Jen and I start our 12th year of marriage this week. We’ve been together for 15 years. There’s a good chance – Murphy willing – we’ll see our odometers flip together, that’d make 75 years of marriage.
Assuming we get there, we’ve got 2 more entire lifetimes in front of us.
A decade ago, my profession didn’t exist. Nearly all the companies I’ve worked for since, gone.
Assuming I’ve only really got 1 more ‘productive member of society’ lifetime left in me:
- Is the work I’m doing now what I want to be doing for another 3 decades?
- If not, what kind of work would keep me curious, interested, and fed for multiple decades?
- What can I start now, that will make my 2nd and 3rd lives less stressful and more enjoyable?
- How do I imagine for 6 decades out when I have a hard time imaging past June ’09?
I like this idea of Long Questions. However, I would warn about getting into the mindset that there are portions of any life (post-awareness) that should be spent as unproductive members of society.
As long as your mind is still functioning, you can decide to contribute through the various stages of life. Even on your deathbed, writing your memories of decades long past will provide a unique perspective to period of history where the vast majority of media wasn’t ‘user-generated-content’, and an autobiography – these details could provide crucial to the future generations understanding of our terrible mistakes and our great success. Not just your specific writings, but as a generational collection, an Alexandria in which the different sides of the story are told, not just the Winners (who write the history).
Garrick,
Hey friend. I am a few steps behind you in this process. I spent the past four days doing a lot of reflection, thinking about the “big picture”, and what I want to do with whatever is next.
Thank you for stating those four questions as they are where I am heading next.
If I stumble upon any major revelations I will be sure to share.