Does Age Quash Our Spirit of Adventure?

[Moonliner]

Let's take inventory...


Sky Diving: Been there done that, not real eager to repeat

Tattoos/Body Art: Nope, never, don't expect to change

Sex: Getting better all the time, If the current rate of improvement holds, I'll be doing it on inverted coasters in my 80's...

Reading: Unless you are reading "The Extremists guide to self immolation" on a flight out of Heathrow, I don't see how any book can be considered "adventurous". Reading a great book is a wonderful experience I just would not call it adventurous.

Food: History of being a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, working on developing a more adventurous spirit here. I tried Poi last week.

Overall I would say that with age I've had a shift in focus to adventure that is less likely to break my bones.

[Gemini Cricket]

I think I'm more adventurous now.

On my list of adventurous things to do:

-Cage dive with white sharks.
-Travel around the world.
-Whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I was listening to 70s music in the 80s. And the 90s and now, for that matter. Sure, I listen to KCRW and if something piques my interest, I check it out... but I tend to like music that's less "adventurous" to begin with. The last few new groups I got into were Iron & Wine and Jennie Lewis and the Watson Twins-- that can hardly be called "adventurous."

But I do love to travel. That's really never changed. We'll be adventuring around Italy next June.

When it comes to piercings or body ink-- that's just never appealed to me. When an acquaintance got a gigantic iris tattooed on her abdomen, all I could think about was how terrible it was going to look when she was 80. My personal pet peeve (or one of them) is when someone with a pierced tongue incessantly plays with it outside of their mouth or clicks it against their teeth. I don't think my disinterest in body/skin mutilation has anything to do with "adventure" or risk... it has everything to do with finding it unattractive. Not because they're being bold, but because I don't find it visually stimulating.

[Gemini Cricket]

LSPE ~ My sister does that! She pierced her tongue and she plays with it all the time. Bugs me to tears.

I've thought about a tattoo but my idea for a tattoo takes into account the 80 year old thing. I wanted a tattoo of a compass rose on my back. But I wanted it to look like it was from an antique map. So when my skin gets wrinkly, it'll look like it's on an old piece of parchment.

[Prudence]

I'm some what more adventurous now, although likely not in the way they mean. I was so incredibly shy in my youth that I would never have met any of you. Now I meet and just don't say anything, but hey, it's a step up.

Actually, I couldn't have done law school 10 years ago, either. And not just because I had another year left on my BAs. I would never have survived the socratic method or oral arguments or having a peer evaluate my article. I'm not great at those things yet, but in the history of me this is quite the adventure.

Actually, since my voice teacher and I are working on preparing me for public performance - solo - that's an adventure, too. I'm fine with a group, but solo tends to make me a mouse if I can see the audience. (Bright stage lights in the face = fine. Hanging out with family and friends = terror).

I'm way more adventurous with food. My dad doesn't like anything even vaguely outside the world of pot roast, so I'd never even had fish until I was a teenager. Now I'll try just about anything. I'm sure there are some things I wouldn't try, but I haven't encountered them yet. I can't say I'd eat a tempuraed prawn head again, but at least I tried it.

I'm fairly open to books, although my time is more limited so I tend to be more selective.

I'm not adverse to a new tattoo, but I don't have anything sufficiently meaningful to ink at the moment.

And music - I listen to significantly less angsty crap than when I was younger. I listen to a lot of swing and piano lounge standards now, but both older and newer artists. If that as a genre makes me a fuddy-duddy, then I guess I'm stuck. I also listen to and perform early music pieces. Is that "old"? Or so old it's back into adventurous?

I'm more conscious of my mortality and I have less of a death wish that I used to, most days, so I suppose there might be things I'm now less willing to do.

[MouseWife]

Well, music wise, I have always been into most types and always eager to hear new bands and hear their sounds. I am not a music snob, I listen to bands even when other music friends say they suck.

I would love to get a tattoo. I thought of getting a small UPC one on my lower back so if I was ever found dead they could scan me....I thought 'who else would have one?' Well, that idea is outta here since I saw a guy at the swapmeet with one on the back of his neck.

Food. I did try a Jalepeno Chedder Cheeto yesterday. It was good. I will not try Flamming Hot Cheetos. No sir. Not that I am old and unadventurous but I am experienced with eating bad tasting things and on this one, I don't want to chance it. But, I am venturing from the burgers when we go out...

Travel~ Ah, we are planning a trip past San Francisco! As a couple, we haven't been and now we are. My goal is to do a road trip all across the U.S. with no time frame and seeing it all. I was born in Bangor Maine and I would love to go and see what the heck it is like.

I work with a lot of really young people. They trip out that I go to a lot of concerts. {well hello, I've been raising the kids and finally they are big enough to either leave at home or join me}. When I was younger I never would have done a 'festival' type show . I went to X-Fest by myself to see 'She Wants Revenge', Ozzfest to see 'Disturbed' and 'System of a Down' and the another day to Street Scene to see SWR, Wolfmother and QOTSA. My 12 year old son came with and he had a great time.

We were also there for the big 'Tool' incident {although we left after 'The Pot' because we both had to work the following morning}. Which, by the way, had nothing to do with the band encouraging the situation. Maynard totally tried to calm the crowd, telling them to take a breath, take a step back {during the song even}. He stopped the show before the fire marshall told him to. God, I love Maynard. He said no one was going to die that night for rock and roll and that we need to watch out for our brothers and sisters. Damn, he rocks.

Anywho, I get tired more easy now that I am working. Is that how is goes? It really sucks.

To add {as I got carried away with the music...}~ I am way more vocal than I ever was. When I was young, when someone talked to me, I'd open my mouth and dust would come out. Now, I say {most often} what I want. I do try and be tactful, I am not a mean person, I love people.

I speak because I know you don't always get a second chance and life is to live.

{love your tattoo story, Capt Jack}

[Capt Jack]

nope, not me. Im as boring as a hand full of wet dog hair...pretty much always have been. just ask anyone who knows me beyond 'hey, I know you'

tatoos. my dad had tons of tatoos. lifer navy, so I think he had one from every port he ever visited. one I remember staring at for hours as a kid. huge geisha in the middle of his chest. it was awesome. I've just never been able to decide on a single one I felt like represented me, but I have zero against them. btw, his looked great till the day he died. he was 70 or so at the time. gray hair (what there was of it), wrinkles and all. a little faded over time, but the tats always looked good....him...eh, not so much.

piercings? lets just go with dont hold your breath. I've accidentally punched enough holes in myself to avoid doing it on purpose.

music? dunno...I hear new stuff from time to time, but Im not one to go in search of anything just because its new and Im not around enough 'cutting edge' folks to bring a lot of it into range.

food may be the only true exception to my 'rules for a boring life'. (ok, theres perhaps one other I wont go into here) I think I've stumbled across maybe a hand full of things I just plain dont like. Persian, Vietnamese, Turkish etc....rarely am I disappointed or sorry I tried it. sometimes in a new eatery, I'll just close my eyes and point at the menu. Ive lucked out with that more times than I can count.

I still like fast cars and speed sports, but I am alot less ready anymore to "go and do" vs "go and see"...so maybe the decrease with age has merrit, but Im still not personally convinced since there wasnt all that many adventurous tendancies to begin with.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

On my list of adventurous things to do:

-Cage dive with white sharks.

This is what I am doing next year when I graduate. If not sooner. Seeing Sharky in person just made me want to do it more.

[Snowflake]

Well, I've always marched to a different drummer than that of most of my peers. Especially in the area of music.

Growing up, I was Mowtown and top 40, and then I discovered classical music and my interest in any popular genre faded to nothingness, almost. I did do a 10 year stint at Tower record to support my vinyl/cd habit and was exposed to a good deal of variety of music, much of which I liked, from the gamut of skinny puppy to Madonna. But, I did not listen regularly. I do find a good deal of my musical interest lies in more ancient than modern.

Food has always been an adventure and I'm game to try just about anything. I came to sushi later in life and would never turn back! Although, I do confess a few food items thought of as delicacies in other climes, turn me green at the thought of ingesting them.

Like GC, a skydive is something I've always wanted to do. Hang gliding as well. I find I drive faster as I get older (but it helps I have a bigger car) but I do not drive as recklessly as I did at 16.

I do remember crossing what I call the generational split. I was on the MUNI coming home from the office, reading my book, but could not help overhearing the conversation of the two 20 year olds in front of me. As I listened, I thought to myself, holy sh*t, I do not have any clue about the world they are living in, I have become my mother! It filled me with dread!

I hope I never become old in thought, I expect with the aging process being what it is, I will have no recourse but to physically be less vigorous eventually. But right now, I find that vigor increasing as I get my health back and the weight is dropping off bit by bit.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Prudence

I can't say I'd eat a tempuraed prawn head again, but at least I tried it.

Oh man! Love those, of course the better part of that deal is the sweet shrimp that comes before!