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The worst part of getting old is that you get less and less "first experiences" and are always comparing current with previous ones (programming.dev)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Double edged sword, since it's good that we can actually remember said experiences and maybe pass the wisdom down.

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[–] 15 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

Nearly everyone has many opportunities they have never taken because they choose not to. How many older people have never

  • ridden a motorcycle
  • gone fishing
  • gone hiking
  • knitted
  • cooked a complex meal
  • gone sailing
  • been skydiving
  • read a lengthy book series
  • played in a local sports league
  • coached children
  • painted a house
  • painted artwork
  • sculpted anything
  • built a simple things out of wood
  • built a complicated thing out of wood
  • welded
  • taken a canoe/kayak/inner tube down a river
  • gone white water rafting
  • travel (all kinds!)

All of these things are accessible to the average physically fit person into their 60s. Even the ones that don't often have special access options for those with disabilities.

But people frequently choose not to try some things because they assume they won't like them or because of construction concerns, but they also overlook a lot of free or nearly free experiences that they could always try. I haven't even done all of the things in my example list!

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Some things, such as:

    knitted been skydiving played in a local sports league

    either don't seem worth the time, effort and other investment vs other new experiences that could be had for less time, effort, expense, risk, etc.

    A poster above hit a key point: responsibility. I'll extend it with: children. At some point, if you have children you care about, helping them get the most out of life, both while you are here and after you are gone, takes precedent. Instead of running a bucket list check-sheet for yourself, the real challenge is ensuring that your children can do the things they want to do in their lives.

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