This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Monday, April 20, 2020

Qualitative Life ( #AtoZChallenge )

Quality is an important component in determining worth.   If it's not good then why would I want to accept it?   That's how I would measure life:  Do my days have quality?



  Qualitative Life

        Quantity of life sounds pretty good to me--I want to live a long time if God is willing.  But quality outshines quantity for me.  Would I rather have 20 years of struggling to get by and dealing with health issues where living was mostly a chore or would I prefer five years of the best life imaginable?   I think I would opt for the latter, but even better would be the former quantity with an abundance of good times and continual new discoveries. 

         Life to me is worth living as long as I can enjoy it.   The will to live is a strong one for just about anyone.  Living however entails so much more than just breathing and the processes of other bodily functions.  Pain or discomfort is not fun--not for the average person at least.  If l can't enjoy or reasonably appreciate my life then what value does my life have.

          The will to live is powerful though.  A spark of hope resides in the infirm or unhealthy.  Maybe a cure will be found.  Maybe science will find a way to restore our diminished state to something more like how it was in a healthier youth.  When sick we want to get better.  Very few of us relish suffering.  We want life, but we want a good life.

         So that's what I'm shooting for--a good productive life.  I want to travel, spend time with those I love, and do things that I enjoy doing.  Quality for sure and quantity if that is what has been determined for me. 

         I look forward to the good life that is yet to come.  I hope there is much of that life waiting ahead for me.

       How long would you like to live?    Do you think of your life as a happy one?    What would you most like to have in order to improve the quality of your life?




17 comments:

  1. As soon as we are healthy, as you said, it's a good life. One of my grandmother was blind at the end of her life, and I guess this is what I fear the most, not being able to see the world around me.

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    1. Frederique, being blind would be really bad and so would deafness. Hopefully I'll retain those to some extent to the end.

      Lee

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  2. TRAVEL - Yes that's 1 thing I really vouch for. Doesn't matter whether we traveling within districts or outside countries- moving out of regular zone bring a new experience.

    Qualitative time should include variety & trying out new things too. And travel is one of the ways to get this.

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    1. Viyoma, I'm with you on the variety thing. My wife doesn't like trying new things or taking modest risks (like hiking a nature trail) both things I like to do. We stay home a lot now.

      Lee

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  3. If I'm going to live another forty-fifty years, I want to be healthy.
    What I'd most like to have is my twenty-something body again...

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  4. That's one of the reasons I'm a vegan. I want better quality of life in the second half, especially when I see people my age and older suffering from diabetes and heart issues.

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  5. I would like someone to share it with again.

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  6. I could use a body that works the way it did when I was 21.

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  7. Quality over quantity anyday. But I'd love to see how my children live and have a great time with my sister as really old women totally on their own!

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  8. Hi Lee!

    I think quality promotes quantity.

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  9. My mom was 97 when she passed away and I'd say only the last two years were poor quality. I would not like living through her last two years, though, as she was growing deaf, losing her sight, and had to go through getting a fractured hip repaired. Quality is an important thing to consider, that's for sure. I wouldn't want to put a number on my goal, because some things are just beyond our control. I have a very happy life and mostly just need to exercise more to feel better. Onward!

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  10. Yes, quality over quantity, but my mom is still living at 96 and doing pretty well so I'm hoping that is hereditary.

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  11. I found my quality when God said, "Enough screwing around, Chris, it is time to REALLY know Me..."

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  12. I have a good life and hope to be around for a long time to come as long as I am still with it

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  13. Lee,

    I definitely want quantity if I have quality of life. The struggles of the elderly is sad. They often lose one or more of these mobility, vision, hearing, or mental sharpness. I joke about my mind going but truly it's nothing compared to someone who's suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer's. My hearing isn't the greatest and it's made small improvements since getting tubes. I often reflect on my late FIL's hearing loss. He wore a hearing aid for much of the last three decades of his life. It was frustrating to talk with him but I it was even more frustrating for him, as I can attest to my own problems. His mind was decently sharp but he became quite frail after his wife passed. The decline was rapid but he survived for four years. I accredit this to his will to survive. The week after his 95th birthday, he went through heaven's pearly gates to be with Jesus, wife, mom, dad, and a whole lot of other family & friends. While I want to live a long time, it bothers me to think about be fragile, unable to do things, and being alone. Somethings now test my abilities which I'm not happy about but I think this will improve once I know how to fix or help the condition. Aside these inconveniences I'm working through, I'm quite healthy and active compared to those my age or even 20 or 30 years younger for which I'm not complaining but give thanks to the Lord for His goodness. I love life and I'm happy to live in God's big beautiful world for as long as He wants me. Live long and prosper, my friend! Oh yeah, thanks for hosting this shindig!

    Cathy's Pinup Girl Art Sketch Series 'Q'

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  14. I agree Arlee, quality everyday, and quite a lot of quantity too, for myself and my children. Quality time with my family also, although quantity is important to move along together in life.

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Lee