Do You Ever Think You Are Wasting Your Life?

Let's face it, our time on this planet is short. Yet the way some of us go about our lives you'd think we were here forever.

People seem to be obsessed with three things:

1) Money
2) Work
3) Making babies

While they are all important to some extent, isn't it a bit of a waste? This is a big planet with so many brilliant things to experience yet the majority of us live in the same area for the whole of our lives, work most of our adult lives, and then live our lives through our children.

Why?

Shouldn't we be out there living different cultures in different countries? Trying different jobs in different areas, and focusing on our own lives rather than worry about our children.

Are you one of these boring bastards that will die having experienced very little?

I often think I'm wasting my life. It's a weekly mix of work, drink, football & hookers for me - not a bad life but I suspect there is so much more out there that I'll never experience. I guess it's when you're an OAP you regret it even more.

I really am wasting my life, quite honestly my dream is to move to California get a job photographing basketball.

It's never going to happen.

depressing.

Sounds like a childless woman talking. Are you feeling conflicted Tasha? Is the clock ticking?
It's difficult for a woman of your age - certainly as you get to the "I've got 10 minutes to have all my kids or it will never happen, so I've got to decide now to either get knocked up or make a statement to the world that I've decided not to have kids and in fact I never wanted them." stage.
It's usually followed by the "I'm not completely comfortable with the thought of committing to being with my partner long term so if I decide to have kids, it will have to be on the basis that I'm prepared to do it as a single parent at some stage" stage.
I've been round the world, lived abroad, speak several languages (badly) and still had the time to drag up 4 kids 50% of whom could pass as humans, so I don't think that travel and parenting are mutually exclusive.
Mind you parenting is a total ball ache and drags on forever, but there are some that would argue that it's worth it.

wanderlust wrote:Sounds like a childless woman talking. Are you feeling conflicted Tasha? Is the clock ticking?
It's difficult for a woman of your age - certainly as you get to the "I've got 10 minutes to have all my kids or it will never happen, so I've got to decide now to either get knocked up or make a statement to the world that I've decided not to have kids and in fact I never wanted them." stage.
It's usually followed by the "I'm not completely comfortable with the thought of committing to being with my partner long term so if I decide to have kids, it will have to be on the basis that I'm prepared to do it as a single parent at some stage"

I'm only 32 you cheeky bastard, with a string of men wanting me to carry their child. But I see the bigger picture, a child would only make my ties to the UK even stronger.

No, I need to cut lose and go and live in a mud-hut somewhere in the jungle. And I'm not joking.

Watching Bolton is a waste of your life. Imagine the money you could save not watching that shit.

I recently quit my job in a bank to train as a mental health nurse - not exactly life changing I guess but despite the huge pay reduction I know I'll feel better about myself.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:Sounds like a childless woman talking. Are you feeling conflicted Tasha? Is the clock ticking?
It's difficult for a woman of your age - certainly as you get to the "I've got 10 minutes to have all my kids or it will never happen, so I've got to decide now to either get knocked up or make a statement to the world that I've decided not to have kids and in fact I never wanted them." stage.
It's usually followed by the "I'm not completely comfortable with the thought of committing to being with my partner long term so if I decide to have kids, it will have to be on the basis that I'm prepared to do it as a single parent at some stage"

I'm only 32 you cheeky bastard, with a string of men wanting me to carry their child. But I see the bigger picture, a child would only make my ties to the UK even stronger.

No, I need to cut lose and go and live in a mud-hut somewhere in the jungle. And I'm not joking.

Tick tock

Why would I want children, you don't exactly seem happy with your lot.

Love 'em to bits! The little bastards.

wanderlust wrote:Love 'em to bits! The little bastards.

And yet here you are on a Tuesday afternoon posting on a little football forum.

You could be sipping a cold beer on a beach somewhere in the middle of nowhere if you hadn't been saddled with kids.

I'm more of a gin and slimline tonic man these days and the first of the evening is being poured as we speak. Chink chink. Gym last night and Sunday so I have credit. And I live in the middle of nowhere although I won't be sitting out in the garden tonight as it's still a bit nippy.
50 - 50 about whether or not to light a log fire.

wanderlust wrote:I'm more of a gin and slimline tonic man these days and the first of the evening is being poured as we speak. Chink chink. Gym last night and Sunday so I have credit. And I live in the middle of nowhere although I won't be sitting out in the garden tonight as it's still a bit nippy.
50 - 50 about whether or not to light a log fire.

You seem content with your lot which is fine, but when you're on your death bed will you be thinking about missed opportunities or thing/places you didn't see?

Everyone has regrets, but as you point out at the top of the thread, we only get one life and one experience so it really comes down to how each person handles it.
When I think back about some of the roads I could have gone down, but didn't for whatever reason it generally makes me smile. There was this one girlfriend.....but that's another story.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I really am wasting my life, quite honestly my dream is to move to California get a job photographing basketball.

It's never going to happen.

depressing.

If you really are genuine about your dream and you're not yet tied down with commitments and responsibilities (other half, kids, mortgage, etc) - then I say go for it.

California is massive and there must be something you could find that would go towards the dream - working at a local paper, or local college perhaps?

I don't know what you need to be able to work legally - a 'green card' I would guess but I should think the chances of getting one of them slips by, the older you get.

You're a long time 'old' believe me!

Grab your dream whilst you can or you will have a long time in front of you regretting you never gave yourself the chance.

A very interesting subject. Life is a journey not a destination. I think anyone who has a chance to live in another country like America, Australia or New Zealand should go for it. You only get one life so you might as well live it. I have travelled to many parts of the world but the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are still on my list of places to visit.

Whenever I hear the Frank Sinatra song, My Way, and he sings the line, " Regrets I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention " I always mutter ' Bollocks ' to myself.

Everyone has regrets at wrong turns and choices they have made at different times in their lives.

The only thing I know for certain is that you are dead for an awfully long time.

Considering I have been to a funeral today, this seems a bit of an intersting thread at the moment for me.

I would love to go and travel round the different states of america one day, someday soon I hope but it's annoying as nobody I know wants/can do it due to commitments. My plan when I first started working 2 and a bit years ago was to put some money away each month and do it.

Not being able to drive yet would be a bit of hinderance though.

A massive one if you are considering touring the USA.

If you can afford it then you can travel the length of the USA via the Greyhound Bus. Staying in Holiday Inn's seems to be the preferred choice for people taking gap years in the USA.

Sluffy wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I really am wasting my life, quite honestly my dream is to move to California get a job photographing basketball.

It's never going to happen.

depressing.

If you really are genuine about your dream and you're not yet tied down with commitments and responsibilities (other half, kids, mortgage, etc) - then I say go for it.

California is massive and there must be something you could find that would go towards the dream - working at a local paper, or local college perhaps?

I don't know what you need to be able to work legally - a 'green card' I would guess but I should think the chances of getting one of them slips by, the older you get.

You're a long time 'old' believe me!

Grab your dream whilst you can or you will have a long time in front of you regretting you never gave yourself the chance.

thanks for the encouraging words sluffs.

answer yes, i already work in the industry, but the wrong area annoyingly.

I am pursuing it but as we all know dreams are dreams for a reason and financial constraints often put them on hold.

RE: Aarons i also want to do the whole route 66 tour of america i absolutely love 1960's america the chance to see some of the relics of that era would be unbelievable.

I've been to New York, Houston, Vegas and Florida but nothing would beat that old world America journey.