Cabin in the Woods: Midlife Crisis Thread

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dubshow wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:55 am
Detroit wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:49 am
I think I was forced to read it in high school? Whenever it was, I hated being forced to read books in school to over analyze them. As a result, I hate reading unless I REALLY care about the subject.

Reading it as an adult is :mindblown: It's legit everything I've been debating in my brain lately.
I agree. However, Im still :salt: as an adult from all the mindless forced reading in highschool.
Same. I never read because I was conditioned that it's a requirement, and not necessarily fun.

Walden is the first book I've attempted to read in...a decade maybe? It's pretty outstanding, but only because it's really lining up with my way of thinking right now.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:56 am I stopped reading books as soon as I was required to do so in school. I don't really have time anymore either - or would rather spend it on many other things. :wrong:
I always enjoyed reading, and still hated the required reading in school. it was always shit books.
brain go brrrrrr
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Big Brain Bradley wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:07 pm
troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 11:56 am I stopped reading books as soon as I was required to do so in school. I don't really have time anymore either - or would rather spend it on many other things. :wrong:
I always enjoyed reading, and still hated the required reading in school. it was always shit books.
:dat:
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the commiserating this thicc in here
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4zilch wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:35 pm the commiserating this thicc in here
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I read at least 15 novels/year... :wrong:
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[user not found] wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:33 pm
D Griff wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:29 pm I read at least 15 novels/year... :wrong:
Man, I wish.

The only time I get to read is when I'm on a plane.
I read and go for a walk on my lunch breaks :wap:

Also when flying for sure, sometimes in the evenings occasionally. I use Kindle on my phone so I always have books accessible. I grab up the free Kindle/Prime First books each month and use the library too for max :scrooge: entertainment.
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I loved reading as a kid and teenager, but never read the required shit for school. I like the idea of reading for pleasure now, but don’t make the time for it. Asked some buddies who read a lot for some sci-fi recommendations and they delivered, so I need to actually grab some of those on my kindle and try to do one a month or so. I prefer real books, but don’t want to keep accumulating “stuff”.. guess I could go old-school and get a library card doe..
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D Griff wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:29 pm I read at least 15 novels/year... :wrong:
:impressive:

I honestly wish I enjoyed reading that much. I just don't.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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D Griff wrote:
[user not found] wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:33 pm Man, I wish.

The only time I get to read is when I'm on a plane.
I read and go for a walk on my lunch breaks :wap:

Also when flying for sure, sometimes in the evenings occasionally. I use Kindle on my phone so I always have books accessible. I grab up the free Kindle/Prime First books each month and use the library too for max :scrooge: entertainment.
How do you have time for everything? Aren't you in like 2-3 bands and doing hours of gym time every day and moving and getting married and riding bikes and... presumably also sleeping and eating?

I'm still trying to learn/write/rehearse enough to get a single band together, and haven't exercised in months.
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4zilch wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:35 pm the commiserating this thicc in here
Is it? That's not the intention. This shouldn't be a "woe is me" type discussion. Rather, an existential one. What is truly necessary to be happy and what exactly is worth achieving?

Fact is, there's a lot of people that get a ton of enjoyment out of big houses, accumulating things, and buying stuff. People who really enjoy working and climbing the corporate ladder navigating politics and achieving "growth". Great for them!

But what about people who don't?

Eschewing a culture of "more, more, more" makes someone the odd one out, so people assimilate and continue down the path of accumulation. But that path isn't fulfilling to those that don't care for it. If you're one of those people, is it really worth it?
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:57 am 50 pages in on Walden and it's like reading what's in my brain. I think it was Toby or Eric that recommended it...absolutely 5/7 suggestion.

Problem is it's not helping me appreciate society more. It's convincing me that I need to :nope: out.
Thoreau is generally considered to be somewhat difficult to read for most.....it's cool that Walden lines up with your current mindset, it is very unlikely to dissuade you from it.....

https://www.walden.org/

https://vimeo.com/231114403

If you want something to talk you out of transcendentalism/existentialism you need to go quite a bit more shallow
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Irish wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:45 pm
Detroit wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:57 am 50 pages in on Walden and it's like reading what's in my brain. I think it was Toby or Eric that recommended it...absolutely 5/7 suggestion.

Problem is it's not helping me appreciate society more. It's convincing me that I need to :nope: out.
Thoreau is generally considered to be somewhat difficult to read for most.....it's cool that Walden lines up with your current mindset, it is very unlikely to dissuade you from it.....

https://www.walden.org/

https://vimeo.com/231114403

If you want something to talk you out of transcendentalism/existentialism you need to go quite a bit more shallow
Image
At times I think I should stop reading it so I don't just :nope: out randomly.

Trump in a way has pushed me to thing this way. Truly the opposite of my current thinking, and it makes me :disgust:
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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...
Last edited by Irish on Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SAWCE wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:06 pm I loved reading as a kid and teenager, but never read the required shit for school. I like the idea of reading for pleasure now, but don’t make the time for it. Asked some buddies who read a lot for some sci-fi recommendations and they delivered, so I need to actually grab some of those on my kindle and try to do one a month or so. I prefer real books, but don’t want to keep accumulating “stuff”.. guess I could go old-school and get a library card doe..
Library is the way to go for sure... free + no unnecessary stuff. I like a real book too, but the convenience of having Kindle on my phone normally wins out, since a lot of times, I read away from home.
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Henry David Thoreau wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 3:49 pm
However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. -- Walden
:dat:
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troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:17 pm
D Griff wrote:
I read and go for a walk on my lunch breaks :wap:

Also when flying for sure, sometimes in the evenings occasionally. I use Kindle on my phone so I always have books accessible. I grab up the free Kindle/Prime First books each month and use the library too for max :scrooge: entertainment.
How do you have time for everything? Aren't you in like 2-3 bands and doing hours of gym time every day and moving and getting married and riding bikes and... presumably also sleeping and eating?

I'm still trying to learn/write/rehearse enough to get a single band together, and haven't exercised in months.
Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
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D Griff wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:02 pm
troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:17 pm How do you have time for everything? Aren't you in like 2-3 bands and doing hours of gym time every day and moving and getting married and riding bikes and... presumably also sleeping and eating?

I'm still trying to learn/write/rehearse enough to get a single band together, and haven't exercised in months.
Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
@ D Griff I probably asked you this before but have you ever heard of a NOLA group called Bonerama?

SO much fun, they used to open for my favorite band the Radiators alot.....And Mark Mullins (lead trombone) would sit in with them...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiuC8vqBMgA
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D Griff wrote:
troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:17 pm How do you have time for everything? Aren't you in like 2-3 bands and doing hours of gym time every day and moving and getting married and riding bikes and... presumably also sleeping and eating?

I'm still trying to learn/write/rehearse enough to get a single band together, and haven't exercised in months.
Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
I think I might just suck at life in general. Everything takes me longer than it does for everyone else, whether it's cleaning a car or making a powerpoint or choosing a restaurant. :eeyore:

Learning an hour of music is like 100+ hours of practice at home, maybe a lot more for hard stuff like classical/jazz. You can just show up to rehearsal without learning the tunes at home first?

My cabin in the woods is an apartment in the city and a trust fund so I can spend the necessary time on music to actually make some bands happen without blowing half of my waking hours trying to get money.
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troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:23 pm
D Griff wrote:
Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
I think I might just suck at life in general. Everything takes me longer than it does for everyone else, whether it's cleaning a car or making a powerpoint or choosing a restaurant. :eeyore:

Learning an hour of music is like 100+ hours of practice at home, maybe a lot more for hard stuff like classical/jazz. You can just show up to rehearsal without learning the tunes at home first?

My cabin in the woods is an apartment in the city and a trust fund so I can spend the necessary time on music to actually make some bands happen without blowing half of my waking hours trying to get money.
Well, I practice as needed... we have quite a few rehearsals leading up to a concert, sometimes the initial reading or two I suck. But for the most part, for this band, I don't need to practice a ton, I have been playing tuba for 20 years and can play most band parts fairly easily. Normally I just have to go over fast runs, weird rhythms, at bit on my own.

If I wanted to get back into guitar more successfully I'd have to practice a lot more, I'm not very good at that anymore.
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Irish wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:13 pm
D Griff wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:02 pm

Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
@ D Griff I probably asked you this before but have you ever heard of a NOLA group called Bonerama?

SO much fun, they used to open for my favorite band the Radiators alot.....And Mark Mullins (lead trombone) would sit in with them...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiuC8vqBMgA
I haven't seen those dudes, I think you may have mentioned before. I looove NOLA music though. Frenchman Street is definitely one of my happy places.
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troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:23 pm
D Griff wrote:
Well... the answer is I really don't... I battle with this a lot, I am interested in a ton of things and sometimes I feel like I don't give my all to any of them, which is good and bad. I also very seldom relax, don't watch TV/movies much.

I lift three times a week before work, take a shower at the gym, this maximizes efficiency as I spend less time sitting in traffic, don't make a special drive to the gym, etc.

I mountain bike about once a week for 90ish minutes, usually before work as well, shower at the facility.

I run once or twice a week - most time efficient exercise.

I actually found out yesterday the brass group I'm in is kind of being disbanded which is a bit of a relief, so now I'll just be in one community band, one two hour rehearsal a week and a handful of concerts per year.

Recently things that have kind of gone by the wayside because of time - I never play guitar/bass, cars are dirty, C5 needs several things done, need to tie up some wedding loose. :iono: life is stressful. I'm excited to be out of the apartment but the idea of now having to also take care of a house is a bit daunting.
I think I might just suck at life in general. Everything takes me longer than it does for everyone else, whether it's cleaning a car or making a powerpoint or choosing a restaurant. :eeyore:

Learning an hour of music is like 100+ hours of practice at home, maybe a lot more for hard stuff like classical/jazz. You can just show up to rehearsal without learning the tunes at home first?

My cabin in the woods is an apartment in the city and a trust fund so I can spend the necessary time on music to actually make some bands happen without blowing half of my waking hours trying to get money.
I don’t think it’s you sucking. It’s probably you caring more than most people do and actually wanting to perfect a craft rather than continually jumping from one thing to the next or just wanting to be entertained like much of our generation looks for now. Maybe you could learn to be happy giving 90% to things instead of 100% and you’d have a little more time, but if that time comes at the cost of happiness or feeling fulfilled with what you did accomplish then I’d say it’s not worth it and you should just keep doing things your way.
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SAWCE wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:12 pm
troyguitar wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:23 pm I think I might just suck at life in general. Everything takes me longer than it does for everyone else, whether it's cleaning a car or making a powerpoint or choosing a restaurant. :eeyore:

Learning an hour of music is like 100+ hours of practice at home, maybe a lot more for hard stuff like classical/jazz. You can just show up to rehearsal without learning the tunes at home first?

My cabin in the woods is an apartment in the city and a trust fund so I can spend the necessary time on music to actually make some bands happen without blowing half of my waking hours trying to get money.
I don’t think it’s you sucking. It’s probably you caring more than most people do and actually wanting to perfect a craft rather than continually jumping from one thing to the next or just wanting to be entertained like much of our generation looks for now. Maybe you could learn to be happy giving 90% to things instead of 100% and you’d have a little more time, but if that time comes at the cost of happiness or feeling fulfilled with what you did accomplish then I’d say it’s not worth it and you should just keep doing things your way.
:dat: is very true.

Like you have :sawce: giving it 100% in the body building hobby. I am more of a half assed lifter, half assed runner, half assed mountain biker. Neither one is better/worse, just different approaches with different pros/cons. @Troy, you are an all or nothing kind of guy. You go all in on autox for example, striving to be as competitive as possible, whereas your average DFD bro will hit a driving event 1-5 times per year for shits and gigs and :aintcare: about actually winning anything.
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[user not found] wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:21 pm
D Griff wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:04 pm

I read and go for a walk on my lunch breaks :wap:

Also when flying for sure, sometimes in the evenings occasionally. I use Kindle on my phone so I always have books accessible. I grab up the free Kindle/Prime First books each month and use the library too for max :scrooge: entertainment.
Lunch breaks?

:lolol:

What are those? :dillerman:
I go outside for the full hour much... fuck it, I'm salary. No lunch in :dillerman: world? Y'all have long hours as-is... :sad:
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Detroit wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 2:25 pm
4zilch wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:35 pm the commiserating this thicc in here
Is it? That's not the intention. This shouldn't be a "woe is me" type discussion. Rather, an existential one. What is truly necessary to be happy and what exactly is worth achieving?

Fact is, there's a lot of people that get a ton of enjoyment out of big houses, accumulating things, and buying stuff. People who really enjoy working and climbing the corporate ladder navigating politics and achieving "growth". Great for them!

But what about people who don't?

Eschewing a culture of "more, more, more" makes someone the odd one out, so people assimilate and continue down the path of accumulation. But that path isn't fulfilling to those that don't care for it. If you're one of those people, is it really worth it?
I have a hard time relating to either of these points of view. It all feels forced, and if you’re forcing yourself down a path, how can that lead to happiness. But I also don’t find myself worried about social-politico things - i observe and them interesting and occasionally head scratching. I find the path to happiness is to shed the worried feelings from things you can’t control and to navigate the world as it exists in front of you. It’s not about things, or the lack of things.
As the only published author in a well-known motorcycle publication in the room...
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