Live Life to the Fullest — Time Waits for No One

Photo from Gunwerks Sheep Mountain L3 Mountain Shooting Course in July 2021. Register Here.

Carpe Diem — “Seize the Day”. Make every day count…

This story is not directly about firearms, or reloading gear, or any of the little details of our sport. It, instead, is about life… and, sadly, about death. The recent passing of a close friend (and fellow shooter) got me to thinking, “I’m now sixty-eight — what if I only had ten more years to live — how would I want to live my life? What really counts the most? What things would I do differently? What dreams would I pursue?”

AccurateShooter.com has many thousands of readers in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. Hopefully we will all live long, happy, and fruitful lives. But it’s wise to remember that we are all mortal, and the clock is ticking. Consider this — in the United States, the current average male life expectancy is just 73.5 years.*

Using that number as a benchmark, since I am now 68, I may have just 5.5 more years to enjoy life and to do the things I love — shooting, traveling, sailing, camping, listening to music, being with friends and family. Only 5.5 years left — that’s a real number my brain can comprehend all too well, particularly after all the time we lost due to COVID lockdowns.

There is some good news — American actuarial tables predict that, since I’ve made it to 68 years already, I should live until age 83 — as the predicted life-span of a 68-year-old American male is 14.9 years. And the Social Security Life Expectancy Calculator says that I should live another 16.8 years until nearly age 85. Well 16.8 years works out to 201.6 more months, and 876 more weekends. That’s less scary, but the message still rings true — time is running out. Live your dreams while you can.

Living a Life with More Good Times, and Fewer Regrets

Recently, a group of men, very near the end of their lives, were surveyed. They were asked if they would do things differently if they could live their lives over again. The vast majority of these men gave surprisingly similar responses, which fit into five “Life Lessons”. These “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” were reported in a story by Bronnie Ware, writing for the AARP online magazine. Ware writes: “When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced.” Here are the five regrets most often mentioned by older men:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. ”

Lesson: Don’t wait to follow your dreams. Be true to yourself.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
“This came from every male patient [surveyed]. All of the men… deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”

Lesson: Don’t let your work crowd out other important aspects of life.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming.”

Lesson: Express yourself truthfully. Don’t suppress your feelings for decades.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
“There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort they deserved. Many [were] so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years.”

Lesson: Take an interest your friends’ lives; keep bonds of friendship strong.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
“This is a surprisingly common [regret]. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice.”

Lesson: Affirmatively pursue the things that bring you happiness. Don’t just stick to old habits.

Turn Off the Computer, and Do Something Memorable with Your Friends Today
How does this all apply to our shooting hobby? Well, if (like me) you are middle-aged (or older), go have some fun this weekend! Load up your rifle and get to the range. Don’t put off doing the things that make you happy. Call those old buddies you may not have seen in a long time. Renew friendships. Get out into nature. And start figuring out how you can live your dreams. As the saying goes, “Time waits for no man”.

*This is based on 2021 World Bank Group Data for all males. One of our readers pointed out that the numbers actually work out better than this, because once a man survives to later life, men of his surviving age cohort enjoy a projected lifespan longer than the average projected lifespan from birth. For example, using Social Security Administration (SSA) data, an American man born exactly 60 years ago has a calculated average life expectancy of 20.47 years… meaning he would live to age 80+, on average. CLICK HERE to see SSA-predicted longevity based on your birthdate.