ANNOYINGLY......

[Guest]

Even in a country where there is daily senseless gun violence,  bat shit crazy bipartisan bickering, wars being fought, the world 🌎 I believe is still beautiful and splendid...  I read a lot of moaning and sometimes see/read a lot more negativity here than I'd like to so I thought I'd start a thread expressing positivity and asking folks to post something they're grateful for in a  world that sometimes can get us down....

[adunn1992]

The more positivity in the world, the better.

[Guest]

Just now, adunn1992 said:

The more positivity in the world, the better.

💯 dear man 🥰

[+ BobPS]

I’m grateful that I’m  enjoying a fulfilling retirement. I remind myself every day how lucky I am to be  a 70 year old who lives a very nice, happy life. So many gay men of my generation died way too young; many before they were even 30 years old. I’m grateful I avoided an early death. I’m also thankful for my friend's whether we have been friends for sixty years or six months. Finally , I’m thankful for this website. 

Edited November 2, 2023 by BobPS

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, BobPS said:

I’m grateful that I’m  enjoying a fulfilling retirement. I remind myself every day how lucky I am to be  a 70 year old who lives a very nice, happy life. So many gay men of my generation died way too young, many before they were even 30 years old. I’m grateful I avoided an early death. I’m also thankful for my friend's whether we have been friends for sixty years or six months. Finally , I’m thankful for this website. 

That's refreshing to read and it makes me happy to learn about an examined and life well lived.... and I'm grateful that our paths crossed and continue to cross 🫂😘

[+ purplekow]

This thread reminds me of sitting at the Thanksgiving table and having someone ask each of us at the table to say for what we are grateful.  The usual responses are the food, the company, good health or gratitude for many blessings in life without specification.  Soon enough, someone is stumped as to what to say or more likely how to say it and  that ends the chain as the guests start to clamor to get to the food.  

I always felt awkward at such times and I was always most grateful if the chain did not get around to me.  That was usually because I was fortunate enough to be one of those who truly have had so much for which to be grateful. I do not have an acquisitive nature.  I  set my expectations of my life in a way that I want for little and I get by with what I have.  That has always been the case.  

When I was younger, I had little and got by quite contentedly with cans or tomato soup and rice. Dinner was either a can a soup, a bowl of rice or a bowl of tomato rice soup.   I do recall being surprised  and disheartened when the price of a can of tomato soup went from ten cents a can to eleven cents a can.  I asked one of the employees of the store why that happened, and he explained to me that things change and not usually for the better, so I should get used to spending more, getting less and hoping for the best.  I decided that he was probably right and that rather than wishing it was not so, I should work hard and make sure that I was prepared no matter where life would take me,  I have found that this has served me well and for this lesson I am very grateful.    

I now am comfortable in my life.  This Thanksgiving, if I should be asked for what I am grateful, I will be able to say I am grateful to be free from the fear of hunger, and lack of shelter and for the good company I have on my travels through this life.  I am grateful for the great good fortune to have led a basically healthy life,  In addition, rather than to be stumped there, I will also be able to say I am grateful to have led a life a compassion and service.   I am grateful that I am able to help many around me who are in need and for whom a small increase in the price of every day staples is a battle rather than an inconvenience.  I am grateful that I have led a life I can look back upon with minimal regret and maximum delight.  I am grateful to have learned to look forward to the big picture rather than focusing on any temporary difficulty.  I am grateful to recognize how lucky I have been , for how well my life has worked out and for the opportunity to express my gratitude to any and all who wish to listen.  

I am grateful to The Rolling Stones, who perhaps express  it as well as any when they sing:   If you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need.  

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by purplekow

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, purplekow said:

This thread reminds me of sitting at the Thanksgiving table and having someone ask each of us at the table to say for what we are grateful.  The usual responses are the food, the company, good health or gratitude for many blessings in life without specification.  Soon enough, someone is stumped as to what to say or more likely how to say it and  that ends the chain as the guests start to clamor to get to the food.  

I always felt awkward at such times and I was always most grateful if the chain did not get around to me.  That was usually because I was fortunate enough to be one of those who truly have had so much for which to be grateful. I do not have an acquisitive nature.  I  set my expectations of my life in a way that I want for little and I get by with what I have.  That has always been the case.  

When I was younger, I had little and got by quite contentedly with cans or tomato soup and rice. Dinner was either a can a soup, a bowl of rice or a bowl of tomato soup.   I do recall being surprised  and disheartened when the price of a can of tomato soup went from ten cents a can to eleven cents a can.  I asked one of the employees of the store why that happened, and he explained to me that things change and not usually for the better, so I should get used to spending more, getting less and hoping for the best.  I decided that he was probably right and that rather than wishing it was not so, I should work hard and make sure that I was prepared no matter where life would take me,  I have found that this has served me well and for this lesson I am very grateful.    

I now am comfortable in my life.  This Thanksgiving, if I should be asked for what I am grateful, I will be able to say I am grateful to be free from the fear of hunger, and lack of shelter and for the good company I have on my travels through this life.  I am grateful for the great good fortune to have lead a basically healthy life,  In addition, rather than to be stumped there, I will also be able to say I am grateful to have led a life a compassion and service.   I am grateful that I am able to help many around me who are in need and for whom a small increase in the price of every day staples is a battle rather than an inconvenience.  I am grateful that I have led a life I can look back upon with minimal regret and maximum delight.  I am grateful to have learned to look forward to the big picture rather than focusing on any temporary difficulty.  I am grateful to recognize how lucky I have been , for how well my life has worked out and for the opportunity to express my gratitude to any and all who wish to listen.  

I am grateful to The Rolling Stones, who perhaps express  it as well as any when they sing:   If you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need.  

🥰🥹🥹🥹🥹😭🙌🏽🙏🏽 What an incredible thing to say.... thank you for sharing and reminding us all that we all can find something to be grateful for. For so many that were born into disease, famine, war, for those that drew the short straw, you remind us all that there's always something to be thankful for. Thank you for being "you" doc 🫂

[Guest]

Grateful is a pretty happy place to live 🙏🏽

[Luv2play]

I'm definitely a happy person who has had advantages but also challenges tossed at me throughout my life. I take nothing for granted but seek to grow every day by learning new things and keeping an open mind.

I'm adaptable, like meeting new people and don't let nay sayers get me down. Each day I have contributions to make to my community. I like to be constructively busy. 

I'm thankful that my health has kept up for 76 years. I have outlived the age which four of my six direct ancestors attained. Now I have the goal of reaching 88, the age my dad died. One grandfather died at 79 but that is too close for comfort. Lol.

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by Luv2play

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Luv2play said:

I'm definitely a happy person who has had advantages but also challenges tossed at me throughout my life. I take nothing for granted but seek to grow every day by learning new things and keeping an open mind.

I'm adaptable, like meeting new people and don't let nay sayers get me down. Each day I have contributions to make to my community. I like to be constructively busy. 

I'm thankful that my health has kept up for 76 years. I have outlived the age which four of my six direct ancestors attained. Now I have the goal of reaching 88, the age my dad died. One grandfather died at 79 but that is too close for comfort. Lol.

 

Well played my man..  well played 🙌🏽 As for life's ups and downs... it's just part of the human experience... we're all lucky to have been born! The odds and statistics are just not in our favor... thank you for sharing 🫂 

[CuriousByNature]

I think the difference between living happily and living joyfully comes down to whether or not we strive to be grateful in the circumstances we find ourselves in.  The important distinction is being thankful IN a given situation, not necessarily FOR a particular situation.  We all face many things in our lives that we would not wish on our worst enemies, and while we may not be thankful for those things, we can still try to remember things to be grateful for despite our present circumstances.  When the world seems to be swallowing me up for whatever reason, I have found that recounting various blessings I have experienced over the years to be an anchor that stops me from drifting further into despair.  It's easy to compare ourselves to those who seem to have everything we would want for ourselves, but it's more difficult to think of those people who have things much worse than what we have ever suffered.  I believe perspective is really important. 

And as cliche as it may sound, loving others is also key.  Not simply loving someone because they have deserved or somehow earned our love, or loving them because we want something from them.  But instead, loving others simply because you want the very best for the other person - no strings attached - even if they could never hope to deserve it.  Love as a proactive extension of yourself in creating good, not as a reactive response to something good you have benefitted from.  

 

[viewing ownly]

Going down superficial lane, I'm pleased that Hostess desserts made a comeback. It's zany to think when they were gone for a time, people were auctioning off individual Twinkies for top dollar online. And no, people weren't eating the far inferior store brand imitations instead. Bad is bad!

I'm also grateful for whoever invented mint flavored dental floss, to get to those hard to reach Ding Dong remnants in my mouth. 😜

[CuriousByNature]

33 minutes ago, viewing ownly said:

...Ding Dong remnants in my mouth. 😜

The chocolate cakes with the creamy filling, or something else with a creamy filling?

[viewing ownly]

1 hour ago, CuriousByNature said:

The chocolate cakes with the creamy filling, or something else with a creamy filling?

Two Ding Dongs and a Chocodile will do. 😋

[+ Cash4Trash]

I'm grateful for the day that 4 gay guys, already stoned were driving out to their share house in Fire Island Pines and stopped at a Hostess baked goods store. The image of 4 giddy friends pushing child sized carts up and down the aisle grabbing Ding Dongs and Twinkies stays with me today. You had to be there. 😀 

 

[Guest]

 Cheers 🥂 to all of the above! 

[marylander1940]

I'm grateful for being an American and living in this wonderful country full of opportunities. In my lifetime I've seen others join the path to happiness and prosperity becoming part of our great society!

I'm also grateful for gay rights and everything young folks now take for granted, 

[myophile]

On 11/2/2023 at 1:06 PM, Vin_Marco said:

Even in a country where there is daily senseless gun violence,  bat shit crazy bipartisan bickering, wars being fought, the world 🌎 I believe is still beautiful and splendid...  I read a lot of moaning and sometimes see/read a lot more negativity here than I'd like to so I thought I'd start a thread expressing positivity and asking folks to post something they're grateful for in a  world that sometimes can get us down....

The world needs more “annoying” optimists, big guy! 💪🏻😘

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, myophile said:

The world needs more “annoying” optimists, big guy! 💪🏻😘

I pinch myself every day for the simplest of things. I've never taken for granted the fact that I can go to the gym at any given point throughout the day 🙂 i'm exceedingly grateful for all the wonderful people I've met over the years that I still see to this day. I've received an education 10 universities couldn't give me and if people don't think I'm thankful for that they are dead wrong and outside of their minds. 🙂

[+ Charlie]

I'm grateful that I have lived long enough to do everything I wanted to do, see everything I wanted to see, and experience everything I hoped to experience, and to have known lots of great people while doing it all. If Armageddon arrives tomorrow, at least I will have no regrets.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Charlie said:

I'm grateful that I have lived long enough to do everything I wanted to do, see everything I wanted to see, and experience everything I hoped to experience, and to have known lots of great people while doing it all. If Armageddon arrives tomorrow, at least I will have no regrets.

🙌🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🥰

[Luv2play]

16 hours ago, CuriousByNature said:

I think the difference between living happily and living joyfully comes down to whether or not we strive to be grateful in the circumstances we find ourselves in.  The important distinction is being thankful IN a given situation, not necessarily FOR a particular situation.  We all face many things in our lives that we would not wish on our worst enemies, and while we may not be thankful for those things, we can still try to remember things to be grateful for despite our present circumstances.  When the world seems to be swallowing me up for whatever reason, I have found that recounting various blessings I have experienced over the years to be an anchor that stops me from drifting further into despair.  It's easy to compare ourselves to those who seem to have everything we would want for ourselves, but it's more difficult to think of those people who have things much worse than what we have ever suffered.  I believe perspective is really important. 

And as cliche as it may sound, loving others is also key.  Not simply loving someone because they have deserved or somehow earned our love, or loving them because we want something from them.  But instead, loving others simply because you want the very best for the other person - no strings attached - even if they could never hope to deserve it.  Love as a proactive extension of yourself in creating good, not as a reactive response to something good you have benefitted from.  

 

I make no real distinction between living happily and joyfully. Happily is a state of mind to me. Joyfully is perhaps an extreme of happiness. An English poet said "man is made for joy and woe". (Blake I believe). I think of happiness as the median state of a well balanced person.

[Luv2play]

As an example, I have a date tomorrow with an escort who is going to fuck me silly. That makes me happy tonight with the thought. Tomorrow I will be filled with joy. And other things. Lol

[CuriousByNature]

6 hours ago, Luv2play said:

As an example, I have a date tomorrow with an escort who is going to fuck me silly. That makes me happy tonight with the thought. Tomorrow I will be filled with joy. And other things. Lol

Who is the mystery man?

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, CuriousByNature said:

Who is the mystery man?

Hopefully one happy and joyful phucker 😜