 30th birthday party. It's my favorite photo of myself, one which I have pasted in the back of my mind as to how I still look today.
Yes, I am the one who use to be beautiful. Back then I thought of beauty as an accessory I wore on occasions like work or a date. It was something I didn't give much value to, because I had it, and because I valued intellect more.
Well, today I value beauty more, maybe because I have the intellect. Is this another instance of the grass being always greener over there?
Oh, and by the way, Sharon has a photo where she looked really beautiful too.