Is living a quiet life hiding?

[jackfaire]

I grew up in a family of 6. My dad was in school until I was 11 then after graduating he held the follwing jobs,

Software Engineer,
Author of help manuals for software
College professor
web designer

ALL AT THE SAME FREAKING TIME.

My family has always been go go go rush rush rush. Multiple projects lots of extracarriculars, lots of traveling, and plenty of excitement. Even my life was that way up until more recently my life was an adventure.

Lately I realize my life has slowed down considerably. I don't feel the urge to travel as much and even vacations are an excuse to just laze about and catch up on my reading.

Part of me is worried that I am essentially getting old early by settling into a quiet life and should head out and adventure again the other part of me likes finally slowing down after almost 30 years of stress and adventure.

So in your opinions is living a quiet life where you relax work and live simply hiding from the world or is it just enjoying the fruits of your labor and well deserved and a good life?

[protege]

I don't think it's hiding at all.

I don't get *any* "down time" during the day. I'm literally running at full-tilt from 8-5 Monday through Friday. Many weekends, I don't even get a break. There's always yard work, grocery shopping, kitty issues, and other annoyances to deal with. When I finally *do* get the chance to slow down, I enjoy every minute of it. I'll work on my model projects, catch up on my reading, take the MG for a spin, etc.

I don't think wanting to slow down a bit is what ages you. From time to time, we all need to take a break now and then. With that said, I think that permanently sitting on one's ass is what ages. Sure, you might be in great shape physically...but the longer you sit on your ass and do nothing, the faster your mind turns into mush.

[jackfaire]

I am always challenging my mind. I surround myself with people who provide me with stimulating intellectual challenging conversations. I am also a gamer it's just all of the tihngs I would go to do museums, theater, movies, etc my city provides so no real reason to go anywhere else and save money if I stick close to home.

[blas87]

I've been trying to quiet down lately, but it's hard when your SO and your friends are still in age 21 party mode and always want to go out, call you a "hermit" because you dare want to stay in or do something more quiet instead for ONCE, and you're too wiped half of the time on your days off to even do anything.

I can hardly even work out at the gym anymore on my days off because I'm so wiped from during the week. All I want to do is sleep and veg out. I have to spend all week around screaming people and machines, do you really think I want to be in a cram packed bar full of stupid drunk people?

I think there's a difference between someone who wants to be quiet and avoid huge crowds, and someone who never leaves the house. I am not a hermit.

[jackfaire]

Yeah there is only one bar that I really like to frequent and that's because it's the kind of place where you go there or you don't. There isn't a lot of new people it's all pretty much regulars and no one is really trying to get so smashed they puke on your shoes.

[blas87]

I don't like the hole in the wall bars, but I try to stay away from hopping college bars and loud club type bars. I just like the mellow adult bars where it's not dead but not busy, and not everyone is 21.

[jackfaire]

Meh it's not a hole in the wall place just one of those places that tends to attract people to stay. Most of the people just looking for a "rocking time at a bar" go across the river cuz by definition any night spot in my city is considered automatically lame. The place is usually busy but not crowded.

[blas87]

That doesn't sound bad or hermit like. You can be a social person but hate huge crowds and loud noises.

I think people who never leave the house are weird, but I think there's nothing wrong with going out for a nice quiet evening or some chill time at a bar. It's more fun to chill out and drink anyway.

[jackfaire]

It's just so alien to the way my life was growing up.

[telecom_goddess]

I'm with Protege ...I'm full tilt from 7 to 4 all day at work, and always have a bunch of shit to do when I get home and on the weekends....cause I still have to fit in housework, grocery shopping etc. So yeah rather than go out a lot I would much rather have some down time to myself and do something quiet like read on here, watch a movie or whatever. I get really tired of having to do the type A on the run thing all the time.

[tabbyblack13]

After dealing with everything I have to do at work, going home just means I have another list of things to do. Between the gardening, painting, taking care of cats, and wanting to do my own little projects there is little time to rest.

Like Jackfaire my family is a go, go, go type of people. My mom held 2 jobs plus all of her hobbies. My dad had a fulltime job and at the same time he remodeled a lot of the house including putting in windows on the second floor while standing on an extension ladder. The famous phrase of "Don't tell your mom" was spoken at that time.

I can tell you that right now I'm suffering from burnout with everything that needs to be done. The problem is there is no time for me to recover right now. I know I need to quite down but I can't seem to stop.

[gremcint]

Hiding or not I'd love a quiet life, I really don't care to be around a lot of people most of the time and I'm perfectly happy killing time on my own but people act like I'm weird but that doesn't bother me as I'm at home having fun without having to put up with other people.

[Exaspera]

I enjoy being alone. While I do my share of socializing and traveling, I cherish the times when I can be alone with no phones, no talking-just being.

Just because I am alone does not mean that I am lonely. I feel sorry for people who need constant companionship.

[aurelemsrealm]

I tend to get very cranky and irritable if I don't get some down time every now and then, just ask my wife. I don't like big crowds, and I could easily become a hermit if left to my own devices. Even so, I do like to go out on roadtrips every once in a while as time and money permit. I often wish to win the lottery even though I hardly ever play so I could buy a deserted island to escape to when everyone is getting on my nerves.