Tiff, I've learned through long experience most of us envy the adventurous life, but "adventurous life" basically means whatever we would have liked to do that we didn't because we were limited by being only one person. :-) That's one good thing about being a writer. In most of my stories and novels, through my POV characters I get to "live" all the lives that I otherwise wouldn't.
>>> through my POV characters I get to "live" all the lives that I otherwise wouldn't.
Exactly, Harvey. There are plenty of people I knew who were a heck of a lot more adventurous than I ever was. I think those things called "bucket lists" make do for most. I never had one myself. Five or six years ago, a friend told me getting a pilot's license was on her "list". I convinced her to come with me to an FBO (fixed base operator) that had a familiarization flight program. She wouldn't take the ride. I learned something about bucket lists from that, and haven't bothered to listen to anyone that has one since.
As I was saying above, Adventurous can vary for a lot of people. Leaving the town you were born in and your parents, grandparents, cousins, etc and going out to the next state over, or even going to college in the big city in the same state, may be adventurous for some.
I often feel like I have/had a boring life, but, if I list it out to some people, even just up to the time I started having kids, most people (outside the military) are surprised and calling me adventurous.
Man, if I had had the chance to go try getting a pilot's license, or at least try the flight program, I would! I've flown in a two-seater with a little bench behind before, as well as 12 seater puddle jumpers, and got to sit in the cockpit of a landing c-120 on a tiny airstrip in the Philippines, where I was watching the wings brush the treetops. So, yeah, I would have done that.
I don't know about bucket lists...I have a couple of dreams, some that I'm working towards making happen, some that I feel I don't have the mental/physical stamina to make happen anymore, and some...that I'd rather keep a dream, because I know the reality isn't all sunshine and roses. Hubby and I plan to travel a bit more of the world, now that all the kids are out and gone. (We had wanted to travel all over with the kids, since I homeschooled them, but the money never worked out - but we did the best we could.)
I rarely think about the "dones" because, having lived through them, I don't think about them being "cool" or "important" or even anything special. I was Army during the Cold War, so no combat, and I was in the Pacific Theatre or the East Coast most of the time, so not even combat-ish adjacent, so I sometimes have the "You aren't a REAL veteran feelings, even though I know my 7 years of service were no less fraught with potential danger than anyone else who wasn't an 11-bang-bang or directly combat related. So I have had to come to terms with that over the years, too, which sometimes seems less "cool and special" than all the Iraq and Afganistan or Vietnam guys.
You see? You, too, have led an adventurous life. I've ridden jump-seats on a 747 and a 737, so i can relate. We all have lives lived. Mine is no more special or complicated than anyone else's. It's only special to me.
Agreed! I think some of it comes during the "Mid-life crisis", where you wonder why you haven't done the things you think you would have/could have done. Some of it comes when you are in REALLY hard times, and very sad or hurt, and you think that it would be/have been better "if".
Hubby and I have played RPGs (like dungeons and dragons) for decades. And there have been a few times where I wished I was living more of that kind of life (I had 5 kids between the ages of 10 and 16 at the time, plus house payments, hubby looking for work because he was let go, I was homeschooling and hadn't been in the work force for years... so hard times) And I even talked to him about how we COULD do something similar (not be ShadowRunners...I'm too lawful for that! lol). But, at the time we couldn't see our way out of that situation, other than straight through. And eventually, it did work out.
So, yeah, living through characters helps, especially, as the body is falling apart.
The X-guy says you're right, of course. To each their own, as the mantra goes. Thanks to my footloose and fancy-free lifestyle, I chose to remain single my entire life, with no regrets. I've had many wonderful relationships, though. I slept with a go-bag under my bed, ready to depart for places unknown at a moment's notice because I accepted the jobs no one else would. I always thought that was no way for a wife and family to live or grow up. Regrets? I might have a few, but it's all too late now, and I don't waste time whining about them. They're memories, happy for the most part.
I'm glad I had the life I did, too. I wouldn't swap it out for anything.
Agreed! And adventurous life can take on different meanings depending on your situation.
It is very rare, I have heard, that you don't regret something that you didn't do at the time you had the opportunity. But even more rare that you regret that you did something that you had the opportunity to (Maybe if it was criminal and you were caught?)!
So many people in the Bradbury Challenge. That's exciting.
Very cool letter from the X-guy. There are times I envy the adventurous life...And other times that I'm glad I had the life I did.
Tiff, I've learned through long experience most of us envy the adventurous life, but "adventurous life" basically means whatever we would have liked to do that we didn't because we were limited by being only one person. :-) That's one good thing about being a writer. In most of my stories and novels, through my POV characters I get to "live" all the lives that I otherwise wouldn't.
>>> through my POV characters I get to "live" all the lives that I otherwise wouldn't.
Exactly, Harvey. There are plenty of people I knew who were a heck of a lot more adventurous than I ever was. I think those things called "bucket lists" make do for most. I never had one myself. Five or six years ago, a friend told me getting a pilot's license was on her "list". I convinced her to come with me to an FBO (fixed base operator) that had a familiarization flight program. She wouldn't take the ride. I learned something about bucket lists from that, and haven't bothered to listen to anyone that has one since.
As I was saying above, Adventurous can vary for a lot of people. Leaving the town you were born in and your parents, grandparents, cousins, etc and going out to the next state over, or even going to college in the big city in the same state, may be adventurous for some.
I often feel like I have/had a boring life, but, if I list it out to some people, even just up to the time I started having kids, most people (outside the military) are surprised and calling me adventurous.
Man, if I had had the chance to go try getting a pilot's license, or at least try the flight program, I would! I've flown in a two-seater with a little bench behind before, as well as 12 seater puddle jumpers, and got to sit in the cockpit of a landing c-120 on a tiny airstrip in the Philippines, where I was watching the wings brush the treetops. So, yeah, I would have done that.
I don't know about bucket lists...I have a couple of dreams, some that I'm working towards making happen, some that I feel I don't have the mental/physical stamina to make happen anymore, and some...that I'd rather keep a dream, because I know the reality isn't all sunshine and roses. Hubby and I plan to travel a bit more of the world, now that all the kids are out and gone. (We had wanted to travel all over with the kids, since I homeschooled them, but the money never worked out - but we did the best we could.)
I rarely think about the "dones" because, having lived through them, I don't think about them being "cool" or "important" or even anything special. I was Army during the Cold War, so no combat, and I was in the Pacific Theatre or the East Coast most of the time, so not even combat-ish adjacent, so I sometimes have the "You aren't a REAL veteran feelings, even though I know my 7 years of service were no less fraught with potential danger than anyone else who wasn't an 11-bang-bang or directly combat related. So I have had to come to terms with that over the years, too, which sometimes seems less "cool and special" than all the Iraq and Afganistan or Vietnam guys.
Thank you for making me think about it a little.
You see? You, too, have led an adventurous life. I've ridden jump-seats on a 747 and a 737, so i can relate. We all have lives lived. Mine is no more special or complicated than anyone else's. It's only special to me.
Agreed! I think some of it comes during the "Mid-life crisis", where you wonder why you haven't done the things you think you would have/could have done. Some of it comes when you are in REALLY hard times, and very sad or hurt, and you think that it would be/have been better "if".
Hubby and I have played RPGs (like dungeons and dragons) for decades. And there have been a few times where I wished I was living more of that kind of life (I had 5 kids between the ages of 10 and 16 at the time, plus house payments, hubby looking for work because he was let go, I was homeschooling and hadn't been in the work force for years... so hard times) And I even talked to him about how we COULD do something similar (not be ShadowRunners...I'm too lawful for that! lol). But, at the time we couldn't see our way out of that situation, other than straight through. And eventually, it did work out.
So, yeah, living through characters helps, especially, as the body is falling apart.
The X-guy says you're right, of course. To each their own, as the mantra goes. Thanks to my footloose and fancy-free lifestyle, I chose to remain single my entire life, with no regrets. I've had many wonderful relationships, though. I slept with a go-bag under my bed, ready to depart for places unknown at a moment's notice because I accepted the jobs no one else would. I always thought that was no way for a wife and family to live or grow up. Regrets? I might have a few, but it's all too late now, and I don't waste time whining about them. They're memories, happy for the most part.
I'm glad I had the life I did, too. I wouldn't swap it out for anything.
Did my best to keep you anonymous, X guy. Per your request if I remember right. :-)
No prob, Harvey.
Agreed! And adventurous life can take on different meanings depending on your situation.
It is very rare, I have heard, that you don't regret something that you didn't do at the time you had the opportunity. But even more rare that you regret that you did something that you had the opportunity to (Maybe if it was criminal and you were caught?)!