Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Lee on September 29, 2011, 09:04:30 PM
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I know this is partly due to age and mild Autumn depression...but I am curious if others go through funks like this. I keep getting in these "I'm gonna sell all my formerly important crap" moods. Happens nearly every Fall. I just don't care much about many of the things I used to obsess over. I've pretty much given up hunting and shooting...so those treasures in my gun safe are starting to look like cash reserves (but ones that require maintenance). They also remind me that I never do anything any more...and should. Same with my motorcycle - it sits in the garage and taunts me for getting older....I'll show it and sell the bastard. Collectables and coins....they're just old stuff now.
I'm not strapped for cash, but it would be nice to have a pile of it sitting in the safe waiting for a new obsession...if it ever comes...and at a great, one day, cash only price. The trouble is, there isn't much I want anymore (at least that I can afford) A Nissan GTR would be nice....but that will have to wait for my next life.
Additionally, I don't want to scramble to unload stuff for 10 cents on the dollar after I stroke out or something....or leave that to my wife and daughters. But I am afraid that if I do part with most of these things now, I'll just become another suburban dog walker, who frets about missing Wheel of Fortune.
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I am curious if others go through funks like this.
Yes. Last 3 or 4 years. Periodic seasonal funk. Winter is especially bad.
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S.A.D.S.
Bit early in the year for the onset, though ...
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Get your testosterone level checked.
Seriously.
As we get older hormone levels can begin to drop off. Sometimes more than they ought to.
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S.A.D.S. Bit early in the year for the onset, though ...
Cod liver oil helps with that. You're right tho', it's too early.
Get your testosterone level checked.
Seriously.
As we get older hormone levels can begin to drop off. Sometimes more than they ought to.
That one is quite possible. It could also be diabetes.
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Umm, send me a pm with what guns you'd like to sell and coins too. I'll double your expectation to 20 cents on the dollar. :P
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Really?!?! This is the time of the year, I get antsy. There's the Youth Deer Season that I host a camp for (we've got three boys and their dads going hunting), then there's my Deer Camp. I'm going for at least two weeks, maybe push it to 17 days. 17 Days of hanging out in the deer woods. That just sounds soothing. Then my son and I will do some pheasant hunting at a couple of Put and Take preserves near us. I'm also taking a friend from the Army out on her first Pheasant Hunt this winter.
Then once the hunting seasons are over (or it's too cold), there's reloading and Cub Scout stuff (and come February, it'll be Boy Scout stuff) to work on and help with. Having a 10 soon to be 11 year old, keeps the interest level up. I don't want to think about when he's 17 and doesn't want to hang with dad anymore. Right now I'm still really cool to be with and I'm enjoying every minute.
Maybe try becoming a Big Brother (41Mag to the white courtesy phone) or find some organization and volunteer. Look beyond and see what you can offer.
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Really?!?! This is the time of the year, I get antsy.
Same here...as the temps drop from the high 90's to the low 70's I start thinking about the woods and that certain ridge above the lake I didn't get to last year. Granted I'm not middle aged (what's middle age? =D)
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Same here...as the temps drop from the high 90's to the low 70's I start thinking about the woods and that certain ridge above the lake I didn't get to last year. Granted I'm not middle aged (what's middle age? =D)
That really can't be determined until after you die. If you die say at 70 middle age would've been 35. :facepalm: Not that hard to figure out. :laugh:
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It does seem to be a function of decreases in ability/desire to do stuff related to the stuff you are thinking about getting rid of. Which means there is a good bet there is a connection between health/wellness and how you feel about stuff. (Well, duh!)
Unfortunately, getting "better" does not seem to be a cure for a lot of what you are going through/going to go through. Depression is an additive disease - it makes life worse to the point that it takes on a life of its own in addition to the rest of you. There's a TV commercial for the newest best drug for making money off of depressed people that has a catoon dark cloud following some depressed lady around. It's more true than funny, and often it does in fact take meds to deal with the physiological changes/chemical imbalances depression brings.
I've had much better luck with 15-minute meds management visits with a psychiatrist than 50-minute hours with any other modality. If you are going to look at meds, be sure to get a doc who knows what they are doing - you will probably figure out if the one you are seeing is just pushing scrips or has some understanding of the chemistry involved just by asking questions about what does this pill do and why?
stay safe.
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Vitamin D, more exercise.
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+1 on physical activity.
Hiking, cycling, whatever, get out and maximize the daylight you receive.
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How long has it been since you have had a woman? chris3
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+1 on physical activity.
Hiking, cycling, whatever, get out and maximize the daylight you receive.
Nude sunbathing ;)
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Your title had me wondering if you were talking about the old people musty odor. =D
Seriously, you are beginning to experience a normal thing that occurs when you age. The older you get you will find that much of what you thought was important no longer has a grasp on you. The upside of that is you will begin to notice that simple things you did not pay attention to, start to give you pleasure.
In younger days I was into contact sports like sand lot football, basketball, softball and the like. I hunted small and large game. I had toys like street motorcycles and dirt bikes and snowmobiles. I was very particular about clothing and partying, and working at the job was working at it rather than playing at it.
Now I'm not saying that you find that you don't do any of the things that took up a lot of your time and attention, it's just that they won't occupy the level of importance that they did. All of a sudden you'll find yourself being quieter in your mind. Contentment starts to replace the elusive and sometimes frantic search for happiness. (define happiness, for me. It's like "fairness", it really can't be defined as one man's castle may be another's prison.) Relationships begin to change in subtle ways. You find that all that wisdom you thought you had was only ego, and you start to chuckle at watching those younger than you make the same mistakes you did, or think they have a handle on a thing you know won't work because you discovered otherwise. You will begin to grin over things that used to cause anger and frustration. You will also walk around things that you used to jump over.
You'll begin to see that little things that you never paid any attention to in the past start to cause you to pause and smile and maybe cause a deep breath and a moment of null. Each of the seasons, as they change, offer smells and sights and sounds that bring contentment. Listening to birds and watching the trees bud and then leaf and then fall or see the ferns take over the ground in an oak forest, or waiting for dogwoods to bloom in the stark late winter woods, or the earthy smell of the soil on a warm spring morning as the worms begin to turn the dirt under the grass, or see the mist on the lake on a quiet fall morning. In the deep darkness of the late night, if you are around water, you will hear ducks talking to each other in the spring and fall, and hear the mysterious groaning and booming of the winter lake as it makes ice. Or you hear the wooshing of a neighbors furnace exhaust on a crisp and cold and quiet star filled night. As you gaze upwards you become humbled by the magnificent size of the starry night and wonder at the arrogance of humans who believe they are the masters of that universe.
As you age you come to appreciate that you are nearer to the final chapter of your life and somehow that doesn't bring the sadness that maybe you might think...just the contentment you stumbled upon after realizing that seeking happiness is only another chore that in the seeking only brings uncertainty and angst. You understand that being older is much better than being younger. Your horizons are wider and deeper and that is surprising and comforting...
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Dibs on the bike.
Brad
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Oh hell, I tried to cheer him up.
=|
Dibs on the reloading gear.
:P >:D >:D
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How long has it been since you have had a woman?
I'm married...so a long time ago. That's why I need more cash ha ha. In an odd way this is related to my whole issue - e.g. perfectly functional equipment not being used the way it was intended to be depresses me. Always lubing never using. >:D
Thanks for the thoughtful reply Grampster. I do try to appreciate the little things. In fact that is really part of reason why I'm feeling this way. As George Carlin used to joke - we continue to fill up our houses/lives with more "stuff".
I was checked for Testosterone a couple of years ago and it was OK...but I might try it again...because I can get it real cheap through my employer.
It's gonna be a long winter.
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I was checked for Testosterone a couple of years ago and it was OK...but I might try it again...because I can get it real cheap through my employer.
Testosterone, or the check?
It's gonna be a long winter.
<sarc>I'm so looking forward to it.</sarc>
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The hormone.
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Dibs on the bike.
Oh hell, I tried to cheer him up. =|
Dibs on the reloading gear.
:P >:D >:D
Is it too late for dibs on the guns? How about the silver? :angel:
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I love Dibs....as long as they are green and have pics of Presidents on them. :laugh:
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I'm going to echo what Grampster said.
I went through something along the same lines as you when I was in my 40's. I had all sorts of toys that I thought I'd always wanted---the Jag XKE, the full-auto Thompson, all sorts of things.
I finally actually saw that life was finite, and that all of the "stuff" requires time to keep it in good shape, time that could be devoted to actually living. So I sold all sorts of things. It amazed my wife, because the Jag, the Thompson and other objects were things I'd talked about having since I was a teen.
I don't look back and regret getting rid of that stuff. I don't really need any of the stuff I have now, and wouldn't be upset if I had to part with any of it.
All I want now is sex. It would be easier getting another Thompson, though. ;)
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I love Dibs....as long as they are green and have pics of Presidents on them. :laugh:
My son is ten, he can draw and color pretty good. :P
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I'm going to echo what Grampster said.
I went through something along the same lines as you when I was in my 40's. I had all sorts of toys that I thought I'd always wanted---the Jag XKE, the full-auto Thompson, all sorts of things.
I finally actually saw that life was finite, and that all of the "stuff" requires time to keep it in good shape, time that could be devoted to actually living. So I sold all sorts of things. It amazed my wife, because the Jag, the Thompson and other objects were things I'd talked about having since I was a teen.
I don't look back and regret getting rid of that stuff. I don't really need any of the stuff I have now, and wouldn't be upset if I had to part with any of it.
All I want now is sex. It would be easier getting another Thompson, though. ;)
Whatever happened to that trip to Nevada that you were planning...? ;)
My middle age funk is based on being tired and hurting and lacking energy, and knowing it ain't gonna get any better ... =(
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My middle age funk is based on being tired and hurting and lacking energy[/quote
Yeah....I think that is a huge part of it for me as well. As my dad used to say, "my get up and go, got up and went".
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I assume you still have the full auto Thompson!
If not you got some 'splainin' to do, dood!
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I've watched best bud go through this every fall/winter for the past ten+ years. Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Here's a shortlist:
- Exercise (and sunlight if you can get it)
- Vitamins
- Setting up little treats for yourself over time so you always have something ahead to look forward to
- Change up your routine a bit
- Seduce the wife (sex cures a lot!)
- Don't make any major decisions until you're on the other side of it (i.e. selling things that you really enjoyed, buying things that sound like a good idea right now)
- Cut yourself some slack and don't over-analyze things
Good luck Lee. You'll get through it. And do have the testosterone checked. Best Bud and I joke around all the time that her hubby's going through MENopause, but there is a hormone fluctuation for men as they age too.
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These days, sex with the wife and riding my horse are the only things that make life worth living.
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I've watched best bud go through this every fall/winter for the past ten+ years. Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Here's a shortlist:
- Exercise (and sunlight if you can get it)
I'm 250lbs. Running would hurt my feet. I bike when I can, but the snow can get deep.
- Vitamins
3 grams C, niacin, assorted others stuff.
- Cut yourself some slack and don't over-analyze things
Good luck Lee. You'll get through it. And do have the testosterone checked. Best Bud and I joke around all the time that her hubby's going through MENopause, but there is a hormone fluctuation for men as they age too.
No medical insurance. Health care is catch as catch can, whatever can be afforded. I am fortunate to have good genes.
It may help this year, that I have cut my caffeine and coffee to almost nothing. I think it was making me stupid.
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My middle age funk is based on being tired and hurting and lacking energy, and knowing it ain't gonna get any better ... =(
I resemble that remark.
This is going to be the first year in the last four that I have time to really go hunting. And I might be broke enough this year to need the added meat.
jim
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I assume you still have the full auto Thompson!
If not you got some 'splainin' to do, dood!
Very quickly, as I've told this before, and don't want to veer the thread: bought for $1800 in 1988. Prices were going nowhere, wasn't shooting it much because ammo was $$$. Had my eye on something else in 1996, and figured I could always get another Thompson. Sold it for the $1800 I paid. Rest is history.
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<sniff>Sad story</sniff>
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You don't want to veer this thread, Dick? Shame on you, sir. Shame, shame shame on you. :P =D
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I'm 250lbs. Running would hurt my feet. I bike when I can, but the snow can get deep.
3 grams C, niacin, assorted others stuff.
No medical insurance. Health care is catch as catch can, whatever can be afforded. I am fortunate to have good genes.
It may help this year, that I have cut my caffeine and coffee to almost nothing. I think it was making me stupid.
Walking and simple calisthenics would help. I understand about no health insurance, been in that boat for a while. But GNC or some equivalent "health" store would likely have some sort of testosterone supplement. Do some research online to help determine how much to use/take. Give it a month.
And I stand by the theory of giving yourself something to look forward to. It really does help. One of my favorite quotes (by Chalmers) is "The Grand Essentials of Happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
Pretty basic, but true.
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Definition of middle age? My definition is "10 years older than I am now." =D
Having said that, 80 somehow doesn't seem all that old any more. :O
Take it for what it's worth.
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Having said that, 80 somehow doesn't seem all that old any more.
Hell, I can see 80 from my window. (Actually, I can see Sarah Palin from my window, but that's another story).