What's your idea of the good life?

My definition: being still able doing what I did at half my age, like cutting dead tree limbs, going hiking with my pups, cutting weeds in our garden, making oil change on our cars, and changing kitchen lights from fluorescent to energy efficient LED ones. In other words, still being healthy enough to enjoy a full life. I don't feel like being a senior. I don't feel old. I am still being myself (OK, at a slower pace.)

PS, up to 65, I lived as if there were no end in sight. Getting now close to 88 years, thanks to a healthy life style with a positive attitude and gratitude for what I have, I am aware that there is eventually an end. But I don't worry about tomorrow because today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I am feeling good about it.

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It may seem a contradiction but, while I am lucky to be where I am at this age - in a safe neighborhood, living in a secure home, with enough to eat of enjoyable foods, and enough distractions to keep life at the pace that it should be at my age occupied - I can genuinely say it is not the good life.

What bothers me about it is the nagging feeling that this is the last chapter of my book of life and it is as quiet and safe as a graveyard. My life had always been a gale with a few stops at a quiet island or two. It is just too damn quiet, here.

Strangely my vision of retirement and the hope it would arrive one day was as it is, today. But, I miss the stormy energy my life was always so occupied with. That was the good life. Or maybe that I got through it and am now here makes it seem so. There is something I yearn for or is calling me, but what I can't say.

The good life isn't something for me that I have but, instead, is something that I am. And, life is not good right now even though by every measure it should be. I am rather tired of all the peace and quiet.
 
Robb.hisself said:
It may seem a contradiction but, while I am lucky to be where I am at this age - in a safe neighborhood, living in a secure home, with enough to eat of enjoyable foods, and enough distractions to keep life at the pace that it should be at my age occupied - I can genuinely say it is not the good life.

What bothers me about it is the nagging feeling that this is the last chapter of my book of life and it is as quiet and safe as a graveyard. My life had always been a gale with a few stops at a quiet island or two. It is just too damn quiet, here.

Strangely my vision of retirement and the hope it would arrive one day was as it is, today. But, I miss the stormy energy my life was always so occupied with. That was the good life. Or maybe that I got through it and am now here makes it seem so. There is something I yearn for or is calling me, but what I can't say.

The good life isn't something for me that I have but, instead, is something that I am. And, life is not good right now even though by every measure it should be. I am rather tired of all the peace and quiet.
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I can relate totally. Except for my life has done a complete 180 from where I was just a few months ago. The Quiet is Deafening.
 
Think I might be contradicting myself here too.... ie I have a good life now, happy and at peace, but wishing for something. :unsure:

I have everything I need and don't want for anything, feel at peace more than I ever have because of that - but since I've retired my dream from long ago has come back (probably because I'm not as frantically busy of late) and that's to live off grid in the wilds.
I hanker for the wild side of me to re-erupt because I have the time now.
Not going to happen though ;)
 
Robb.hisself said:
It may seem a contradiction but, while I am lucky to be where I am at this age - in a safe neighborhood, living in a secure home, with enough to eat of enjoyable foods, and enough distractions to keep life at the pace that it should be at my age occupied - I can genuinely say it is not the good life.

What bothers me about it is the nagging feeling that this is the last chapter of my book of life and it is as quiet and safe as a graveyard. My life had always been a gale with a few stops at a quiet island or two. It is just too damn quiet, here.

Strangely my vision of retirement and the hope it would arrive one day was as it is, today. But, I miss the stormy energy my life was always so occupied with. That was the good life. Or maybe that I got through it and am now here makes it seem so. There is something I yearn for or is calling me, but what I can't say.

The good life isn't something for me that I have but, instead, is something that I am. And, life is not good right now even though by every measure it should be. I am rather tired of all the peace and quiet.
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Robb, you seem like a great guy, and all I can say is there can be many chapters to life. The one you're in now doesn't necessarily have to be the last one, so try not to get lost in it. Stay open to something else, and maybe even seek it out. You never know what surprise life may have that you didn't imagine.
 
Like @oldaunt living where i do is a big part of it. The best days are ones that involve both physical activity and mental stimulation.

Basic needs and some 'wants' met. Having finally learned self-care is not a selfish act.

Retirement in fall of 2011 has meant more time to read and learn and think tho i couldn't read as much as i wanted till after both my eye surgeries done (one in 6/14 the other 12/14).

Doing as little harm and as much good as i can has long been required to feel 'good' about myself.
 
Quackers said:
Think I might be contradicting myself here too.... ie I have a good life now, happy and at peace, but wishing for something. :unsure:

I have everything I need and don't want for anything, feel at peace more than I ever have because of that - but since I've retired my dream from long ago has come back (probably because I'm not as frantically busy of late) and that's to live off grid in the wilds.
I hanker for the wild side of me to re-erupt because I have the time now.
Not going to happen though ;)
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Hate to see you give up your dream, but maybe you could modify it a bit. When I was researching RV links, I came across one for RV-ing Women. They just meetup at places and that way you're not alone somewhere in the wild by yourself, but you still get to enjoy the company of others and safety in numbers. Here's the link if you just want to check it out.
https://www.rvingwomen.org/
 
bobcat said:
Hate to see you give up your dream, but maybe you could modify it a bit. When I was researching RV links, I came across one for RV-ing Women. They just meetup at places and that way you're not alone somewhere in the wild by yourself, but you still get to enjoy the company of others and safety in numbers. Here's the link if you just want to check it out.
https://www.rvingwomen.org/
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Ah, bless you bob for that link. Made me dream more :D

I should have slowed down my brain and thought more before posting about why it ain't going to happen.
I'm in the UK and my dream going off grid and living in the wilds would be to sell up and move to where I'd want to fulfill that dream - somewhere in Canada/US.
Impossible now.

Dreams sometimes have to remain dreams. But I'm cool with that. :)
 
Dominant media plays up how the wealthy live as though that is what most ought dream for. Of course, large numbers also buy into that dream. Not one of those but have much to otherwise brag about.

As a Counterculture person, I never bought into that narrative and instead found despite severe medical limitations, how to enjoy great value in my life. And after retiring am now enjoying the benefits after a long successful working life. I will say, the 8-5 m-f working years was overall no picnic, much less "the good life", but rather a mix of both we all must endure.

Now I'm at a transition point of how much I choose to become a public person with celebrity versus one that quietly hides out of the limelight. I have 3 separate parts of my life, any of which could move in that direction. I wish I had a wife to share life with but am absolutely confident and patient that will change.

My health and fitness are excellent given modern medical science and fully paid for by government Medicare. I am one in a thousand youthful, so can make the most of my senior years. Would like to live forever as I now am but realize my remaining lifetime is limited and will soon increasingly be afflicted with old age degenerations I see in others. Well already have presbyopia haha. So all is not "good" but there is no time to waste as every day is precious and it could all come crashing down in a day.

Since February 2017, everyday I wake up is Saturday! The government pays me to do nothing if I so choose. Unlike my ancestors, in this vast urban region, I can drive down to any of a long list of supermarkets and buy anything one might enjoy eating. Likewise sitting in front of my computer with the Internet, can at a mouse click buy anything I might need while searching from A to Z products offered in this modern science and technology era. Well except for a home that is out of my wealth range so live in a modest hide-out rental.

I can spend hours on the Internet amusing myself with and teaching myself an incredible range of subjects. And a lifetime of learning allows me to make the most of that much more so versus average persons. I live in one of the most envied regions on the planet with a long list of positives useful for seniors plus a near ideal Mediterranean temperate climate. Today has a sunny 79F high forecast with tonight a pleasant for sleeping low of 57F.

Tomorrow late morning Saturday, expect to drive up to the touristy San Francisco north shore and enjoy a full afternoon of street fun and music. Earlier this year enjoyed over 2 dozen photography road trips plus a 6-day High Sierra backpack. All year have I've attended a long list of music events to hedonistically dance at. I have winter 2023/24 ski pass at Tahoe resorts plus now at age 75 there are some resorts I can now ski for FREE at.

So yeah, I'm relatively lucky at this point in my life, as much is pretty GOOD.
 
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Father said that I should have been a Yorkshire man, because I was never happy unless I was moaning about something. There's plenty to moan about these days, but I try not to worry about the things that don't affect me.
Compared to many others, I have a good life, but I doubt if I'll ever be 100% satisfied. I have no belief in a 'god' or an afterlife, so I suppose I'd better make the best of what I've got while I've got it.

Let the good times roll.
 
The good life would look a lot like more of the same. Hopefully go on taking a nice walk in nature everyday, lots of uplifting novels to read, keeping up with my garden, good and healthy meals with my wife over games of cards, a road trip on occasion and and always something creative to do that will keep me engaged with a beginner's mind. I don't expect to max out on all of those every day but I'll gratefully accept as much as possible every day.
 
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