Something to look forward to

[hilrosepaul]

'Happiness curve' bottoms out at 44: study - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[frosty the snowman]

Oh great. I was having a nice day until I read that.

By the way, I'm 44.

[Richard Mason]

I was listening to that report on ABC radio driving home tonight and actually, I think there's something in it.

Speaking personally and aged 46, I've felt for some time that things aren't as good as they should be; I wonder aboiut my relationship with my kids, I've just started to notice that my wife doesn't look like the 17 yr old I first knew and I'm sure (well, I know) that she's making reciprocal observations and from where I'm stood, it just looks like it's all downhill from here, really sad that we are growing old and when I visited an old folks home last week, instead of seeing oldies, like I normally would, I saw me in 25 or 30 yrs.. On top of that, my parents are ageing, yet I can still remember when they were in their 20s and they can longer afford to visit every year, meaning I'll not see much of them now, added to which there may not be time to see much of them either - feels like it's all drawing to a close.

I've just spent the weekend with my son and his friends in the north-east of the state, did a few dives, beautiful scenery etc but very badly burned in a huge bushfire 12 months ago. Normally I'd just comfort myself that it will all grow back but now I'm thinking, with the lack of rain we've had and global warming etc, maybe it won't and that depresses me too - I lived there for 10 yrs but know it's just a husk of it's former self, it will probably never be the same in my lifetime..

As I drove home, I took no pleasure in the trip, unlike normal and I just thought "is this all there is?". Wherever I look, it just seems that the cup is half full; yet I've no justification for this, I've got a wonderful & still very attractive wife, our sons have grown into nice, well mannered, healthy, good looking lads and I'm better off than I've ever been, living in a place with everything going for it, nice climate, fantastic wilderness areas and great diving, 10M is a bad vis day....great opportunities all round, safe, law abiding etc. This has been steadily getting worse over the last 2 or 3 years; I've never been particularly introspective until now.

I'm sure, or at least, I hope it's just a phase but it's really giving me the shits. Really, I probably just need a good slap.

Sorry to be such a miserable git. Won't do it again.

[dry suit diver]

44 try it bottoming out at 34.

Im feel like that often have done for a while and I am only 35