The Happiest Guy In The World

Simple living, extreme early retirement, becoming and being wealthy, wisdom, praxis, personal growth,...
Jason

Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by Jason »

@SWB - I do think there is something particular to retiring in Florida i.e. God's Waiting Room both in actuality and stereotype. The retirees depicted in this documentary were generally East Coast Jews, children of those displaced by early 20th century European events who grew under that penumbra. In other words, yentas who don't stop fucking whining even when good things happen.

However, I think there was a universal dimension to the documentary, that the vanity, pettiness and idiocy created by the profound longing for companionship and connection does not end until one dies. It's generally junior high school minus the bone density.

(@) Seppia - I agree. He seems to be trying to convince himself.

SavingWithBabies
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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by SavingWithBabies »

@Jason Yes, exactly. I got some glimpse of that when my Grandpa went to the assisted living home for the last year or just a slightly longer of his life. He made it to about 94-95 on his own living in a house he built (he did that for a living basically -- one house at a time in Wisconsin). But by the time my Grandpa went to assisted living, he was already pretty far up there so I didn't get as big a glimpse behind the curtain as that video gave. My wife and I are both hoping one or both of our parents will be able to lean on us and/or live with us later in life. I've even thought about building a house with a walkout basement with two potential apartments on each side on the bottom. This is in my "oh my, I really overshot and there is still time to do it scenario" which is somewhat unlikely (and my wife pointed out at a certain point, just a bedroom is needed). The documentary only made me want to make it possible for them to stay closer to family even more. It's true we all have our lives but I guess I lean more towards the Japanese style with extended family living together. It certainly has it's downsides and potential complications however I'm not seeking the easiest life possible. And perhaps if we do as our parents (well, some of our parents) did, our kids will do the same for us :).

@Seppia Yes! Whenever someone has to repeatedly say something out loud, one begins to suspect perhaps the affirmation is more hope than reality.

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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by jacob »

Or maybe ... just maybe ... it's a random quote taken out of context and made into a headline to serve as clickbait?! Or maybe it's a quote that a random online forum decided to attach undue significance to and proceed to analyze and discuss to death... instead of the quote about not having to do laundry and other mundane stuff.

We don't really know, do we?

That's why there's rule #6 for these forums.

SavingWithBabies
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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by SavingWithBabies »

True. Point taken. And thanks for keeping this forum civil. I reread the rules as it has been a while.

I also think his talk of dispatching himself when his health fails was pragmatic. I don't know if I could do it myself however I think we should all have the freedom to live or end our lives as we wish as long as it doesn't harm other people (which gets awfully complicated of course).

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Seppia
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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by Seppia »

@jacob: I inferred from the video, where he says it like three times, and mostly from the way he says it.
Of course we "don't really know", it was a deduction.
I didn't think I was carrying a pitchfork, just made an innocent observation.

Jason

Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by Jason »

I got the same feeling that Sepia did. The Happiest Guy In The World does seem to have little reservations about jumping off the boat.

I guess the only way to find out is to give him a guest blog entry on the home page.

Nomad
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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by Nomad »

I think he has become institutionalised and thinks that bartenders and staff employed to serve customers are actually his friends. I actually felt sad for him.

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jennypenny
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Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by jennypenny »

I don't see his situation as much different than someone who goes into assisted living or a planned retirement community. Yes, those people are being paid to be there but it's the social interaction that's most important for his well-being.

I also didn't read much into his comment about stepping off the boat. Lots of people here have talked about having an exit strategy or stepping in front of a bus if they get a terrible disease. At least his plan is more environmentally friendly and doesn't leave a body for his family to deal with.

Jason

Re: The Happiest Guy In The World

Post by Jason »

I know JLF doesn't like this type of conversation and I respect that, but the point remains, that well, I do enjoy it. And I don't think it's inappropriate because Super Mario put himself out on Front Street when he agreed to all this publicity. In my mind, all bets are off at that point. He's now a public figure and subject to people like myself with two much time on their hands arm chairing him. Plus, I like to speculate on the personal side of it. That being said, I'm thinking Super Mario was not exactly the most beloved guy after he walked ass backwards out of the primordial ooze, learned to stand upright and then started roaming the earth. I'm thinking most of his relationships were of this nature. There are plenty of people like that. He seems to have put himself in a place where he doesn't have to worry about intimacy and he can keep everything at a comfortable distance and he can just blow hard without any commitment. He just seems like your everyday type of sad schmuck guy who is perfectly happy just listening to himself talk and content to walking the plank when the pancreatic cancer diagnosis comes in. Do I think he's the happiest guy in the world? No. Is he the type of guy I would want to spend time with? Fuck no. But his lifestyle does intrigue me. I'd personally rather sit in a boat watching Vanna White turn letters than drive a luxury RV all over America pointing out cows and stopping to stare into big holes in the earth or the mountain carved visages of a bunch of ex-politicians. I'm guessing that doesn't reflect well on me but I've grown to accept that I'm at the core like a really lazy guy.

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