Why You Should Start Living Dangerously by Pamela Francis

Not sure if you’ve noticed but, longevity is highly overrated.  Maybe it was all that Breyer’s butter almond icecream and pork rinds, or maybe it was the Johnny Walker Black, but “some of us” indulged our way into a really challenging old age that includes not being able to do anything we used to or liked to do, and having complete strangers wipe us.  Now, now, don’t go just yet…  This article gets better because I’m about to outline for you how you can avoid all that with one simple change to your usual way of thinking…

LIVE DANGEROUSLY.

Now most of us have been raised to 1. look both ways before we cross the street, 2. don’t talk to strangers, and 3. wear our seatbelts.  But having grown up in the ’70s before things like hitchhiking, and drinking and driving became illegal, and wearing a seatbelt was optional, I am a living — yes, still living — testament to the fact that none of those will necessarily kill you.  You should BE so lucky.

You CAN do things that are considered high risk, and still live to tell about it.  The bad news about this is, you WILL live to tell about it.  Ad nauseum.  To anyone who’ll listen (which will begin to dwindle down to the stranger wiping you, and the family dog, by the way).

Living dangerously works on two levels.  It gives you something fun and thrilling to do again.  I say “again” because I know I’m talking to a bunch of helmet-wearing, drivers side airbag deploying, no-gmo’s-for-me,-thanks individuals.  To you, I say, pass the gluten!  And while you’re at it, sign me up for that bungee jump I chickened out of once I became a mom.  I mean really, I’ve gotten to the point where I cringe in “I wouldn’t do that” fear when I hear about people flying to Dubai, for Pete’s sake.  Why?  All because I’ve bought in to the fallacy that living to 100 is where it’s at.  I’ma tellya it aint.  I’ve seen it now, and I know different.

So… go ahead, fly internationally on suspect Asia-based airlines no one’s ever heard of; skydive and balloon-ride with dudes who got their instructor’s licenses from an online course; dare to surf in shark-infested rumor-has-it waters.  Because the worst thing that’ll happen is… well,… you know.  ; )

Tags: #dare to die younger, #live dangerously, #the truth about living to 100, aging