Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Ruben,
Point about mid-life crisis fully taken (and it's fine in English). All I was trying to do was to point out that most people get over their mid-life crises, one way or another, and that this was one way of doing do: not agonizing over counterfactual conditionals.
Cheers,
Roger
Spider67
Well-known
Below is Oscar. Oscar can predict when death is coming, and it is possible that all cats have this perception.
--My cat comes every evening to me! Luckily I lock her out when I go to sleep!
--My cat comes every evening to me! Luckily I lock her out when I go to sleep!
dave lackey
Veteran
Roger,
That was indeed a good point...
But you know, after reading this far through the thread, it seems I am in the minority about getting fit, enjoying life as a result of being fit and continuing to get better every day with my photography....my life, both mentally and physically, is so much better now than it was last Fall.
My mid-life crisis is yet to be...haven't had one yet but it is never too late to have a happy second childhood!
Keep on truckin'...
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Roger,
That was indeed a good point...
But you know, after reading this far through the thread, it seems I am in the minority about getting fit, enjoying life as a result of being fit and continuing to get better every day with my photography....my life, both mentally and physically, is so much better now than it was last Fall.
My mid-life crisis is yet to be...haven't had one yet but it is never too late to have a happy second childhood!
Keep on truckin'...
Dear Dave,
Your fitness point is excellent, and I fully take your point about getting better both physically and in your photography. If I take what the Victorians called a 'constitutional' (a walk for the sake of my health), I feel better, sleep better, and often get good pictures on the walk.
I fear I may have been misinterpreted when I said that (too much) exercise is bad for you. Most of the people I know who were serious athletes in their youth -- county, college or even Olympic standard -- have had more health problems than those who were not, simply from wear and tear. My sole point was that although most people do not take anything like enough exercise, it is also possible to overdo it.
My own preferred exercise is walking somewhere interesting: not too far, just a few miles. And guess what? I need to take great care with what boots I wear...
Cheers,
Roger
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gertf
Established
I completely agree with you Ruben, and there is ample evidence to show that depression increases your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other diseases!
My interaction with photography gives me lots of pleasure, and I very much believe it helps keep my mind healthy. So does exercise for that matter
dave lackey
Veteran
Ahhh...the correct footwear!
How important as I recently found out when I bought some new running shoes for walking but could not tolerate the inner lining....blisters galore...ouch! Walking 35 miles a week at a 5mph pace is no fun without the proper footwear.
I fully agree with you about the wear and tear and what you said about those having more health problems...maybe my procrastinating has saved me some of that wear and tear...LOL!
Now, motorcycling...that is a stress reliever if there ever was one...at least until you have one of those oh s*** moments at which time you really get a charge out of the experience! But, seriously, I have enjoyed touring immensely over the years and I really miss it. Just sold the MGTD to my employer and I no longer have any of my MGB's...so, maybe it is time to check into a newer small sports car for those weekend jaunts to the mountains and the obligatory picnic!
Yeah, that's it...with air conditioning for my darling bride as she cannot take the heat anymore...yeah, that's the ticket! time to go pack my gear and toodle off to the local Miata store...or the Honda store...or...
Who says you can't have fun when you get older, huh?
How important as I recently found out when I bought some new running shoes for walking but could not tolerate the inner lining....blisters galore...ouch! Walking 35 miles a week at a 5mph pace is no fun without the proper footwear.
I fully agree with you about the wear and tear and what you said about those having more health problems...maybe my procrastinating has saved me some of that wear and tear...LOL!
Now, motorcycling...that is a stress reliever if there ever was one...at least until you have one of those oh s*** moments at which time you really get a charge out of the experience! But, seriously, I have enjoyed touring immensely over the years and I really miss it. Just sold the MGTD to my employer and I no longer have any of my MGB's...so, maybe it is time to check into a newer small sports car for those weekend jaunts to the mountains and the obligatory picnic!
Yeah, that's it...with air conditioning for my darling bride as she cannot take the heat anymore...yeah, that's the ticket! time to go pack my gear and toodle off to the local Miata store...or the Honda store...or...
Who says you can't have fun when you get older, huh?
dave lackey
Veteran
Hi, gertf..
You know, even my employer supports my photography as he realizes my need for creativity and he appreciates my endeavors. With all the stress in life, my wife continues to back even my cash outlays for equipment and encourages me everyday.
That kind of support is so much appreciated because photography plays such an important part in my life, both mentally and emotionally. Seems the older I become, the more I realize the things that are most important have little to nothing to do with material wealth but everything to do with what goes on my heart and soul. I find a connection to that with photography.
This is a good thread...thanks again, Ruben!
You know, even my employer supports my photography as he realizes my need for creativity and he appreciates my endeavors. With all the stress in life, my wife continues to back even my cash outlays for equipment and encourages me everyday.
That kind of support is so much appreciated because photography plays such an important part in my life, both mentally and emotionally. Seems the older I become, the more I realize the things that are most important have little to nothing to do with material wealth but everything to do with what goes on my heart and soul. I find a connection to that with photography.
This is a good thread...thanks again, Ruben!
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dan denmark
No Get Well cards please
ruben, at nearly 62, i can sense a sentiment i try to ignore in me now. in the 1960s i photograhed the slow, bloody and painful integration of blacks and whites in schools and streets in the USA deep south for international syndication. i was in the firing line, literally. in the 1970s i spent a good bit of that decade back and forth in east and west germany, working for the (then)west with a leica iiia recording what had to be recorded. this is contestuous now so i won't enter into debate. i was young and unbreakable then. recently i discovered a box of negatives i thought i had lost from those two decades. nowadays i photograph people, events, artists and artworks for books for a living and some video production for local community things...all very safe and happy-ending stuff...but still important to the NOW as much as the old days were important then. when i go through my negatives i see that i work today to the same style and energy that i did back then, just very different subject matter. i can't move as fast as i used to...know what i mean? but i still shoot with passion. it all changes and it'll never be the same but i like to think that what i shoot today will make a difference for one person the way we hoped that we did back then would make a difference to the world. one tiny piece of a huge jigsaw puzzle of history and change, growth and, as i said, passion.
shoot til you drop.
-dd
shoot til you drop.
-dd
Teus
Thijs Deschildre
I was a bit reluctant to reply first, but hey, here goes... I turn 22 next month, so I'm probably one of the youngest here.
I've been shooting for about 3 or 4 years now. I've been going through an evolution photography-wise: shooting with 1 body/lens, expanding my equipment. Having toyed with digital, I'm now settling with a Leica and B/W film. Techie at heart, I got to an acceptable level of understanding the basic techniques. We'll see where the digital age leads us, I'm not afraid. Only slightly nostalgic already.
As for my style of shooting, I'm still young. Up to now I've been living quite carelessly and irresponsibly. Last year I spent 3 months in Greece for school, without the slightest preparation. Two weeks ago I hopped in my car and drove all day, nonstop, to visit German photo friends. Last summer I did 3 weeks of photojournalistm in the UK[url]. Extremely long days, endless walking in a pair of combat boots, fearlessness of the night kept me shooting available-light until after dusk. I went everywhere, saw everything I could see.
But, I only saw what I could see for myself. It's great to get in the action, and grab the snapshot, but I still miss a lot of insight. That's why I'm envious of the more mature people around here, for knowing how photographs (and people) work.
Yes, I'm envious of the younger people. Pretty girls, but often not much sensible they can talk about. I'm envious of people doing photography in highschool or college/uni, for being able to spending all their days on photography in a motivating and learnful environment. Myself, I barely know arts or the classic photographers to learn from. But sometimes I feel a bit wiser than them, being self-taught and more experienced. And I've got more mobility and funds for my photography. I aim for a better understanding. It's cool to have driven to a remote place, or being in the firing line of an event, but it's useless if you don't know HOW to photograph.
maybe you can't be anymore in the epicenter of the action, but you do have your wisdom (so I read, I'm too young for that word) and experience on your side. Even if you can't get there during the day, there is still plenty to document. I'm sure there's more than the brutal action. Recently I saw documentation of Nagasaki, recorded many years after the explosion (by tomatsu shomei, google him). Look at the bright side of things: you are able to bring deeper photos with much better understanding :angel:
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Sisyphus
Sisyphus
Ruben,
I would like to offer a more indepth comment, but before I do, it seems like you are afraid to die, or you have become ill, or you are simply depressed? Maybe a combination of the above.
Since I really do not know you, or know what your life is like, I can offer a limited perspective based on my exeriences, which are similar to many.
Photographically speaking, I started when I was 12, I am now 40. I have been photographing and working in the darkroom consistantly since this time. Here is what I can say about how things have changed for me.
When I was younger, I had more enregy, which meant I could get up at the crack of dawn, photograph, process film, make contact sheets, and few 8x10's before I went to sleep, and repeat this pattern, when time allowed, for most of the week.
In my 20's my days were slightly different, but more or less the same, just that I was working, getting up early to work, be done by noon, and I would either photograph, process film or print. I would not say that I had a lot of energy, I was motivated because of my passion for photography, and sometimes I was successful, sometimes I wasn't.
In my 30's I had to straighten out my career path, because in my 20's I was so obsessed with photography, I lived that artist lifestyle, moving from San Francisco to New York, photographing during the day, working in the night, printing in between, going out na dbeing young. By the time I reached 30, I relaized that I did not want to live this way, poor, broke, destitute. When you are in your 20's it is a little easier. So I spent a good portion of my time figuring out my career, going back to school to determine, what would be the best balance. This meant less time for photographing and being free, about three years. I did not give up photography, in fact I probably, photogrpahed more meaningful work than any period of my life, but I what was sacrificed was not being able to process the film as often or no darkroom work for that period of time. I was working a professional job, saving money, got married, and began travelling out of the country for the first time in my life. I continued my education to continue to move on with my career, which gives me a stable income and ample vacation time to travel and work on my documentary projects. By the end of my 30's, my time and energy were divided between, my wife, my daughter, building a darkroom in our garage, and a little travelling to photograph and continue one documentary project, and the fortitude to start another one, which I never thought would be possible.
Now that I in my 40's I am tired more often, it is difficult for me to wake up at the crack of dawn to do anything, except to spend time with my daughter. I have less energy during the printing sessions, and don't get as much printing done as I use to. I also take my time, and will often take a break to do other things, and come back to continue printing, later that day. When I was younger, I would often for go social events or acitivies, unless there was a photographic opportunity there, now, I am more inclined to partake in more social activities and put the photography or printing on hold. I don't process my film right away, It will take sometimes a year or two to get things processed, and printing another few years. At the same time I am being more selective, both in what I photograph and what I print. I am still motivated to do this, but my priorities have shifted, and for many reasons, but I also want to enjoy my time here, while I am alive.
This is my photogrpahic life, this does not even include all the relationships, hardships, difficulties and struggles, and emotional aspects that have happened. And the photography has taken its toll on many relationships, which I thought, at the time, was the best thing, but with time and reflection, I now chalk up to careless youth for some of these decisions.
In reference to death or mortality, I am not sure if this is a concern to you or others, but there was a time when I feared death, but as I get older, and in the recent years, I have had quite a few friends pass away or are slowly dieing from one thing or another--cancer, suicide, old age, and car accidents. I started to ask myself if I were to die tomorrow, would be content with the life you had, and with what you have accomplished. I am able to answer, yes to this question. Hopefully this won't happen, as I now feel wiser, which helps me make better decisions, and more clear about what I hope to accomplish between now and when my time is up.
Physically, my health may decline, but I have changed my diet, and excerise more to help counter some of the aging process, which makes a difference in life and how feel about yourself.
We all live in a very complicated and complex world, my life is certainly not easier, and I still struggle with the daily aspects of life, and stresses from a job, which I need in order to live.
I hope this helps . . . Ruben you're still alive, which means you can make choices and decisions, whcih may change your outlook and perspective on life for the better.
I would like to offer a more indepth comment, but before I do, it seems like you are afraid to die, or you have become ill, or you are simply depressed? Maybe a combination of the above.
Since I really do not know you, or know what your life is like, I can offer a limited perspective based on my exeriences, which are similar to many.
Photographically speaking, I started when I was 12, I am now 40. I have been photographing and working in the darkroom consistantly since this time. Here is what I can say about how things have changed for me.
When I was younger, I had more enregy, which meant I could get up at the crack of dawn, photograph, process film, make contact sheets, and few 8x10's before I went to sleep, and repeat this pattern, when time allowed, for most of the week.
In my 20's my days were slightly different, but more or less the same, just that I was working, getting up early to work, be done by noon, and I would either photograph, process film or print. I would not say that I had a lot of energy, I was motivated because of my passion for photography, and sometimes I was successful, sometimes I wasn't.
In my 30's I had to straighten out my career path, because in my 20's I was so obsessed with photography, I lived that artist lifestyle, moving from San Francisco to New York, photographing during the day, working in the night, printing in between, going out na dbeing young. By the time I reached 30, I relaized that I did not want to live this way, poor, broke, destitute. When you are in your 20's it is a little easier. So I spent a good portion of my time figuring out my career, going back to school to determine, what would be the best balance. This meant less time for photographing and being free, about three years. I did not give up photography, in fact I probably, photogrpahed more meaningful work than any period of my life, but I what was sacrificed was not being able to process the film as often or no darkroom work for that period of time. I was working a professional job, saving money, got married, and began travelling out of the country for the first time in my life. I continued my education to continue to move on with my career, which gives me a stable income and ample vacation time to travel and work on my documentary projects. By the end of my 30's, my time and energy were divided between, my wife, my daughter, building a darkroom in our garage, and a little travelling to photograph and continue one documentary project, and the fortitude to start another one, which I never thought would be possible.
Now that I in my 40's I am tired more often, it is difficult for me to wake up at the crack of dawn to do anything, except to spend time with my daughter. I have less energy during the printing sessions, and don't get as much printing done as I use to. I also take my time, and will often take a break to do other things, and come back to continue printing, later that day. When I was younger, I would often for go social events or acitivies, unless there was a photographic opportunity there, now, I am more inclined to partake in more social activities and put the photography or printing on hold. I don't process my film right away, It will take sometimes a year or two to get things processed, and printing another few years. At the same time I am being more selective, both in what I photograph and what I print. I am still motivated to do this, but my priorities have shifted, and for many reasons, but I also want to enjoy my time here, while I am alive.
This is my photogrpahic life, this does not even include all the relationships, hardships, difficulties and struggles, and emotional aspects that have happened. And the photography has taken its toll on many relationships, which I thought, at the time, was the best thing, but with time and reflection, I now chalk up to careless youth for some of these decisions.
In reference to death or mortality, I am not sure if this is a concern to you or others, but there was a time when I feared death, but as I get older, and in the recent years, I have had quite a few friends pass away or are slowly dieing from one thing or another--cancer, suicide, old age, and car accidents. I started to ask myself if I were to die tomorrow, would be content with the life you had, and with what you have accomplished. I am able to answer, yes to this question. Hopefully this won't happen, as I now feel wiser, which helps me make better decisions, and more clear about what I hope to accomplish between now and when my time is up.
Physically, my health may decline, but I have changed my diet, and excerise more to help counter some of the aging process, which makes a difference in life and how feel about yourself.
We all live in a very complicated and complex world, my life is certainly not easier, and I still struggle with the daily aspects of life, and stresses from a job, which I need in order to live.
I hope this helps . . . Ruben you're still alive, which means you can make choices and decisions, whcih may change your outlook and perspective on life for the better.
ampguy
Veteran
Good for you!
Good for you!
Seriously, it sounds like you are truly enjoying life like it should be.
I may get crap for my next statement, but I recommend you do not enter a formal photo or art class or school.
I personally think photography is like playing the guitar, it's an emotional experience, and the more formal education you have in it, the more boxed in and preconceived your work becomes.
Keep up the travels and adventures!
Good for you!
Seriously, it sounds like you are truly enjoying life like it should be.
I may get crap for my next statement, but I recommend you do not enter a formal photo or art class or school.
I personally think photography is like playing the guitar, it's an emotional experience, and the more formal education you have in it, the more boxed in and preconceived your work becomes.
Keep up the travels and adventures!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_World_Scout_Jamboree
Roger Hicks
Veteran
x-ray
Veteran
The aging process is a very individual thing. Each of us age in different ways for one reason or another. Genetics and environment plus motivation to continue on a given path. I'm nearly 60 now and have been making photographs since I was 5. I received my first camera in 1955 at the age of 7 and started seriously taking photos. A couple of months ago I pulled out the first few rolls I took from 5 to 9 years old. I was amazed to see that my vision or how I shot a subject hadn't really changed that much. I approach subjects and execute the photo much in the same style as I did 55 years ago. I'm technically much better but my subjects are rendered in a similar style.
I have matured technically and feel very comfortable with making images. I don't have to labor over technical issues but can concentrate on how to produce the best image esthetically. I have no fear of approaching subjects now and really enjoy the enter action. Basically I love talking to people and getting into their heads and lives. People that I work with sense this and open up. Because of this and the comfort level technically I feel I make the best images I ever have and can approach more interesting people than ever.
My eyes are excellent and my stamina is very good. I may not be able to dodge bullets like I once did but I try not to get into those situations any more. I try to stay physically in decent shape and keep my mind active with my work and pleasures.
I knew a fellow that was a photographer. He was born in 1882 and lived to be 102 years old. His name was A. A. Jeffries. Jeff's health was good and he worked every day except Sunday. He made photographs and repaired and traded cameras and lenses. He was a very happy man.
I knew Imogen Cunningham who was also born around 1882. I met her in 1975 while she was working on her last book of people over 90. She worked virtually every day in her gardens and made photographs as she did most of her life. Her two sons are photographers and both are over 90 now and still working ans showing in museums and galleries.
I know another woman, Evelyn Johnson. Evelyn is the second highest time pilot and highest time female pilot in the history of aviation. I met her when she was 95 and still functioning as an airport manager and FAA instructor / examiner. He instructed fixed wing and helicopters and flew jets. Her FAA medical was finally revoked at 95 due to her eyes. She ran the local airport for a little longer and finally retired to stay active in private aviation. I think Evelyn is 99 now and a happy woman.
Personally I find aging an opportunity to break away from the less enjoyable work and concentrate on more fun projects. I don't plan to let a little thing like age slow me down.
Another advantage of age is people don't look on an older person as a threat. I can get away with things now that I would have been shot for thirty years ago. At 60 I am in the best part of my photographic life.
PS if your eyes give you problems then go auto focus and AE. It's like auto pilot on a plane. It allows you to focus your attention on other important things in the journey.
Enjoy you life!!!
I have matured technically and feel very comfortable with making images. I don't have to labor over technical issues but can concentrate on how to produce the best image esthetically. I have no fear of approaching subjects now and really enjoy the enter action. Basically I love talking to people and getting into their heads and lives. People that I work with sense this and open up. Because of this and the comfort level technically I feel I make the best images I ever have and can approach more interesting people than ever.
My eyes are excellent and my stamina is very good. I may not be able to dodge bullets like I once did but I try not to get into those situations any more. I try to stay physically in decent shape and keep my mind active with my work and pleasures.
I knew a fellow that was a photographer. He was born in 1882 and lived to be 102 years old. His name was A. A. Jeffries. Jeff's health was good and he worked every day except Sunday. He made photographs and repaired and traded cameras and lenses. He was a very happy man.
I knew Imogen Cunningham who was also born around 1882. I met her in 1975 while she was working on her last book of people over 90. She worked virtually every day in her gardens and made photographs as she did most of her life. Her two sons are photographers and both are over 90 now and still working ans showing in museums and galleries.
I know another woman, Evelyn Johnson. Evelyn is the second highest time pilot and highest time female pilot in the history of aviation. I met her when she was 95 and still functioning as an airport manager and FAA instructor / examiner. He instructed fixed wing and helicopters and flew jets. Her FAA medical was finally revoked at 95 due to her eyes. She ran the local airport for a little longer and finally retired to stay active in private aviation. I think Evelyn is 99 now and a happy woman.
Personally I find aging an opportunity to break away from the less enjoyable work and concentrate on more fun projects. I don't plan to let a little thing like age slow me down.
Another advantage of age is people don't look on an older person as a threat. I can get away with things now that I would have been shot for thirty years ago. At 60 I am in the best part of my photographic life.
PS if your eyes give you problems then go auto focus and AE. It's like auto pilot on a plane. It allows you to focus your attention on other important things in the journey.
Enjoy you life!!!
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Teus,
I wish I had been as clear-sighted when I was your age. Do the kind of things you describe NOW -- and with any luck, your life will lurch in the right direction. Study e.g. accountancy, and it may not.
Today I spent 3 hours drinking with a musician of about my age who gave up a well-paying job as a fonctionnaire about 18 years ago. He had not heard (but was much taken with) the old saying, "Talent does what it can. Genius does what it must."
As for 'spending all their days on photography in a motivating and learnful environment', don't bet on it. From the experience of friends -- I turned down a BA in Fine Art photography at Coventry College of Art and Design to read law, myself -- an awful lot of art school is jumping through hoops.
At 22 you're already looking back at pretty girls as younger? I recently met an uncommonly attractive young woman, 17 years younger than I, who is 41... It's all relative!
Your letter was very cheering: best of luck!
Cheers,
Roger (more than old enough to be your father).
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Gray Fox
Well-known
Ruben:
As a retired Army type, if I were you I would continue to have loaded cameras and whatever compact firearm your government will allow you to carry with you at the same time. You probably are coming into one of the most combat rich periods there have been in Israel's troubled 60-year history. Let all of us who enjoy your photography and thought-provoking comentaries profer the wish that you can once more savor the thrill of photography in combat--if that is indeed your wish--and be here with us a year hence to refect on this thread. I, too, have ridden motorcycles in the past and had my share of scrapes and bent metal, but there is nothing as heartening as to realize you've been shot at and missed!
As a retired Army type, if I were you I would continue to have loaded cameras and whatever compact firearm your government will allow you to carry with you at the same time. You probably are coming into one of the most combat rich periods there have been in Israel's troubled 60-year history. Let all of us who enjoy your photography and thought-provoking comentaries profer the wish that you can once more savor the thrill of photography in combat--if that is indeed your wish--and be here with us a year hence to refect on this thread. I, too, have ridden motorcycles in the past and had my share of scrapes and bent metal, but there is nothing as heartening as to realize you've been shot at and missed!
crawdiddy
qu'est-ce que c'est?
crawdiddy
qu'est-ce que c'est?
R
ruben
Guest
Dear x-ray,
No doubt for me your post here has been the most beautifull one I read from you, from those I read along time. As if to comfirm that age makes you better and better. This is the "secret" I am trying to disclose.
Be it said along the same lines, that for example some singers show the same virtue when aging. It will be controversial, and many of you may not agree with me, and it is perfectly OK, but for me both Leonard Cohen and Maria Farandouri have improved with aging despite their voices became less louder than in the past.
Am I looking for some kind of "youth fountain"? In some sense yes. I am looking for an angle, a viewpoint of displaying not only the limitations, but the opportunities of the future. The opportunities will take care of putting the limitations at bay.
Here x-ray post excells for the richness of the examples.
dan denmark has written above a post remininding that sentiment of going back to the past, that he "tryies to ignore", and in my case keeps me somewhat upset from time to time. This has been of great value for me, since it is always easier to diagnose a problem in ourselves through our neighbour than in ourselves directly. Through dan I can see myself more clearly and say that in my case this wish of going back is both an obstacle to going forwards and a sign of some problem to solve in the present quest forwards. I agree with him in his attitude, I should put behind the past and look forwards with optimism and an open mind.
Looking forwards with optimism and open mind, and perhaps I should add some boldness - this is exactly the way I always looked at things and I find no reason to change it now. After all who can maintain that things will remain all the same as they are now? The world will change, my life will change, and between both sides, opportunities will appear.
I cannot claim that my life so far has been a straight chain of success after success, but the contrary isn't true either. It is a continuous fight in which you tray to make the most. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. The moment you stop fighting - that's the end for me.
So perhaps this is the secret I was looking for, the understanding that life is fight and that for such a fight our own accumulated experience is our main asset.
There is a saying in Spanish: "El diablo sabe mas por viejo que por diablo"
The devil's knowledge is far more due for his old age, than for the fact he is the devil.
Cheers,
Ruben
No doubt for me your post here has been the most beautifull one I read from you, from those I read along time. As if to comfirm that age makes you better and better. This is the "secret" I am trying to disclose.
Be it said along the same lines, that for example some singers show the same virtue when aging. It will be controversial, and many of you may not agree with me, and it is perfectly OK, but for me both Leonard Cohen and Maria Farandouri have improved with aging despite their voices became less louder than in the past.
Am I looking for some kind of "youth fountain"? In some sense yes. I am looking for an angle, a viewpoint of displaying not only the limitations, but the opportunities of the future. The opportunities will take care of putting the limitations at bay.
Here x-ray post excells for the richness of the examples.
dan denmark has written above a post remininding that sentiment of going back to the past, that he "tryies to ignore", and in my case keeps me somewhat upset from time to time. This has been of great value for me, since it is always easier to diagnose a problem in ourselves through our neighbour than in ourselves directly. Through dan I can see myself more clearly and say that in my case this wish of going back is both an obstacle to going forwards and a sign of some problem to solve in the present quest forwards. I agree with him in his attitude, I should put behind the past and look forwards with optimism and an open mind.
Looking forwards with optimism and open mind, and perhaps I should add some boldness - this is exactly the way I always looked at things and I find no reason to change it now. After all who can maintain that things will remain all the same as they are now? The world will change, my life will change, and between both sides, opportunities will appear.
I cannot claim that my life so far has been a straight chain of success after success, but the contrary isn't true either. It is a continuous fight in which you tray to make the most. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. The moment you stop fighting - that's the end for me.
So perhaps this is the secret I was looking for, the understanding that life is fight and that for such a fight our own accumulated experience is our main asset.
There is a saying in Spanish: "El diablo sabe mas por viejo que por diablo"
The devil's knowledge is far more due for his old age, than for the fact he is the devil.
Cheers,
Ruben
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dave lackey
Veteran
Hi, Reuben...
I actually disagree with putting the past behind us. I cherish memories of my parents, long since deceased. When I stop remembering, they are truly gone. My present and my future have been built on the past and I am what I am because of it.
I enjoy older cars, older music, older books, etc. I am now enjoying older people and find that I prefer the present...not the past and certainly not the future. This may seem strange but the past is unchangeable.and I cannot go back so I just enjoy the memories. I am in control of the present and I have NO control of the future. Indeed, the future is so uncertain as to be worrisome...not only that, but death awaits us and I would just as soon not dwell on that. Yes, it is the present that I enjoy.
Much like motorcycling, I am in control. The past I would never discard. The future, I will deal with it when it gets here.
Thanks again for your thread, and insights.
I actually disagree with putting the past behind us. I cherish memories of my parents, long since deceased. When I stop remembering, they are truly gone. My present and my future have been built on the past and I am what I am because of it.
I enjoy older cars, older music, older books, etc. I am now enjoying older people and find that I prefer the present...not the past and certainly not the future. This may seem strange but the past is unchangeable.and I cannot go back so I just enjoy the memories. I am in control of the present and I have NO control of the future. Indeed, the future is so uncertain as to be worrisome...not only that, but death awaits us and I would just as soon not dwell on that. Yes, it is the present that I enjoy.
Much like motorcycling, I am in control. The past I would never discard. The future, I will deal with it when it gets here.
Thanks again for your thread, and insights.
FrankS
Registered User
54 is too old for a man to marry a 29 year old woman and begin a family. (I don't really believe that, but then I don't think 51 is too old to be riding a motorcycle either.) There might be a psychiatric problem here. Participating in a forum only to criticise the forum and its members while displaying an arrogant, superior attitude, also comes into play regarding this.
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