That feeling gets worse as you get older, chum.
Definitely agree with that. Hitting 40 is hellish. I always thought Hollywood and sitcoms were overplaying the big 4-0....but damn, it hits you pretty heavy...especially int he age of social media when you can see all the incredible highlights that high school and childhood friends have done with their lives. Whoever coined the phrase 'ignorance is bliss' sure knew what they were talking about.
You just got to learn to accept what you've accomplished in life and stop comparing yourself to others. I'm 28 and there are 19 year old's coming straight out of high school driving 2015 trucks owning their own businesses while I'm working my ass off driving an older vehicle and trying to save nickles and dimes to get ahead.
Everyone has a different path in life, sometimes others get it served on a silver platter.
Amen. I was from a blue collar family who went to school int he suburbs, where practically all the kids got their own cars at 16. Only worries they had were if they had enough hairspray to keep those 80s hairdos in place, while I was worried if we could scrape together enough money to pay the hydro bills this month. Not much has changed over the years, either. Some people just end up with great lives.
Unbelievably sad, isn't it. I also studied that the same money that would help end world hunger is less than how much North America spends on PET FOOD. Another ridiculous one is PERFUMES.
****ing disgusting, man. I've been places, I've seen things. No one should deserve to be suffering starvation because of interest charges their government has on them over a hundred years ago.
We live in a better world my ****ing ass...
I've never understood this current trend of self-hate/loathing in North America.
Sure, our countries have messed up a lot (treatment of the Natives, treatment of the Asians during the building of the railway, etc)...but we've done a helluva lot right, too. Over a quarter of the first settlers died their first winter from disease and/or starvation, they cleared half a million acres worth of boulders by hand to create decent farmland, they spent generations working together to slowly build this country. Life was damned hard for well over a century...but, each generation made things a bit better, slowly.
It's something to be proud of. It may not be perfect, but it's a nice template for other countries to follow. And that's the key...people working together and slowly building a strong nation through generations.
Every country out there has amazing potential. The idea that we somehow have to play the role of provider, to me, is insulting. Yes, we can help build infrastructure and teach (which we have been doing for decades), but to act like these countries are full of children who need everything handed to them is false. That we somehow have to sacrifice all out luxuries to give, give, give so we can view ourselves as "good people"...wha? It's messed up. We don't give people in other countries enough credit.
Teach them to fish instead of handing out fish. The way it is now, all we're doing is giving resources to the warlords and making the overall situation worse. Build them up with education and tools, and within a few generations, they'll build their own first world nations.
I don't really find them helpful to be honest. When you are fealing depressed you don't want to hear people blaming you (even if it is your fault). I am no where near depressed as I was in junior high, but if I am having a bad day and start to feel down it still sucks. One of my best friends even has to take anti-depressants and I know he hates it when his doctor tells him that everything will be better if he does x.
Everyone is unique. Do something that makes you happy, and to hell what anyone says. Heck, I'm 40 and still play WoW, and don't care that others know it. I like walking around in my pjs and that's pretty much all I ever wear around the house, because it makes me happy. I love hockey and watch/talk about it all the time because it's awesome (even when my coworkers think I'm nuts...especially talking hockey in July).
The problem is Hollywood and society have conditioned us to think we need the big house, the 2 cars in the driveway, the white picket fence and trophy spouse to feel like we're successful. At the same time, the the 'new age' thinking (like I said earlier in this post) has us conditioned to feel guilty about having anything beyond the bare necessities. The whole mixed message is screwing up a lot of people. This idea that we have to feel so guilty and be personally responsible for every atrocity done in the history of the world simply because of where we life...it's insane.
Life is all about balance. Contribute to society by having a job (any job, no job is "better" than another...it's all about putting a roof over your head - that's the important part) and being reasonably lawful and a positive influence. At the same time, take the time to do things you enjoy. If you like watching hockey games and you have the cash to go to a game or two, then do it! Don't feel guilty about spending time/money on something you enjoy, because you deserve to be happy. If you enjoy the feeling of helping others, then do that too...but don't feel like you have to serve others 24/7.
Balance...it's all about balance.
...yikes...have a bit of writer's diarrhea happening with this post, lolz. ahhh, what the heck, write it out anyways
)... enjoyed the experience every time.
...no before and after?
