[extropy-chat] I keep asking myself...

[Samantha Atkins]

On Apr 4, 2006, at 7:29 AM, Al Brooks wrote:

> To my way of thinking it's worth living past seventy only to see  
> what the future has in store; like perceiving the world as a film  
> and wondering 'what will appear next on the screen'.

If you intend to be merely passive you probably won't have a lot of  
reason to stick around.

> To say "life begins at 60" is a joke, as in substituting the word  
> 'mature' for old, what Orwell warned about albeit in a more  
> sinister context.

Some people used to say that about age 30, or 40, or 50.  You are  
whatever age you are in what ever shape you are and you do the most  
you can with what you have.  There is no point in assuming it is over  
at some fixed age or even below some level of health.   It is over  
when you give up except for the actual dying part.

> A word is made longer but has less meaning. It used to be one might  
> say "I'm old and messed up"; now it's, "I have been becoming very  
> mature lately, will be checking into Uptown Polyclinic for tests  
> lasting several days". Tell you the truth I personally haven't  
> enjoyed life-- really enjoyed life-- since I was 25, the ratio of  
> spontaneous to rote is too off.

If "spontaneous" and "rote" are your only modes then I am hardly  
surprised that you aren't enjoying yourself.

> So perhaps a little ageism is beneficial. Bet if you worse a button  
> that reads 'Life Begins At 100'  you would have those taking it  
> seriously.

I hope to someday wear such a button and utterly mean it and have  
people believe it is true.

- samantha