As I begin my 83rd trip around the sun, the realization that what I see in the rear view mirror is bigger, richer and fuller than what I see through the windshield becomes more noticeable each day. Yesterday I read yet another long article about gettin’ old. The emerging truth from all this material is that social contacts with others is the path to everything that really matters, life, health, and happiness.
I’ve been working on sorting old photos and slides. Have thousands of sunsets, fewer sunrises, thousands of seascapes and landscapes, other thousands of snow- covered mountains and ski runs, large numbers of cars, planes, trains boats, ships, buildings, bridges statues, pottery and other stuff people made. Almost all of these I looked at once and then the pics spent years in a box or album. All of those are going in the garbage bag. The kids don’t want those. The photos that still matter are the ones with people, especially friends and family. The same with memories. The memories that matter are activities with people. I’ve biked alone, skied alone, hiked alone fished alone and driven alone. All of that seems insignificant compared to each of those activities done with others.
Now to the point. If you wanna be happy the rest of your life, develop nurture friends and family. That’s it. Nothing else matters in terms of what goes on between your ears. This is what billions of dollars in research shows. They shudda just asked me.
Now to another point. This board. I guess I’ve been around here about a quarter century. Why I am here has evolved. I’ve even tried to depart a few times. I guess I’m destined to stick around. With all the literature about social interaction comes the judgments about online communications. For some it could be destructive, I get that. But for me it’s part of exchanging thoughts and ideas with human beings. That’s a good thing. Maybe even a vital thing. Even though I strongly disagree with many here, and think emojis and ignore buttons are stupid, I consider all here, except for a small handful, friends.
I’ve been working on sorting old photos and slides. Have thousands of sunsets, fewer sunrises, thousands of seascapes and landscapes, other thousands of snow- covered mountains and ski runs, large numbers of cars, planes, trains boats, ships, buildings, bridges statues, pottery and other stuff people made. Almost all of these I looked at once and then the pics spent years in a box or album. All of those are going in the garbage bag. The kids don’t want those. The photos that still matter are the ones with people, especially friends and family. The same with memories. The memories that matter are activities with people. I’ve biked alone, skied alone, hiked alone fished alone and driven alone. All of that seems insignificant compared to each of those activities done with others.
Now to the point. If you wanna be happy the rest of your life, develop nurture friends and family. That’s it. Nothing else matters in terms of what goes on between your ears. This is what billions of dollars in research shows. They shudda just asked me.
Now to another point. This board. I guess I’ve been around here about a quarter century. Why I am here has evolved. I’ve even tried to depart a few times. I guess I’m destined to stick around. With all the literature about social interaction comes the judgments about online communications. For some it could be destructive, I get that. But for me it’s part of exchanging thoughts and ideas with human beings. That’s a good thing. Maybe even a vital thing. Even though I strongly disagree with many here, and think emojis and ignore buttons are stupid, I consider all here, except for a small handful, friends.
