Do it NOW!!!!

[wingstoo]

Mmm... not sure about that. On my first day I was totally dependant upon everybody else and sh*t in my pants - that sound too much like decrepit old age to me

Every day is a positive day; that's how I live my life!

I guess it should be that you live every day as it were the first day of the rest of your life, rather than the first day you were born...

 

[gra_farmer]

I am the same here as woody girl, some of the opportunities I have passed up could make me cry too. One was to move to yellow knife, in the northern territories of Canada, basically the North Pole, was given a job opportunity to as an environmental scientist, fast track canadian citizenship in a single month, house and an eye watering wage.....fear of such a change stopped me. Deeply regret

But since then I have taken the chance on a number of things, now I have a wife, two lovely girls, authored policy and law for the UK (air quality), authored and designed the baseline for agricultural environmental schemes impacts from 2020 and now work to preserve raw water resources.

Time to do more for myself and my new family, so will take up the challenge and get out more with them.....camping is a great start, and more forest school days

 

[Paul_B]

I don't live my life taking advantage of every opportunity coming my way. I simply don't see them all.

Heights? With you in that fear but can't let it stop you. I left uni and a very good hiking society. I wanted to find something similar near where I lived but there wasn't. Ramblers were full of old people who were rudely exclusionary towards me since I was third their age or younger.

So I joined the local BMC affiliated club. Well they walked all year round in uk hills. I just had to climb and scramble with them a bit to fit in. Scary stuff but I noticed fear became less strong. Personally my trick is find out who is as scared as you then stick to them. If they crack first it often focuses my attention on helping them and I forget I'm as messed up by heights as they are. It worked for me. Still can't abseil though I can hang on a rope held by someone else. I usually means that if I'm climbing up an indoor wall at one grade I'm climbing down it too. I can up and down climb the equivalent of E2 in indoor wall grades. Never found out my limit up climbing only but it'll be higher at my peak.

My rambling point is when you've got a choice of taking the easy route but choose the harder you often find out you manage perfectly well. Fear of heights really just needs exposure to it but with competent and confident people.

 

[Broch]

When I was sixteen I went on a rock-climbing weekend at Malham. I borrowed a load of gear off an older kid that was a very experienced climber - rock-climbing shoes, helmet, harness, gloves …..

At the first climb, a quite long rockface climb, one of the instructors went up first to take a line up. Then, the second instructor sent me up and I went up unaided. At the top the instructor offered me a cigarette and, when I told him I didn't smoke, he said 'not even after a climb like that?' - I really enjoyed that for my first ever climb I said - at which point he had a fit and got a little cross - clearly I had all the gear and no idea

On the same trip I got my helmet stuck in a narrowing chimney (I had taken the wrong route) - freeing that (by taking it off and hitting it from above) was one of the most frightening things I've ever done!

 

[Paul_B]

My frightening moment was setting off up the steep side of great gable. Straight up the face following the uni hike soc walk leader. Seems he climbs lot and didn't think a climbing grade only just below e1 was hard. Thank goodness a lass got crag bound just above me which calmed me down. I concentrated more on helping her move up than the fact one slip from me or her would send me to the valley bottom too quickly for my liking.

Other stupid situations later I'm still breathing and more confident in myself too. It's the difficulties or fears overcome that have given me the most over the years. Confidence and good attitude to life.

 

[oldtimer]

I've learned off others, including their mistakes. Things change as you grow up, and, unfortunately, they change when you grow old, so be positive and make your own changes before you have too. I made the decision to move before I had to. From that idyllic "house in the country" into a flat in a quiet town. Everyone said I would regret it, but the opposite is true. I can lock the door and take off without having to bother with ground maintenance etc. After several decades of living "off grid" and the work it entails, I'm looking forward to another adventure; spending sometime travelling in my own country, spontaneously.

Our family support your view. Our sons and daughters in law have begun a campaign to get us to move into town near our elder son so an eye can be kept on us when we get old and decrebit, as opposed to just old! Their position is plain common sense but after a lifetime of self reliance and independence we don't feel ready to give up yet. We have agreed that neither of us would continue to live in our village house on our own.


Our place in France is just what you now have. We lock it up and leave it to go travelling or come back to our main base in England. Perhaps we should get something similar in town here.

Funny how a New Year provokes thoughts of change.

 

[Woody girl]

I'm definatly going to try and do more of my bucket list this year.
I've lost two family members in the last few years. My son and partner. I've had one heart attack.. thankfully mild but it did require a Stent. ... so now I live life to the best of my ability though other illnesses pack a limit or two of their own. I have to live my life for them now aswell.
I doubt I will do some of the things I'd like to do such as the camino, but there is plenty else to do. Maybe need a bit of help now and then, but then that's life when you get older.
I try to face at least one dragon a year. That means doing something that makes you afraid.. such as my abseiling experience. You never know. You might conquer that dragon and banish it for ever giving yourself more confidence and a new hobby.

 

[GuestD]

Our family support your view. Our sons and daughters in law have begun a campaign to get us to move into town n

I learned from the difference between my own parents and my in-laws. My in-laws were always "a jump ahead" and did things before they had too. My own parents didn't, and the result was "hell". I suppose no one likes change when everything is going well.

 

[demented dale]

Good advice. I went all over the world and hitch hiked across the USA in my 50th year. Please get out there and follow your dreams. When I look back I smile. I was terrified but courage is not the absence of fear. Its being afraid and doing it anyway. Good luck and thanks for the comments x

 

[grizzlyj]

My wife and I were lucky enough to travel in a camper for a while, and nearly everyone who came up to us and ask what we were doing said they wished they could do, or had done, the same. But there never really seemed that much actually stopping them

 

[Tengu]

Yes, I hear that all the time with my studies.

(Can I wait until I have the money?)

 

[crosslandkelly]

My wife and I were lucky enough to travel in a camper for a while, and nearly everyone who came up to us and ask what we were doing said they wished they could do, or had done, the same. But there never really seemed that much actually stopping them

Sometime it just simply doesn't occur to people to do such things, untill they are reminded of what can be done.

 

[swyn]

Good to read through this thread.
Silly bit of advice from my camp;
Make sure you have sorted out Power of Attorney for your children. You can’t do it when you’ve lost your marbles!

I went for a scan in the local hospital recently. This was on a Saturday afternoon.
I drove there and parked my car in the carpark fully expecting to be home by seven o’clock in time for my middle daughters thirty-something birthday.
Sorry we can’t let you go home as we need to operate on you on Monday I was told.
All my short term plans went right out the window!
Getting my car home four weeks later…..At least it started for my wife.

Anyhoo I am planning some maintenance on my elderly Wayfarer dinghy with a view to a trip out. Where did I store the sails….!
Buying a new pair of boots from gra_farmer on here as my old ones are shot to pieces.
Also enthusing about our daughter in laws planned hike on the newly opened Grampians Peaks Trail.

All from the comfort of my chair at the moment as I’m ‘recuperating’ and working to get my strength back.
The dog comes back on our walk to see if I’m still making progress and she is no spring chicken!
At least I can now walk the dog as you can’t when you need a Zimmer frame just to get to the bathroom
S

 

[Tony]

Good to hear you're on them mend mate

Shelly and I were just saying the other day that we need to get our legals sorted in regards to us popping our clogs. Sound advice.

I watched a video the other day on Youtube, SAS guy talking about just doing it, getting on and pushing ourselves to do things, a few minutes of discomfort or anxiety can lead to so many gains etc.

I was talking to a mate of mine that's moved to Australia, he was saying the attitude there is to just get one with whatever it is and they measure it by 'it's not going to kill you so go for it'

 

[dwardo]

Keep moving. The human body doesn't like an easy life it really doesn't.
Infact it thrives on physical stress and needs it to function. Lot of studies coming out now about needing to put joints especially under pressure in their full range of motion to continue to function and repair.

I know guys in their mid to late 50`s who are overweight, inactive and struggle to get about. They then develop further issues which they then use as reasons to move even less, and so it continues until they are static. This I believe then sets the clock on fast forward.

Conversely I train with guys in their late 50`s and 60`s who could punch a hole right through me and pull out my bloody guts with a scream Not only can they train and enjoy their later years but they can run round after their grandkids, look and act 20 years younger than their counter parts.

Also for anyone who has never come across this guy please check him out. Re-writing the physio books as he goes.

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKneesovertoesguy

 

[saxonaxe]

" Also for anyone who has never come across this guy please check him out. Re-writing the physio books as he goes."


A quick view of just some of his content makes perfect sense to me.

During my working life I was required to maintain a very high level of personal fitness, a lot of which involved carrying heavy weight over distance, so leg muscle development was a natural consequence.
When I retired I remained active, gym and tottering around the hills and woods with a Bergan as I do now.
In November 2020, at 76 years of age I tripped on the narrow staircase at home and managed to severe both leg Quadracep major tendons. For anyone who has pulled a Tendon, snapping two major ones definitely concentrates the mind. Just try to stay conscious before the shock sets in..


So, reinforcing what Dwardo says,..Keep moving.. It is important, now and later in life.
At first the Medics made noises about future Wheelchairs for me, but after assessment they realised that I was in pretty good nick for a Wrinkly and fitted me with leg braces.
It's been a long road, painful at times, but Hey! if you can't take a joke you shouldn't have joined, as one of my old Instructors used to joyfully explain. Stop whining..

The Rigid Leg braces went after some weeks, and I got issued with bendy ones and crutches. Later progressed to two walking sticks, then one. Now I only take a stick as I always did anyway when 'off road,' but a loaded Bergan is not a problem once again.
Not preaching, but stay fit, and mind control is 75% of getting fit and also of recovery from injury when required.

 

[TLM]

Some few years ago on the dojo I heard two teen boys behind me talking "how old is T?", "I don't know but must be really old, can we throw him?". Yes you bloody can if you know how! On the other hand it was a legitimate guestion as there were some younger people who one could not throw, mostly because of artificial joints. I still have faster reflexes than 90% of the younger ones and I can hit faster too so I am kind of hanging there doing things I can and not trying to do things I can't any more.

 

[swyn]

Thank y’all for the kind words.

My middle looks like one of your legs saxonaxe. Enough zip to get three hands in! Glad you are well recovered.
S

 

[Paul_B]

To the OP, I started my biggest adventure about 10 years ago when my partner got pregnant. 3 to 4 months after our son was born we went camping. Had to break the ice off the tent to open the zip. People thought it wasn't wise.

3 and a half was the age of our son's first cycle tour. He was on the back of my partner's mtb in a sunny Scotland! Ha! It rained solidly for most of the week or two. Our son loved drinking the rain and it never bothered him that water was running down his neck and back as he slept through the worst of it.

Year later was 2 weeks in Netherlands. 4.5 years and the odd day doing 50 miles. He told everyone at school about it. His head teacher cornered us to let us know he might have been making up stories about his holiday. We asked what he was saying and he came back saying that he was cycling 30 miles a day through Holland. We corrected him at 40 to 50 miles and he went silently impressed. It was that Year they taught cycling. He was left to ride around as he was the only one to already ride. He then rode alongside the wobbly learners while standing on his crossbar!

Year later Brittany then Belgium. Then covid.

We have our little a adventures throughout the year. It's just life to us.

 

[Robson Valley]

Forget the "NO" people. They come storming out of the wood work, determined to tell you why you can't do things because THEY are afraid , themselves. I'm enjoying telling them to their faces how wrong they are.
Maj(ret) Brian Shul (USAF) was a SR71 pilot for some years. His back story makes ours quite simplistic. He's got great advice from months in the intensive care unit of a burn ward.

I'll be 3 years old this coming August 21. I got a second chance.