Retrospective

[darkemeralds]

I was just standing here eating broccoli when it occurred to me how odd both of those things are. I switched to a standing workstation a couple of months ago, and somewhere in the last year or two I've finally managed to make vegetables a part of my everyday life. I believe, but can't prove, that each of these changes has been good for my health.

So I got to wondering what else I've changed in the last few years.



I mean, life constantly changes, the river is new every day, etc. But here are some highlights since July 2009:

• I bought my first bike just under four years ago and started bike-commuting. My bike-commute rate has stayed so near 100% ever since that
• I sold my car two years ago
• I lost 65 lbs and have somehow managed to keep it off
• I totally (with deliberate intent) changed my wardrobe and personal style a year ago
• I've been gluten-free for well over three years (I've slipped a bit in the last month, and boy could I tell the difference)
• It's been five years since I had a panic attack
• Somewhere in there, I went from being a permanent government worker-bee to a career short-timer

I feel like these things are intertwined in a vague causal relationship, in such a way that, to my astonishment, life is actually getting better as I get older. Five years ago I would not have predicted that.

Comments

[sasha_feather]

Wow, those are great changes! Congrats!

[darkemeralds]

Thanks. Sometimes it feels like life is just going along, same-old same-old, and it seemed like a good idea to test that hypothesis a little!

[chordatesrock]

Congratulations! That's very impressive.

[darkemeralds]

Thank you!

[hunningham]

Yes, I've found that life gets better as I get older, and it's been a very nice surprise. I've loved my forties, and would not be young again for love nor money. There was a UK study a couple of years ago (published in the Journal of I Read This Someplace?) which shows that for a lot of people the happiest time of their life is their seventies.

[darkemeralds]

for a lot of people the happiest time of their life is their seventies

It's a shame, in a way, that the cultural (possibly evolved biological) emphasis on youth obscures this fact. I spent a hell of a long time in my late 30s and 40s dreading and trying to stave off the advance of time. Silly, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. I'm talking about hair dye and dreams of unaffordable cosmetic surgery here. It wasn't till my mid-50s that I started actually doing sensible things that would make my later years more comfortable and healthy. Like diet, exercise, and socking money away.

It's a lovely feeling, this freedom to be oneself at last.

[pandarus]

Kudos!

...and on an entirely different note, I want to send you s postcard. If you are amenable to this notion, drop me a line at thingsinvisibletosee at gmail

[darkemeralds]

Thanks! See your email.

[tehomet]

Awesome!