Tiptoeing through life...

[thescrawnycaveman]

"I do not intend to tiptoe through life just to arrive at death safely" -- Author unknown.

This idea is an interesting one. Some take it to mean, get drunk, make mistakes, destroy brain cells, relationships, and weasel your way to the top for the sake of self-indulgence and recklessness. I feel differently on the matter. Some say "why work out and eat healthy? We all die some day, and a lot of what determines who lives how much longer is a matter of genetics". Though true, for me it isn't about the length of life. When you think about it, it is kind of arbitrary whether I live to be 70 or I live to be 80. Either way it isn't going to be much easier on anyone else, and either way I am the same dead person. For me it is all about the quality of life.

When I say I don't want to arrive at death safely I do not mean I don't want to arrive at death healthy, because though in the afterlife (if there is one) it likely won't matter, what matters is this life. Being healthy, fit, and active makes life that much more enjoyable with that much less pain. I refuse to die slowly. In that regard I think hunter-gatherer ancestors had life a lot better. There weren't as many incidences of old people waiting in pain to die but being kept alive by a thread. If you were dying, you'd die in a day or two. While these days people die for years. What good is life from the position of a hospital bed?

I'm not saying unplug your grandma, she's done. What I am saying is that life is worth living to the fullest and it seems foolish to let yourself waste away just because you think pop tarts are too convenient and tasty to give up. We all die some day. I don't intend to arrive without any cuts, scrapes, bruises, and scars, but I do intend to arrive in tip top shape because that's what keeps me from having a miserable life or a wasted one.

Next time you ask yourself "Why am I dragging my ass out of bed to lift arbitrary amounts of metal when no matter how much I exercise death will still hit me?" remember that you do it for yourself and your loved ones, not only so they live healthier, but because it makes you a better person in so many facets of life and it will have an effect on them.

Those are my two cents. Feel free to comment!

[ETFnerd]

Agree completely. I want to be fit to try to get the most I can out of life. I'm probaly only going to have one and I don't want to waste it.

[thescrawnycaveman]

we have one body each to live life in. So I figure it is best to make sure it is in good working order. It is like having a nice car. It will stop working eventually, but if you take good care of it you can go on a lot more and exciting adventures with it.

[Ryan Sannar]

+1. Love it. Completely agree.

[scott82962]

I saw this quote on cross-touring motorcycle at a rally I attend two years ago and took this picture. The people who ride these bikes enjoy getting from point A to point B in as straight a line as possible. In other words, on road, off road, through rivers, mud, rocks, sand, etc. It's a risky way to ride, but they're prepared.

When you think about what we're all doing by consciously eating well and working out is preparing - for life. To be engaged in it. To be immersed in actively. This, as opposed to living vicariously through media or by wishing...

[thescrawnycaveman]

Right on scott! Who wants to live in a body that can barely move? Not me.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Agreed! I don't want to be in the middle of life, for example, and not even be able to walk to the mail box without losing my breath. I want to go out still being able to do the things I love. Not sitting around waiting for death.

[Oogiem]

Been meaning to look this up, finally decide to JFGI:

I have always liked this quote:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"

[thescrawnycaveman]

Oogiem, do you know who said that?\

[Guest guest4729]

So much truth. I want to live a full, fulfilling and healthy life. Every time I see people who are so obese they can barely move, my body cries inside because it never wants to be like that. I understand that not every obese person is the same - some choose to make a better life for themselves and others are fine where they are but that just isn't what I want for myself. I want to be fit, healthy and smaller - I don't need excess baggage mentally, emotionally or physically. I don't want my past holding me back, nor do I want my weight holding me back. I'm only going to be young once and I want to look back at it years from now saying "F*ck yeah, I was awesome and I looked awesome, too!"

[Oogiem]

I've searched but no, I can't find any source.

BTW I interpret that to mean, live your live to the fullest, splurge on occasion but most of all enjoy it.

[danmoran77]

You know how they say the unexamined life is not worth living? I've always been fond of saying the unlived life is not worth examining. Simple, and a good guiding principle.

[bigm141414]

Been meaning to look this up, finally decide to JFGI:

I have always liked this quote:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"

Oogiem, do you know who said that?\

I've searched but no, I can't find any source.

BTW I interpret that to mean, live your live to the fullest, splurge on occasion but most of all enjoy it.

This quote has changed a bit over time.

The earliest attribution is to Hunter S. Thompson in Hell's Angels published in 1966

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, shouting GERONIMO!"

then to "Bill McKenna, professional motorcycle racer, Cycle magazine Feb. 1982" who changed it somewhat:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece, but to skid across the line broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, leaking oil, shouting GERONIMO!"

Since then folks have changed it about to suit their own life styles with everything from chocolate to gamesticks in hand.

Your particular version is the work of a blogger called Gerber Daisee

Internet to the rescue!