I think back to my younger teenage years. There were struggles, little money, dangers, and so much uncertainty. But somehow, all of that chaos created some of the greatest experiences of my life. Things just happened serendipitously, some good, some bad, leaving behind a mixture of beautiful and painful memories. And even if I focus only on just the good parts, I could never truly repeat them now.

Of course, I have the means to recreate those moments today, probably in ways that would be far more comfortable and satisfying. But it would not feel the same. It is strange to realize that without the struggle, without the chaos and uncertainty, those experiences lose something essential. The things I once did would not carry the same meaning if I did them now.

When you are young, you imagine getting older and finally reaching a better life. Even if you are not consciously thinking about it all the time, somewhere in your mind you are hoping for a future where things become easier, where you are an adult who can finally live more on your own terms, even without knowing how, or if, you will get there. And yet, when you eventually arrive at the place you once hoped for, you discover something unexpected. You no longer have the same hunger for the things you once believed you would want forever.

That is one of the hardest changes that comes with age. Having the ability, the security, and the certainty to do the things you once dreamed about is not enough without the reckless cravings you had when you were younger. So you do not do those things again now, even though part of you still desires to, and another part of you absolutely could.

But it is not because you do not want to. It is because you no longer need to.

You are in a different place in life now. A quieter place. A place where the things you want become more basic, more human. You wake up in the morning and feel grateful simply because you woke up again. Because you stood up without pain. Because your body still totally works. Because you have all your limbs, nothing terrible happened overnight, or through the slow physical accumulation of decades of time.

And it is not even about living in fear of danger or illness. It is simply the awareness of how fragile and precious life really is.

At a certain point, you realize that none of the things you achieved in the past, and none of the comfort you may have now, can actually give you more life. None of it can buy another minute. And because of that, every minute starts to feel important.

You become thankful for time itself. And it's not about longevity. It's about being the best version of you that you can everyday that you have remaining.

To be middle aged and still physically capable, mentally stable, and able to experience another ordinary day begins to feel like the greatest gift of all. To look up at the sky and the trees. To feel the sun and the cool air against your skin. To walk with smooth and confident strides. To be able to effortless lift things up without strain. To eat good tasting food, swallow it, and feel fulfilled. A gift that cannot truly be measured by money, status, or any superficial idea of success and only measured by being an independently living and breathing human being.

Yeah, it's all good except for the back aches, fear of cancer taking you out and knowing with utmost certainty you've got 1 2 3 decades left and no less than five years will be spent in discomfort or worse.

I'm pretty content. More working on filling my wife's bucket list.

I wish I was ten years younger with a few hundred K to just burn.

I'm blessed with good health, but many work against their own well being and then moan they are unwell. Others just unlucky or suffered injuries along the way.

2 minutes ago, StarOfLight said:

Yeah, it's all good except for the back aches, fear of cancer taking you out and knowing with utmost certainty you've got 1 2 3 decades left and no less than five years will be spent in discomfort or worse.

I'm pretty content. More working on filling my wife's bucket list.

I wish I was ten years younger with a few hundred K to just burn.

I'm blessed with good health, but many work against their own well being and then moan they are unwell. Others just unlucky or suffered injuries along the way.

We live today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but we still owe tomorrow some respect

Unknown

24 minutes ago, Pear Shaped said:

But it is not because you do not want to. It is because you no longer need to.

Righto then do nothing for 15 years then drop dead

Time is not friendly,time is a thief.

Leaves you with memories of joy and grief.

9 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Righto then do nothing for 15 years then drop dead

Says the inventor of spending 18 hours a day on a forum doing nothing with her life. 🤣

There is absolutely no beauty in getting older.

Spent the last 39 years raising children, and still have a bucket list to accomplish, so seeing I still have a young daughter for at least 9 more years in the house, they'll have to come along with that. Still want to do the same things I always did, besides already doing much of the physical things. At this point, I don't need that strength to accomplish my bucket list, so it's still in the works.

What I'll always remember is my Mom wanting to see Ireland, where our relatives came from. We told her just to go, put it on a credit card and have fun. Her sister went with her husband and she still didn't go. She died before having met her dream.

Do what you want when you can, and hope for enough time to get it done while you're still here. Our next stop might be much better than living on earth, but no one knows until they pass.

20 minutes ago, FlorC said:

There is absolutely no beauty in getting older.

I'm in better shape, look better, feel better than during COVID. Many guess me ten years younger or more. Lost five kg, started taking care of my skin, wardrobe upgrade. Need a lower face and neck lift hahaha 😂 I'll look 40.

I think a lot of people just let old age do them in. They sorta sir about and wait for death to take them. That's bull<deleted>.

Even if you live upcountry and are an old fart there's things to grow, animals to care for, parks to explore, things to build and repair, small businesses to putter with, things to see and do. Maybe there's a family...It's about a full life, busy and active.

One thing I can say I think objectively is that the world itself, on balance and in total moves to the negative. Each year a bit more magic gone and a bit more brutishness in it's place. I'm glad I'm not twenty

I think Elon Musk Mars shoot and the whole of AI is bull<deleted> and a net loss for humanity. Technology is basically bull<deleted>.

1 minute ago, StarOfLight said:

One thing I can say I think objectively is that the world itself, on balance and in total moves to the negative. Each year a bit more magic gone and a bit more brutishness in it's place. I'm glad I'm not twenty

I think Elon Musk Mars shoot and the whole of AI is bull<deleted> and a net loss for humanity. Technology is basically bull<deleted>.

and yet you are using it each and everyday!

49 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Righto then do nothing for 15 years then drop dead

43 minutes ago, jvs said:

Time is not friendly,time is a thief.

Leaves you with memories of joy and grief.

How can time be the thief?

Some people and distractions can be time Thieves

Time itself is pure and innocent

Certainly, part of growing old is learning new things. Even changing your mind.

I have adapted some of what was important to me when I was young. I have regained a lot.

Trite, perhaps, but positive thinking is a big part of a comfortable old age. Don't have a bucket list because I did it all between then and now.

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

How can time be the thief?

Some people and distractions can be time Thieves

Time itself is pure and innocent

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Wasted time is the thief. Yes, some people and distractions.

4 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Wasted time is the thief. Yes, some people and distractions.

Still a choice we make to let it distracts us

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Wasted time is the thief. Yes, some people and distractions.

Seems like I have been a victim of crime alot recently.....................I need to address ............

1 hour ago, jvs said:

and yet you are using it each and everyday!

The tech I use was invented decades ago

Apps pretty low key.. banking all by browser, email for all connections outside Thailand. I use phone when apt. 9 get much of my news via RSS feeds also old school.

Yeah, all just use candles and snail mail...🙄

2 hours ago, Pear Shaped said:

I think back to my younger teenage years. There were struggles, little money, dangers, and so much uncertainty. But somehow, all of that chaos created some of the greatest experiences of my life. Things just happened serendipitously... snip

This is easily one of the best things I have read on this forum in a very long time!

1 hour ago, Rockyroad said:

Righto then do nothing for 15 years then drop dead

We do we have to be doing something ? Many spend good money to go on Buddhist or Hindu retreats where the whole purpose is to do nothing.

Come to grips that all living creatures die, and then get on living in the moment instead of worrying about the future.

2 hours ago, Pear Shaped said:

I think back to my younger teenage years. There were struggles, little money, dangers, and so much uncertainty. But somehow, all of that chaos created some of the greatest experiences of my life. Things just happened serendipitously, some good, some bad, leaving behind a mixture of beautiful and painful memories. And even if I focus only on just the good parts, I could never truly repeat them now.

Of course, I have the means to recreate those moments today, probably in ways that would be far more comfortable and satisfying. But it would not feel the same. It is strange to realize that without the struggle, without the chaos and uncertainty, those experiences lose something essential. The things I once did would not carry the same meaning if I did them now.

When you are young, you imagine getting older and finally reaching a better life. Even if you are not consciously thinking about it all the time, somewhere in your mind you are hoping for a future where things become easier, where you are an adult who can finally live more on your own terms, even without knowing how, or if, you will get there. And yet, when you eventually arrive at the place you once hoped for, you discover something unexpected. You no longer have the same hunger for the things you once believed you would want forever.

That is one of the hardest changes that comes with age. Having the ability, the security, and the certainty to do the things you once dreamed about is not enough without the reckless cravings you had when you were younger. So you do not do those things again now, even though part of you still desires to, and another part of you absolutely could.

But it is not because you do not want to. It is because you no longer need to.

You are in a different place in life now. A quieter place. A place where the things you want become more basic, more human. You wake up in the morning and feel grateful simply because you woke up again. Because you stood up without pain. Because your body still totally works. Because you have all your limbs, nothing terrible happened overnight, or through the slow physical accumulation of decades of time.

And it is not even about living in fear of danger or illness. It is simply the awareness of how fragile and precious life really is.

At a certain point, you realize that none of the things you achieved in the past, and none of the comfort you may have now, can actually give you more life. None of it can buy another minute. And because of that, every minute starts to feel important.

You become thankful for time itself. And it's not about longevity. It's about being the best version of you that you can everyday that you have remaining.

To be middle aged and still physically capable, mentally stable, and able to experience another ordinary day begins to feel like the greatest gift of all. To look up at the sky and the trees. To feel the sun and the cool air against your skin. To walk with smooth and confident strides. To be able to effortless lift things up without strain. To eat good tasting food, swallow it, and feel fulfilled. A gift that cannot truly be measured by money, status, or any superficial idea of success and only measured by being an independently living and breathing human being.

You’re overthinking it.

Keep it simple.

My young wife keeps me in the delusion of my youth.

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

We do we have to be doing something ? Many spend good money to go on Buddhist or Hindu retreats where the whole purpose is to do nothing.

The purpose is to get away from society. World is full of knobs. Go somewhere quiet.

3 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

The purpose is to get away from society. World is full of knobs. Go somewhere quiet.

Most people like other people. Those who are anti social don't. Going places to get away from it all is a good thing, as it helps you to reflect, but then you come back fresher.

Millions love being around others, which is why they choose city living. Millions also move to the country, but not to get away from people but crowds, and to enjoy nature more.

I always liked living close to a large city so i could enjoy the food and entertainment a large city has, but living where it's away from the noise and traffic.

4 hours ago, Pear Shaped said:

I think back to my younger teenage years. There were struggles, little money, dangers, and so much uncertainty. But somehow, all of that chaos created some of the greatest experiences of my life. Things just happened serendipitously, some good, some bad, leaving behind a mixture of beautiful and painful memories. And even if I focus only on just the good parts, I could never truly repeat them now.

Of course, I have the means to recreate those moments today, probably in ways that would be far more comfortable and satisfying. But it would not feel the same. It is strange to realize that without the struggle, without the chaos and uncertainty, those experiences lose something essential. The things I once did would not carry the same meaning if I did them now.

When you are young, you imagine getting older and finally reaching a better life. Even if you are not consciously thinking about it all the time, somewhere in your mind you are hoping for a future where things become easier, where you are an adult who can finally live more on your own terms, even without knowing how, or if, you will get there. And yet, when you eventually arrive at the place you once hoped for, you discover something unexpected. You no longer have the same hunger for the things you once believed you would want forever.

That is one of the hardest changes that comes with age. Having the ability, the security, and the certainty to do the things you once dreamed about is not enough without the reckless cravings you had when you were younger. So you do not do those things again now, even though part of you still desires to, and another part of you absolutely could.

But it is not because you do not want to. It is because you no longer need to.

You are in a different place in life now. A quieter place. A place where the things you want become more basic, more human. You wake up in the morning and feel grateful simply because you woke up again. Because you stood up without pain. Because your body still totally works. Because you have all your limbs, nothing terrible happened overnight, or through the slow physical accumulation of decades of time.

And it is not even about living in fear of danger or illness. It is simply the awareness of how fragile and precious life really is.

At a certain point, you realize that none of the things you achieved in the past, and none of the comfort you may have now, can actually give you more life. None of it can buy another minute. And because of that, every minute starts to feel important.

You become thankful for time itself. And it's not about longevity. It's about being the best version of you that you can everyday that you have remaining.

To be middle aged and still physically capable, mentally stable, and able to experience another ordinary day begins to feel like the greatest gift of all. To look up at the sky and the trees. To feel the sun and the cool air against your skin. To walk with smooth and confident strides. To be able to effortless lift things up without strain. To eat good tasting food, swallow it, and feel fulfilled. A gift that cannot truly be measured by money, status, or any superficial idea of success and only measured by being an independently living and breathing human being.

I'm going 67, and can honestly say I've never thought about any of that. I live in the moment and don't compare anything to my earlier years. I think you think too much, LOL... something my current partner thinks I'm guilty of.

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Most people like other people. Those who are anti social don't. Going places to get away from it all is a good thing, as it helps you to reflect, but then you come back fresher.

Millions love being around others, which is why they choose city living. Millions also move to the country, but not to get away from people but crowds, and to enjoy nature more.

I always liked living close to a large city so i could enjoy the food and entertainment a large city has, but living where it's away from the noise and traffic.

But you moved to an Issan village with no big cities.

9 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

But you moved to an Issan village with no big cities.

9 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Did you read what I wrote?

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

We live today, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but we still owe tomorrow some respect

Unknown

This reminded me of a short vid from Sam Harris....

I enjoy good health even though I'm 81 yo. I eat well, restricted my beer intake and I walk at least 90 minutes every morning. The one thing I've noticed as I got older is, what I used to do all night takes me all night to do now. You might say " the wheel of the wagon is all but broken."

42 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Did you read what I wrote?

Yes I read the jumbled mess. You live being just outside big cities but ended up 30kms from 7/11.