At this point in your life, what makes it hard being human?

About the same. And now I know that 3 decades goes by fast.

It is hard knowing I’ll leave my grandkids and great grandkids. And my kids. But they’ll be done growing.

My personal anger toward the cruelty, thoughtlessness, and general lack of compassion I see in my daily life.

Making it those last few years until Social Security can be taken.

You have 3 decades left? And the life expectancy is about 76.5? Lucky you! I have about 13.5 years left, if I’m lucky…

@Espiritus_Corvus I hear and feel yah.

That we seem to be losing so much ground as a country.

Sleeping off life until I get paid again. Then repeat.

I’m approaching early winter and so far it has been a pretty good season for me. It’s just a pity it won’t be followed by Spring.

I’m distressed that in this late November of my life, I face the dismal prospect of Trump and his clueless cohorts running amok for the next four years—quite possibly one of the last administrations of my lifetime.

Dealing with brain dead drivers, that have no clue as on how to drive much less sharing the road with transport trucks.
That and the arthritis in my knees is getting worse.

I get lonely.

90% of my conversations are with clients, my kids, or about the day to day list of things to do. I’ve found ways to enjoy all those things individually, and I love my kids more than anything, it’s just out of balance right now and might be for a while. There’s not as much meaningful exploration and other relationships are tougher to maintain.

I think finding out just how much time is tied up with responsibility is the biggest shocker of parenthood and (early?) adult life.

The elusive “stability” I may never achieve.

Loss. Loss and mortality. Which are pretty much the same thing. If growing up is a process of making compromises with reality, getting old is a process of adjusting to loss and finding workarounds until there are no more workarounds.

Sometimes losses accelerate because one stresses out the system and then another occurs sooner than it might have. And sometimes things are lost even before you ever have them.

It’s been a rough week.

“Don’t put the blame on me…”

The internet and anything Cyber.

@Jeruba: I’m so sorry about your bad week. ((JELLY HUGS))

Old age really is a train wreck.

Knowing.
Knowing is something I always sought, and was proud of. Knowing how to read, how to tie my shoes, how to install a new alternater.
Knowing is what sets us apart from animals.
What I know now, is that I will likely live with pain until I die, that I will indeed die, I will die with most of my best goals unmet.
I know that I will cease, yet war, famine, brutality, and reckless stupidity will continue.
The hardest thing about being human is knowing, and yet, I still don’t want to lose my ability to know.

The greater the loss the greater the value. Hurting because of it is a blessing

I am made of squishy bits that no one truly understands and that can’t be replaced. Mine don’t seem to be lasting as long as they’re supposed to.

I’m also still trying to figure out how to deal healthily with the post-school feeling of “there isn’t anything in particular I’m looking forward to, now; my life is now what it will be for the next several decades unless I choose to make a change; is this what I want? Is this all there is?”

my life is now what it will be for the next several decades unless I choose to make a change; is this what I want? Is this all there is?

That sums up where I am perfectly too. The feeling that my best years are behind me haunts me. Because it really seems to be true.

@DominicY @Mariah It’s easy to feel that way but you have no idea how much can happen and change throughout your adult years. My life broke wide open at 60. Since then, I have become a Unitarian, bought a little red convertible, gone to Cuba, “taken a lover”...... You just never know what will be.

I’m starting to feel my age, I can see getting old will not be very gracefull.

@Mariah, I did not deal with post-school well either. I aways have some “learning goal” going on be it hobby, certification or chasing new work experiences. It makes routine bearable.

That’s what I’m trying to do now. Find some new goals. I knew things would “calm down” after college, but I guess I’m still shocked by how abrupt it was.

@DominicY there may be tough times ahead but your best years are certainly NOT behind you at your age! There is plenty of time still!

I can’t believe @DominicY is out of college. I still remember him telling us that he was accepted at college!

@ZEPHYRA I hope you are right :)

@chyna Not just out, out for three and a half years! Time unfortunately flies :(

Hearing about. your friends either being quite sick, already dead or falling down fairly often. Whoever knew older people fall down and break bones, have their heads split open or collapse from mini strokes? I thought I was immune. It doesn’t take much , either. Step down from a curb and you may find yourself flat on your stomach in the street. It’s really quite dignified and provides entertainment for the neighbors.

Thank you, @cookieman. It’s been a bad couple of years, actually, and whenever I think it can’t get worse, I turn out to be wrong.

Sorry, @Cruiser, but with all due respect, I totally do not buy that. What blessing is there in, say, loss of eyesight or loss of mobility? How about a serious and potentially fatal illness in your child? How lucky are you to lose your trust in somebody you love, or to realize that you are never going to even come close to achieving your lifelong goal? How about what happens to a relationship when addiction or abuse comes into the picture?

Those are grievous losses with none of the built-in compensation and comfort that might come in saying, for example, of a deceased spouse, “We had a wonderful marriage for 35 years,” or of an athletic sibling, “He died doing what he loved best.”

Time and use take their toll, and most of the time there is no offsetting benefit. We just have to learn to live with loss as best we can, accepting the help and support that human beings can and do give each other, and letting go of the things we can’t hold onto.

@Jeruba…with as much due respect…I suggest you head over to your nearest VA hospital and ask any deaf, blind, parapalegic, or even quadrapalegic if they are regretful for still being alive let alone serving their country. There you will get the gist of my earlier answer.

But if you also ask them if they would like to have back their parts, and their buddies, no doubt the answer would be yes.

@Patty_Melt…if you asked me if I would like to have my mom or dad back I would say yes. And in the same breath I would say I am glad to still be alive

@janbb Thanks for that.

@Cruiser, I understood your answer. You didn’t say survival despite loss was a blessing. You said the pain of loss is a blessing because its magnitude measures the value of what was lost. Survival despite loss, yes, I recognize the real though sometimes paradoxical value of that. And I say the person who lost a spouse after 35 happy years is fortunate to have had what few ever have. But I don’t think my foot injuries confer any special joy at all, nor does my loved one’s life-threatening illness and diminished quality of life.

If you treat disagreement as a failure to understand your point, rather than what it is—disagreement—we aren’t going to be able to discuss very much.

Gosh @DominicY. Watching you grow up has been so much fun! Remember Balmung, from Wis.dm? Same with him. I knew he was a guy, but it was an utter shock when I found out that one of my best friends was a SIXTEEN YEAR OLD BOY!! He’s in his early 20’s now. Waiting for the day he gets married and has kids.

What makes it difficult to be a human at the moment is that I am just dying for some chocolate chip cookie dough. I don’t think dogs or cats or other primates get cravings for chocolate chip cookie dough.