Double edged sword, since it’s good that we can actually remember said experiences and maybe pass the wisdom down.
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Blessing and a curse, yeah… fewer new experiences and the world becomes less immediately “Wow!”, but the increase in depth stemming from all of that accumulated context makes old experiences even better in many cases.
I’m thinking here primarily of books, movies, games, music, relationships of all sorts, even of our own persons. One can start to see the multiple layers beneath the surface which were difficult to see due to a lack of life contexts.
About the multiple layers… I did a few months of (near) solo travel, seeing different countries and figuring out things like food, lodging, transit, language when possible/necessary for myself in each new place. It was great, but at the end of it I sat down and watched “a movie from home” and realized that for the past months I had been scrambling, struggling to get through the basics, barely scratching the surface most places because of the sheer effort required just to get through the days and nights. That sappy, unremarkable, movie “from home” just flowed into me effortlessly, with all the layers and subtexts unfolding without any struggle to translate or relate. It was very much a Dorothy “no place like home” moment. And then I flew home and instantly regretted not being able to continue my nomad lifestyle for many more months.
Funny, I always felt that the old “one can never go back home” adage holds true precisely due to the continuous addition of layers of context, in that I’m never the same Me going “home,” which means it can never be “home” for the new Me. I do know that comfort of familiarity, though! For me, it’s getting back to my own bed:))
Either way, your experience sounds wonderful, and I kinda’ envy you, tbh. I’ve always had trouble appreciating new places and contexts, because I see the familiar everywhere I go, in people, in tendencies, in shared cultural elements… Maybe it’s different for everyone, I guess, or a matter of perspective. Very good food for thought!
Nearly everyone has many opportunities they have never taken because they choose not to. How many older people have never
- ridden a motorcycle
- gone fishing
- gone hiking
- knitted
- cooked a complex meal
- gone sailing
- been skydiving
- read a lengthy book series
- played in a local sports league
- coached children
- painted a house
- painted artwork
- sculpted anything
- built a simple things out of wood
- built a complicated thing out of wood
- welded
- taken a canoe/kayak/inner tube down a river
- gone white water rafting
- travel (all kinds!)
All of these things are accessible to the average physically fit person into their 60s. Even the ones that don’t often have special access options for those with disabilities.
But people frequently choose not to try some things because they assume they won’t like them or because of construction concerns, but they also overlook a lot of free or nearly free experiences that they could always try. I haven’t even done all of the things in my example list!
Some things, such as:
knitted been skydiving played in a local sports league
either don’t seem worth the time, effort and other investment vs other new experiences that could be had for less time, effort, expense, risk, etc.
A poster above hit a key point: responsibility. I’ll extend it with: children. At some point, if you have children you care about, helping them get the most out of life, both while you are here and after you are gone, takes precedent. Instead of running a bucket list check-sheet for yourself, the real challenge is ensuring that your children can do the things they want to do in their lives.
I did a new thing just this weekend, wasn’t even on your list.
