Castro Posted February 23, 2006 When I look back on my 61 years, I sometimes think, "If only I had taken the time to really experience everything out there, I would probably be dead by now." This world has a lot to offer—too much, really—and every time I'm met with the blinding variety of life-endangering options available to me, I find the safest bet is to bolt the windows shut, put in earplugs, and not try anything once. After all, you've only got one life to live, so why take any chances? A good start to living a long, healthy life is to make a list of all the things you've always wanted to do but could never work up the courage to try, and continue avoiding these things. Just think about the hundreds of terrible things that can go wrong while taking part in a breathtaking, potentially fatal activity such as skydiving. Life is too short as it is, so it's better not to put it at risk by leaving the apartment. When you think about it, there are thousands of simple little ways to add some spice to your life while simultaneously putting it in great jeopardy. You could go hiking and risk getting lost and dying alone in the wilderness. Or go white-water rafting and meet your watery demise. Host a dinner party and get shot by an angry guest. It would be a shame to miss out on a future full of silent afternoons indoors and evenings alone in front of the television just to get the cheap thrills that make life worth living. Now, there's nothing more enjoyable than traveling the world and sharing whole new experiences with different groups of people, and there's also no faster route to a life-threatening disease, crippling injury, or untimely death, depending on where your perilous travels take you. Instead of risking your life, have your relatives or friends buy you a spoon from each place they go. I do this, and while I find it to be wholly unsatisfying, it has the distinct advantage of not requiring me to climb aboard a death ship that travels at speeds of 800 miles per hour while 30,000 feet in the air. Getting a bright and early start to your day is one of the most common ways to imperil the precious, fragile gift that is life. Walking around in the blistering morning sun and breathing in the toxic, polluted air might sound refreshing to the devil-may-care thrill-seeker, but it will only result in melanoma and lung cancer in the end. A safe, boring alternative that won't get you killed is to just stay in your room all day. Instead of learning to wind-sail, learn how to use your imagination. Don't get too carried away, though. The human mind is capable of conjuring up some gruesome images that could give you nightmares, and people who have nightmares are 50 percent more likely to die in their sleep. When I am sitting in a windowless room and my imagination gets out of hand, I immediately temper it by turning on a vapid, thought-preventing talk show or '70s sitcom. Since straining your eyes too much can make you go blind, I recommend just listening to the TV while staring at a wall. Some other uninteresting, dull, life-preserving activities you can do in the safety of your own home include: carefully rocking in a chair, sleeping, shutting your eyes and lying still though not technically asleep, counting ceiling cracks, pacing back and forth, and thinking about different numbers. Any or all of these are wonderfully effective, monotonous ways to prolong your life. So, before you go mountain climbing, hang gliding, or even consider taking your life into your hands with a Caribbean resort vacation, take a moment to think about the wear and tear such activities can cause. Your body is not a toy—it is an extremely fragile shell that should always be handled with great care and never be exposed to temperatures above or below 80 degrees. And remember that just because you stay physically healthy and out of harm's way, that doesn't mean your life can't be wrecked emotionally, spiritually, or mentally. It's best to think, feel, and believe in things as little as possible. My advice: Take it one excruciatingly slow, mind-numbing day at a time. If you can go to sleep each night comfortable in the knowledge that you will probably wake up in the morning, you will have truly discovered the key to leading a long, drawn-out, stable, and completely unfulfilling life: staying alive. Source Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naden Posted February 23, 2006 LOL . Wasn't it Henry David Thoreau who said most men live lives of quiet desperation? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blessed Posted February 23, 2006 ... you can also die of boredom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Delilah Posted February 23, 2006 what ever happened to living fast and dying young? :cool: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STOIC Posted February 23, 2006 Wow, Life becomes one big pratfall if you don't keep hope alive.Someone breath hope into my life, and I will follow you everywhere . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Castro Posted February 23, 2006 Blessed, no one's ever been reported to die of boredom. If you have proof otherwise, do let us know. I loved this article. It reminds us, in a round about way, that life should be enjoyed and lived to the fullest. The momentum of mediocrity is always lurking in the shadows. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baluug Posted February 23, 2006 Castro is 61 years old? You're an old chicano...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snake-i Posted February 23, 2006 ^^^ LOL...maybe it is the other way around 16 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Castro Posted February 23, 2006 ^ I assure both of you it's between the two figures. :cool: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blessed Posted February 23, 2006 Monotony leads to depression, depression leads to mental illness, mental illness gives you suicidal thoughts…Boom, bang! p.siwasjokin,don'tgetallthoughtfulonmenow,eh Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BonaFied_CriTic Posted February 23, 2006 The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Castro Posted February 23, 2006 ^ Ain't that the truf. Speaking of death, when I went sky diving in 2003, for a few seconds I understood what was meant by "staring death in the eye". Would I do it again? Highly unlikely but I do understand the urge some people have to conquer their own fears. I now look at them and say to myself: been there, done that and got the DVD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baluug Posted February 23, 2006 Originally posted by Castro: ^ I assure both of you it's between the two figures. :cool: So you're either 17 or 60? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BonaFied_CriTic Posted February 23, 2006 Awoowo is 60 - He is old and wise - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Castro Posted February 23, 2006 When I'm lying in my bed at night I don't wanna grow up Nothin' ever seems to turn out right I don't wanna grow up. How do you move in a world of fog That's always changing things Makes me wish that I could be a dog When I see the price that you pay I don't wanna grow up I don't ever wanna be that way I don't wanna grow up. Seems like folks turn into things That they'd never want The only thing to live or Is today... I'm gonna put a hole in my T.V. set I don't wanna grow up Open up the medicine chest And I don't wanna grow up I don't wanna have to shout it out I don't want my hair to fall out I don't wanna be filled with doubt I don't wanna be a good boy scout I don't wanna have to learn to count I don't wanna have the biggest amount I don't wanna grow up. Lyrics courtesy of Tom Waite Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites