Breaking out of routines in middle age

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zoobyshoe said:
"Just got released from the penitentary, thanks for asking. Did 30 for homicide."

(Something like this actually happened to me at the Cafe about two months ago.)

Well at least it was something interesting! It sure beats someone telling you about their kids.
 
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Tedjn said:
Ah, wit, how I envy you.
Have you read Freud's "Wit and it's Relation to the Unconscious"?

Math Is Hard wrote the sequel: "Relations, and their Unconsciousness to Wit". Went right over all her relatives heads.
 
shelovesmath said:
Well at least it was something interesting! It sure beats someone telling you about their kids.

Hehe, yeah, but it was more than a little spooky. He'd actually only done 8 years for attempted murder, but people who've just been released from prison are sketchy and bewildered, like they're not sure if their freedom is a dream. And he started mentioning to everyone he had no money and no place to sleep, like he was hoping for an invitation over to someone's house. I kind of meandered away as soon as possible.
 
Math Is Hard said:
I have shallow relatives. Many of them.
Deep down, we're all shallow.
 
This is very interesting, from an outside perspective. I mean, most of you guys are scientists right? How cool is that--. Anyway, Lisa, what do you mean by risk? And magpies, how did you end up in jail?

I can't say I totally get where you guys are coming from. I do know that I hate when people try to talk to me when I'm eating.
 
Galteeth said:
I can't say I totally get where you guys are coming from.

Warsaw, Poland.

Yeah, I know, I am shallow.
 
Galteeth said:
This is very interesting, from an outside perspective. I mean, most of you guys are scientists right? How cool is that--. Anyway, Lisa, what do you mean by risk? And magpies, how did you end up in jail?

I can't say I totally get where you guys are coming from. I do know that I hate when people try to talk to me when I'm eating.

By risk, I don't mean taking chances that endanger life and limb. I mean, doing new things. Something as simple as cooking a new recipe that uses a spice you've never heard of, or taking a walk through a park you've never been to before.

These are simple little things but as you get older, you tend to not take risks, even small ones. Life gets comfy...maybe too comfy.
 
shelovesmath said:
Shallow is relative.
Ah, but shallowest is not.
 
zoobyshoe said:
...but you're wrong to assume they will be closed off to a man...

Hey, all I said was "not quite as much luck".
 
lisab said:
By risk, I don't mean taking chances that endanger life and limb. I mean, doing new things. Something as simple as cooking a new recipe that uses a spice you've never heard of, or taking a walk through a park you've never been to before.

Those things can be hardly called risks =).
 
DanP said:
By risk, I don't mean taking chances that endanger life and limb. I mean, doing new things. Something as simple as cooking a new recipe that uses a spice you've never heard of, or taking a walk through a park you've never been to before.
Those things can be hardly called risks =).
`

Sure these are risks; after an afternoon of paragliding and bungee jumping one risks that the spices are yucky and of course you can get lost in a park.
 
Andre said:
`

Sure these are risks; after an afternoon of paragliding and bungee jumping one risks that the spices are yucky and of course you can get lost in a park.

and some people 'risk' going out of their apartment...
 
DanP said:
Those things can be hardly called risks =).

I'm open to a better word.
 
lisab said:
I'm open to a better word.

takeonanewchallenge

stuckinarutremover

wanttotrysomethingnew
 
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lisab said:
I'm open to a better word.

Ironically, I would term those rest and recuperation. Its incredible how stressful life becomes if you don't indulge in relaxing and interesting activities. Walks in the parks, in the woods, a evening at restaurant with your SO, a new food, I think at all those as rest.
 
I've seen some people say they're 'going to take a risk' when its already something they're already doing, and its either a sidestep or a more involved layer of what they're already doing.

--like an artist trying a different style, or climber going for a steeper or taller mountain, or asking someone 'new' out on a date...

to them, it is stepping out of a safe zone.


I kind of remember something in that movie 'Bicentennial Man' where the woman said like--'do something wrong to find out if its right'...
 
TubbaBlubba said:
If I survive a parachute-less basejump, will I get a lot of friends?

didnt you heard the about the "happy hunting grounds" ? :devil:
 
lisab said:
By risk, I don't mean taking chances that endanger life and limb. I mean, doing new things. Something as simple as cooking a new recipe that uses a spice you've never heard of, or taking a walk through a park you've never been to before.

These are simple little things but as you get older, you tend to not take risks, even small ones. Life gets comfy...maybe too comfy.

I don't think using a new spice or making a new recipe is adventurous. That's NORMAL for me!
 
lisab said:
By risk, I don't mean taking chances that endanger life and limb. I mean, doing new things. Something as simple as cooking a new recipe that uses a spice you've never heard of, or taking a walk through a park you've never been to before.

These are simple little things but as you get older, you tend to not take risks, even small ones. Life gets comfy...maybe too comfy.

What do you think is the reason for this?
 
Galteeth said:
What do you think is the reason for this?

Ah, now that's a good question!
 
shelovesmath said:
I don't think using a new spice or making a new recipe is adventurous. That's NORMAL for me!

It came up in an earlier post, "risk" or "adventure" aren't really appropriate words for what I'm talking about. It's the tendency for people to not repeat behaviors...whatever that's called. Notaroutine, I guess.
 
lisab said:
It came up in an earlier post, "risk" or "adventure" aren't really appropriate words for what I'm talking about. It's the tendency for people to not repeat behaviors...whatever that's called. Notaroutine, I guess.
Generally speaking the older people get the less capacity they have for change, and they have an increased capacity for being able to make things stay the same. The result can be atrophy. Comfort is a good thing in that it is the opposite of being in distress, but atrophy has to be avoided.
 
lisab said:
It came up in an earlier post, "risk" or "adventure" aren't really appropriate words for what I'm talking about. It's the tendency for people to not repeat behaviors...whatever that's called. Notaroutine, I guess.

Spontaneity?
 
lisab said:
It came up in an earlier post, "risk" or "adventure" aren't really appropriate words for what I'm talking about. It's the tendency for people to not repeat behaviors...whatever that's called. Notaroutine, I guess.


Ive recently listened to a literary commentary on Tolkien's The Hobbit. What was interesting was the comment on Bilbo Baggins's two sides, the Baggins one (predictable, lazy and comfort oriented, never leaving the shelter of The Shire ) and his Took side (adventurous, non standard after the hobbit way of life, risk oriented with travels and fights). I've seen more example in the literature of this, Tartarin of Tarascon for example. The introduction of this character in the first book was marvelous, with his continue struggle between comfort and safety and the ire to travel, hunt and live adventures.

What I am trying to say is that in each one of us those two sides are present, in each in wildly different proportions. But I strongly believe that comfort is what breeds laziness and the desire to stay somewhere where you are sheltered.

So I think what one or another does to keep a healthy dose of adventure is not so important. Just do whatever works for you, be it belly dancing, hunting, hiking, sports, whatever. What makes me ticking might do nothing for you. The only important thing is that what you do takes you outside your shelter, and kills what makes you predictable by others.
 
Well, I'm breaking my pattern of sedentaryness (© TUBBA'S ADJECTIVE FACTORY INC.) with ~three days of strength training a week, 60 minutes on my new crosstrainer every day and other various exercisess (stretching, some mild gymnasitcs, etc) on the non-strength days.
 
lisab said:
It came up in an earlier post, "risk" or "adventure" aren't really appropriate words for what I'm talking about. It's the tendency for people to not repeat behaviors...whatever that's called. Notaroutine, I guess.

I'm guessing you're thinking more/different than a vacation/road trip then?

something new and different to do at or around while still at home?
 
zoobyshoe said:
I am a substance oriented conversationalist and can't let the small talk go on too long. Things have to meander to something interesting relatively quickly or I'll meander away. On the other hand, with the right people, I can have fun for hours just playing around. Nothing gets discussed, there's just a general mood of amusement to which everyone contributes.
Can't help but think of AaSQGaSA!
 
rewebster said:
I'm guessing you're thinking more/different than a vacation/road trip then?

something new and different to do at or around while still at home?

Yes, more than a one-time trip. I'm trying to keep from gathering moss, basically :smile:.

Things I'm doing: being open to spontaneity - tough to do, because like most people I have others depending on me. For example, my boss needs me to be at work at a certain time, of course. So...I have to, um, schedule my time to be spontaneous, lol. I'm fighting becoming more sedentary, too.

Just wondering if other people are having the same struggles.