Most people here, I cannot help but imagine, feel somewhat as do I.

 

What is the point of life, now that most of us have spent our days, while young, having much fun in Thailand, and now that our virility is waning?

 

Now that we are becoming old, then what is the point of life?

 

Well, there are some useful things to do; we could give back to society, and regain some excitement in our lives, I guess.

 

We old guys still have some pisss and vinegar, left over, from our early days, which we might use to contribute to society, which might make us feel downright good.

 

Vonnegut was always dreaming about one of Saturn's moons, in one of his novels.

 

But, I think this is not the way to go.

 

So, I know the best way to give back to society what we have reaped in the past, during our lives.

 

Each of us has a talent, I am sure.  And, we can use our only best talent to try to give back, when we have this opportunity to do so.

 

IF you want to feel REALLY GOOD, then...this is what you will do.

 

But, finding a way to do this is not always easy.

 

When you find your way, then you will feel better than you have ever felt before in your life.

 

I know that this is true.

 

I am not joking.

 

Do you have what it takes to give back more than you have taken?

Note so easy to find the right way...even though this is something that you really want to do.

 

Right?

Sorry. But, what I meant was, the older we become, especially as we grow older away from our original roots, then the more we might question traditional justifications for being alive....unless....

 

We finally understand that our only reason and justification for living is to pay back, in some positive way, for that which we have received when we were young.

 

I have plenty to pay back for.  So many kindnesses extended to me during my life.

 

As we age, the tougher it gets, simply because we rarely engage in the things that we once loved to do, such has humping and flirting, and combing our hair, which is not so easy to comb when you might not have any hair.

 

Yet, no matter how old we might be, there is no doubt that we can pay back, and doing this is probably the only thing that makes life liveable.

 

Regarding Vonnegut, as far as I know, he lost his mind towards the end of his life, so sad, really.

 

The worst fate for a writer is to lose his mind.

And, so, no doubt this is why Hemingway used his gun.

 

Some people say, Hemingway was crazy to do this.  I do not agree.

 

=============

 

During this pandemic, I truly believe that we have much more time on our hands, and that we can use this time to do some paying back for the many rewards we have received when we were young.

 

It is not always easy to find a way to contribute.

If someone asked you to contribute, then you would.

 

But, it is not so easy to become proactive and expend energy in order to seek out ways to contribute, during these days.

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Sorry. But, what I meant was, the older we become, especially as we grow older away from our original roots, then the more we might question traditional justifications for being alive....unless....

 

We finally understand that our only reason and justification for living is to pay back, in some positive way, for that which we have received when we were young.

 

I have plenty to pay back for.  So many kindnesses extended to me during my life.

 

As we age, the tougher it gets, simply because we rarely engage in the things that we once loved to do, such has humping and flirting, and combing our hair, which is not so easy to comb when you might not have any hair.

 

Yet, no matter how old we might be, there is no doubt that we can pay back, and doing this is probably the only thing that makes life liveable.

 

Regarding Vonnegut, as far as I know, he lost his mind towards the end of his life, so sad, really.

 

The worst fate for a writer is to lose his mind.

And, so, no doubt this is why Hemingway used his gun.

 

Some people say, Hemingway was crazy to do this.  I do not agree.

 

=============

 

During this pandemic, I truly believe that we have much more time on our hands, and that we can use this time to do some paying back for the many rewards we have received when we were young.

 

It is not always easy to find a way to contribute.

If someone asked you to contribute, then you would.

 

But, it is not so easy to become proactive and expend energy in order to seek out ways to contribute, during these days.

 

 

 

 

Amen

Does posting about burritos count?

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Does posting about burritos count?

Yes, it might, however you would need to post in a way which is both sincere and also helpful to others.

 

For example, by posting concerning burritos, what way can you imagine that this might help you to pay back for the many rewards which you have received from others, in your youth.  This is the question.

5 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Yes, it might, however you would need to post in a way which is both sincere and also helpful to others.

 

For example, by posting concerning burritos, what way can you imagine that this might help you to pay back for the many rewards which you have received from others, in your youth.  This is the question.

Rewards of my youth? You mean all the shagging? 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Rewards of my youth? You mean all the shagging? 

I mean the kindnesses which have been extended to you during your youth, even though you may not have deserved them.

2 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I mean the kindnesses which have been extended to you during your youth, even though you may not have deserved them.

You're making a lot of assumptions. 

I agree of course giving service to others is a way to find meaning in life. I don't think the only way though. 

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You're making a lot of assumptions. 

I agree of course giving service to others is a way to find meaning in life. I don't think the only way though. 

I was not speaking of finding meaning in life, of course.

Perhaps there is no meaning in life.

 

I was only speaking of paying back, in later life, for what has been given to one, when one was younger.

 

Regarding "meaning of life", this is not the same for any of us.  I have no doubt that your view of the meaning of life is far different from mine, or, even, you might think that there is no meaning in life.  And, this is fine, for you.

My plan - and the wife's - is to go back to the UK when we can, sell the old 2 bed council house down  south, buy a nice 4 bed place up north with a nice garden, and order food in. Be honest we're both happy with each others company and that's enough now. She loves gardening and house proud, and I'm happy just watching old tv and a quiet life. I just don't like the world anymore. It's a crazy, mad world now, and so unlike what I grew up with. Shant miss it in the end. 

42 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

You're making a lot of assumptions. 

I agree of course giving service to others is a way to find meaning in life. I don't think the only way though. 

Whether or not there is any "hidden" meaning to the Universe, or maybe Multiverse, other than it just exists, I think not.

 

But, is this not just a bit off-topic?

 

The point of this topic is:  Really, ....  No doubt there are many old guys here who have a lot to offer. And, since, due to the lockdowns, these guys might be getting bored, and so...why not just try to reach out and help someone with one's time, and I am not talking about money.

 

Some people might think that there are not many farang here who have extremely valuable skills.  And so, since everybody is getting rather bored these days, then why not do one's best to just reach out and help someone.

 

I just meant, there is nothing worse than sitting in one's house, day after day, with no real purpose.  And so, if one were to reach out and help someone here, then this would become a WIN-WIN situation.

 

Such a thing can happen.

 

But, even donating one's time and expertise is really NOT so easy.

 

In fact...you must actively SEARCH and convince someone that they might benefit from your help...IF you have some expertise.

 

No One will come looking for you to help.

You must be very proactive.

 

And, if you are successful, and you are able to help in some way, then you will reap the rewards.

And, this just might make you feel happier, these days.

 

This is all that I am saying.

 

 

12 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

My plan - and the wife's - is to go back to the UK when we can, sell the old 2 bed council house down  south, buy a nice 4 bed place up north with a nice garden, and order food in. Be honest we're both happy with each others company and that's enough now. She loves gardening and house proud, and I'm happy just watching old tv and a quiet life. I just don't like the world anymore. It's a crazy, mad world now, and so unlike what I grew up with. Shant miss it in the end. 

Never mind.

 

You are very fortunate to have a wife whom you love, rather than a shrew, one who needs taming.

13 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Never mind.

 

You are very fortunate to have a wife whom you love, rather than a shrew, one who needs taming.

I had one, I divorced it.

Actually...  the JINGTHING (the True Thing)...  is that you do not need to help MANY people.

 

You just need to help ONE person, or maybe two.

 

That is all you need to do, in order make a positive difference, these days.

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

We finally understand that our only reason and justification for living is to pay back, in some positive way, for that which we have received when we were young.

For that I received when i was young?

So I should go out and bully people then? That was my life when young. Children can be really horrible. Teachers too.

 

Anyway, as an adult I gained many skills and qualifications, but no one wants me to pass them on, so they will die with me.

 

BTW, the bullying never stopped, but that'll show me for wanting to be a nurse and help people. Nursing is full of bullying managers, like you would not believe. Some of the patients are pretty awful too.

No good deed goes unpunished.

53 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The point of this topic is:  Really, ....  No doubt there are many old guys here who have a lot to offer. And, since, due to the lockdowns, these guys might be getting bored, and so...why not just try to reach out and help someone with one's time, and I am not talking about money.

LOL. When I was married to my Thai wife and living in the family house I did heaps of work to make the house better. I rewired the house in Lamphun, and the family house in the village, put down paved patios and many other projects to improve their lives. I even did plumbing in their rental houses when they changed the water company and had to change the meters.

I did it all at my own expense.

For all that, I got a wife that never supported me against the family, and a family that stole everything they could after they kicked me out of the house.

Excuse me for be cynical about helping.

 

By all means, help, but but be careful whom you help. If you do something for someone and they don't say thank you, it is probably a good idea not to help them anymore.

As I reach 65, I yearned for semi retirement in Thailand.  That was my Saturn.  That was always my goal after my first trip in 2004.  I have worked with the US Government, Department of Defense, and many big companies and I was looking forward to simplicity, minimal paperwork, etc..  Man, it gets harder every year to keep things simple.

45 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

As I reach 65, I yearned for semi retirement in Thailand.  That was my Saturn.  That was always my goal after my first trip in 2004.  I have worked with the US Government, Department of Defense, and many big companies and I was looking forward to simplicity, minimal paperwork, etc..  Man, it gets harder every year to keep things simple.

Did you finally achieve what you were yearning for?

 

I hope that you did...because......

 

Something as simple to achieve as was your greatest yearning....seems something that you can easily achieve.

 

Hope you get what you are seeking.

 

And, of course, what you are seeking and wishing for, is, truly, so worth it.

 

((You spoke in the PAST TENSE, and I just hope you reached your dream.))

 

Young people do not realize that, even though life is extremely tough for them at an early age, still, life gets even tougher.

 

This is why the quality of resilience is so important to teach to young people, today.

 

And, there is no doubt that our children, when they reach our age, will require even more resilience than we need today, at this time when the Keeling Curve is only at 415, and headed through the roof.

 

So, we need to teach our children well.

 

And, maybe, no matter what we teach them, will not be enough to protect them.

 

There is really no way for a single individual to shift or alter the world.

And, more is the pity, I think.

 

===========

 

No matter what we might think about our present circumstances, there is no doubt that we are now living in an almost perfect time in which almost everything is almost perfect.

 

I just worry about our grandchildren who may live in a far less beautiful time, when flora and fauna are diminished, and in a time when southern climes become less habitable. 

 

 

 

I guess that the Keeling Curve is just one more thing, among many, which makes some of us wish we could be up there with Vonnegut.

 

However, rather than departing for life on a moon of Saturn, like Vonnegut, we should stick around and just do what we can, while we still are able to breathe.

 

Getting vaccinated, might keep us breathing longer.

 

Although, so far, there is no vaccination for the Keeling Curve.  And, as you can see, the intensity of the slope of this curve is ever increasing.  This is not a joke, of course.  This is data collected by REAL scientists.

6 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

IF you want to feel REALLY GOOD, then...this is what you will do.

If I want to feel really good I smoke cannabis and drink alcohol.

Irony. This topic is on my mind almost constantly. I escaped the rat race, in stages, 12 years ago. I was a very successful systems analyst for pharma and banking companies. I first started teaching computers and programming along with English in high schools here. For the past 7 years, I've been teaching English subjects for a government university. I'm probably one of the only westerners to attempt to teach critical thinking here in a university. I actually used a book with that title in two semester-long courses in argumentative writing. Another notable course I was allowed to teach was western culture.

 

Now approaching 62, and with the (whatever you want to call this situation) raging, I find myself the last remaining westerner on my campus, facing tomorrow as my final day of work. I've been cut loose. I will attempt to find some place that will see value in my skills. I've applied for early retirement funds, so I may not need much income.

 

The loss of purpose, however, is very heavy now. This is compounded by the fact nobody here (or anywhere else, from what I see daily) appears to value the important skill of critical thinking any more. The cliche about young people not seeing the value in their elders wisdom seems even more intensely true these days. I was in a position to share daily, yet these valuable perspectives are now seen as a liability by not the youngest, but by the current leadership, who are younger than me. The students who got a taste and could follow a bit were yearning to learn more. I had a group who had requested me to teach debate this term. Instead of that, the leaders see thinking as dangerous. They attend all likes of seminars filled with doublespeak instead, and consider that progress.

 

Just when I was beginning to have an impact, I have been cut off. Sometimes, it seems as if it was because I was having an impact. Using my displaced energy will be a difficult task indeed as I was far from ready to quit, previously believing I'd be working here many more years. Thanks if you listened to this rant, and for giving the opportunity to unload it.

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I agree of course giving service to others is a way to find meaning in life.

I agree.  Servicing others is very satisfying and something I try to accomplish several times a week.

Biden is my hero.. 

Interesting questions.

 

I have been in Thailand 5 years pretty much doing not a lot, especially since Covid put the kibosh on the wife and I's retirement plan of monthly holidays out of our village.

 

However, before Thailand I volunteered in Cambodia for 5 years and was the most rewarding time of my life. I helped make a real difference in many peoples lives and it felt amazing.

 

I came to Thailand with the mistaken idea that I could continue to do some sort of volunteer work. Indeed the local school and literally dozens of families approached me to ask if I would tutor in English as the village had never had a native speaker before. It did not take long to find out that voluteering like this was against the visa rules. Of course some say 'just do it' but there is an attached risk if the wrong people dob you in as 'working' on a retirement visa.

 

So as much as I would like to continue paying back, I find in Thailand that is easier said than done.

 

I still support some families in Cambodia, but my currently boring existence would be much improved if I could volunteer a few days a week at the school at the end of the road. I feel like Thailand is contributing to my inability to help.

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, sanooki said:

I was a very successful systems analyst for pharma and banking companies.

 

Now approaching 62, and with the (whatever you want to call this situation) raging, I find myself the last remaining westerner on my campus, facing tomorrow as my final day of work. I've been cut loose. I will attempt to find some place that will see value in my skills. I've applied for early retirement funds, so I may not need much income.

Reaching age 62 and still needing to work isn't all that successful IMHO.

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Biden is my hero.. 

Putin is mine. 

8 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Putin is mine. 

I can never decide between Stalin and Pol Pot!

 

Genghis Khan, in the end ...... just for the quote ..........

"Man's highest joy is in victory: to conquer one's enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters.."

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

And, there is no doubt that our children, when they reach our age, will require even more resilience than we need today,

Indeed they will, but being taught that there are no losers, and that they are the center of the universe, as seems to be happening, is not going to help them live in a hostile world, IMO.

School was a very hard place for a soft child when I was  being schooled, but it did teach me that the world is full of bad people and to be self reliant.

Unfortunately that's about all it taught me. Never mind, I made up for it later on.

 

4 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I just worry about our grandchildren who may live in a far less beautiful time, when flora and fauna are diminished, and in a time when southern climes become less habitable. 

If it's just CO2 that concerns you I think you need to worry less. Carbon is the building block of life on earth, is it not? Plants, IMO, can be expected to thrive in a carbon rich atmosphere.

As for southern climes, I'm lovin' that it seems so much warmer now than usual.

7 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

But, is this not just a bit off-topic?

You have 2 long rambling posts, add in that this is TVF - and squabble w/JT over the meaning of life... wheew.. what else would it be. than off topic - - 

 

If you are talking abt finding meaning and purpose in helping others, - sure, I can alleviate some suffering here and there and that feels good.. but so often it falls into, no good deed goes unpunished too...

 

As to meaning and purpose - I can stab at some issues but stopped answering that when I started raising a niece... when I had to take care of Alz. parents.. 

 

Is that what you are asking abt? Maybe try and limit your thoughts/post to a few more pointed sentences...

 

And yes, Slaughterhouse Five was a spectacular book - but was Vonnegutt dreaming or the character just delusional?

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I can never decide between Stalin and Pol Pot!

 

Genghis Khan, in the end ...... just for the quote ..........

"Man's highest joy is in victory: to conquer one's enemies; to pursue them; to deprive them of their possessions; to make their beloved weep; to ride on their horses; and to embrace their wives and daughters.."

I would like to have been a Viking. ????

15 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

If it's just CO2 that concerns you I think you need to worry less. Carbon is the building block of life on earth, is it not? Plants, IMO, can be expected to thrive in a carbon rich atmosphere.

As for southern climes, I'm lovin' that it seems so much warmer now than usual.

Yep, if CO2 is bad for crops why do so many greenhouse farmers add more?