Are Your Best Days Behind You?

[MickeyG]

So I'm 50, never Married, no kids, had a great time in college but since then its like everyone went away! I get it. People move on with familes and jobs of their own, etc. With the way things are going in society, who says my best days have yet to arrive? Or, am I being totally unrealistic? What about you? How do you feel about your life, honestly? I know I am probably the minority in terms of never having a family of my own. I just don't want that kind of responsability. Then again, I hear having a family of your own is a wonderful thing. Or, at least that's what I think. I am open to any and all opinions. Thanks.

Same here, 50, no kids, not married though I am in a relationship and will probably be getting married within a year or two. I don't feel like my best years are behind me, though that could be self delusion and wishful thinking. It wasn't until I hit my early 40's that I was able to get a handle on my depression and my drinking, and finally quit smoking cigarettes and weed for good. I'm in better shape than I have ever been and can genuinely say I've never been as happy as I am now. On the other hand, I know 60 is only a decade away and that's scary as fuck but I'm just trying to live my life and do things I enjoy, pretty much like I always have but I'm not stuck in the past (I hate nostalgia) or act like the "old guy at the club" or hit on women half my age (though they hit on me sometimes.) My girlfriend and I just bought a house with a pool, and room for my book collection and a pool table, I've been going to as many if not more shows than I did when I was in my 20's. I spend my free time organizing my library, building bookshelves, listening to music, playing pool and hanging ot with my girlfriend. Things aren't perfect, but I've got it pretty damn good, even if it did take me 5 decades to get here.

Tell us about your book collection, Charles. I wanna here about your library.

[Engine13]

I make shitty music, smoke weed, and fuck my old lady all day.
I'm living my best days now.

[Charles Bukaki]

Tell us about your book collection, Charles. I wanna here about your library.

I don't really know what to say about it. I've been working on it for about ten years. My latest focus has been on popular music from the 1920's-now. Mainly the history of Jazz, Blues and Rock. I've also been picking up a lot of John D. MacDonald books, he's known at the Godfather of crime fiction and his Travis McGee series is a huge influence on the genre. A few years ago I was able to score about 20 boxes of mostly 80's horror paperbacks, which have been getting more expensive and harder to find as of late and I'm slowly working my way through catalog and thinning them out. The bulk of my collection has been picked up in thrift stores on the cheap and have done some freelance work in the past for a couple different used bookstores.

[Cindy Buzzedimisa]

Health and looks wise, oh Hell yes. I went throughout my whole 20's and 30's without health insurance and it was fine. Didn't need it. Now I'm in peri-menopause with an over active thyroid and I absolutely have to have it. I've gotten gout twice (working at a seafood restaurant eating free shellfish factored into that) and the years and years of bartending has taken it's toll on my body. Although I'd probably be a lazy fat ass if I'd worked at a desk all these years with different health problems so I guess you're screwed either way. Not to mention its much harder to get a bartending job when you're older. Most places want to hire eye candy. Whenever I have been interviewed by someone younger than me I did not get hired even if they were impressed with my resume over the phone.

I also miss not turning heads like I used to. I still get hit on, but nowhere near like before. Hair thinning isn't just for guys. I see today's body-con fashions and wish I could still wear that stuff but if you're over 40 it just looks ridiculous and sad. I was just at the river yesterday where the young girls were all prancing around with their butts hanging out. Ya no my old ass ain't wearing no thong.

Not to say I don't like my life now. I very much do. I have tons of friends and do fun stuff all the time esp during this time of year. My problems aren't shit and I know I'm lucky for that. Hopefully I stay lucky.

[eddie lee roth]

Health and looks wise, oh Hell yes. I went throughout my whole 20's and 30's without health insurance and it was fine. Didn't need it. Now I'm in peri-menopause with an over active thyroid and I absolutely have to have it. I've gotten gout twice (working at a seafood restaurant eating free shellfish factored into that) and the years and years of bartending has taken it's toll on my body. Although I'd probably be a lazy fat ass if I'd worked at a desk all these years with different health problems so I guess you're screwed either way. Not to mention its much harder to get a bartending job when you're older. Most places want to hire eye candy. Whenever I have been interviewed by someone younger than me I did not get hired even if they were impressed with my resume over the phone.

I also miss not turning heads like I used to. I still get hit on, but nowhere near like before. Hair thinning isn't just for guys. I see today's body-con fashions and wish I could still wear that stuff but if you're over 40 it just looks ridiculous and sad. I was just at the river yesterday where the young girls were all prancing around with their butts hanging out. Ya no my old ass ain't wearing no thong.

Not to say I don't like my life now. I very much do. I have tons of friends and do fun stuff all the time esp during this time of year. My problems aren't shit and I know I'm lucky for that. Hopefully I stay lucky.

I sometimes kid myself by thinking in the 80’s I was a workout warrior because of Arnold. And today I would kill for a flat tummy. No muscle tone anywhere else just give me a flat tummy and I’ll be good.

[Mojo]

I sometimes kid myself by thinking in the 80’s I was a workout warrior because of Arnold. And today I would kill for a flat tummy. No muscle tone anywhere else just give me a flat tummy and I’ll be good.

[HueyRamone]

I sometimes kid myself by thinking in the 80’s I was a workout warrior because of Arnold. And today I would kill for a flat tummy. No muscle tone anywhere else just give me a flat tummy and I’ll be good.

Nice work, man. You look just as good as ever, but that photo doesnt emphasize your height as much as some others ive seen.

[Mojo]

Nice work, man. You look just as good as ever, but that photo doesnt emphasize your height as much as some others ive seen.

Thanks, I've been really focusing my exercises on the transverse plane.

[MickeyG]

Tell us about your book collection, Charles. I wanna here about your library.

I don't really know what to say about it. I've been working on it for about ten years. My latest focus has been on popular music from the 1920's-now. Mainly the history of Jazz, Blues and Rock. I've also been picking up a lot of John D. MacDonald books, he's known at the Godfather of crime fiction and his Travis McGee series is a huge influence on the genre. A few years ago I was able to score about 20 boxes of mostly 80's horror paperbacks, which have been getting more expensive and harder to find as of late and I'm slowly working my way through catalog and thinning them out. The bulk of my collection has been picked up in thrift stores on the cheap and have done some freelance work in the past for a couple different used bookstores.

So how many books do you reckon you have currently? How big a room is your library? Do you have shelves from floor to ceiling? What other furniture do you have in there? I've always had a thing for old houses in the movies or tv shows that have a library and or study.

[Charles Bukaki]

So how many books do you reckon you have currently? How big a room is your library? Do you have shelves from floor to ceiling? What other furniture do you have in there? I've always had a thing for old houses in the movies or tv shows that have a library and or study.

Right now I'm sitting at around 5,000 books. I just moved about a month ago so most of it is still in boxes. The room I'm converting to the library is 12 1/2" x 16" with a decent sized closet. It's going to be slow going because I'm also looking for a job and getting settled in and dealing with all the requisite bs that comes with moving, but I'm working on sketching out the layout I want, floor to ceiling shelves around the perimeter with a few smaller rows coming out either four or six feet. I know an retired woodworker who said he'll take my rough sketches and make a layout and parts list for me which is huge. As for furniture, all I have is an old leather reading chair I got from the lobby of a hotel in Aspen about ten years ago that looks like someone should be sitting in it while sipping cognac and smoking a cigar, a small side table, a floor lamp and an old library cart I picked up somewhere along the way. The only thing I haven't really figured out is lighting and if I should build over a window. It'll probably take me 8 months to a year to get it all done but I'm looking forward to it, I haven't really worked with my hands much in a couple decades.

[MickeyG]

So how many books do you reckon you have currently? How big a room is your library? Do you have shelves from floor to ceiling? What other furniture do you have in there? I've always had a thing for old houses in the movies or tv shows that have a library and or study.

Right now I'm sitting at around 5,000 books. I just moved about a month ago so most of it is still in boxes. The room I'm converting to the library is 12 1/2" x 16" with a decent sized closet. It's going to be slow going because I'm also looking for a job and getting settled in and dealing with all the requisite bs that comes with moving, but I'm working on sketching out the layout I want, floor to ceiling shelves around the perimeter with a few smaller rows coming out either four or six feet. I know an retired woodworker who said he'll take my rough sketches and make a layout and parts list for me which is huge. As for furniture, all I have is an old leather reading chair I got from the lobby of a hotel in Aspen about ten years ago that looks like someone should be sitting in it while sipping cognac and smoking a cigar, a small side table, a floor lamp and an old library cart I picked up somewhere along the way. The only thing I haven't really figured out is lighting and if I should build over a window. It'll probably take me 8 months to a year to get it all done but I'm looking forward to it, I haven't really worked with my hands much in a couple decades.

Sounds cool, Charles and good luck with it. It seems a good size and once its all done and fully loaded should look great. Post a pic or 2 once you are happy with it. I work for a furniture manufacturer so I'm used to seeing hardwoods like Maple, Cherry and Walnut everyday. Although I'm not cutting or assembling any of it I have made my own stuff in the past.

[gruentransfer]

I think in terms of health and attractiveness, yes my best days are behind me. In terms of happiness, being content and living my life how I want, my best days are now and in the future. I'm 56, earning more money than I ever thought possible and will semi retire in the next few years. My bucket list gets longer all the time as I find new things I want to do. I'm looking forward to the rest of my life.