Entry tags:
Eighth Salon: Quality of Life
Welcome to our eighth salon discussion thread. Wander in, invite a friend to come along, and chat! (Not sure what's going on? Here, have a brief FAQ.) You can find previous ones in my salon tag. Please take a quick look at the reminders at the bottom of this post, too.
Quality of life: what does it mean for you?
I was thinking, walking home from work the other day, that there's a lot of different kinds of things that make up quality of life, the "This is a good day" and "I like how I'm living".
In my current job, I don't make much money (especially given the amount of education required). But I live half a mile from work, in a gorgeous rural New England town where pretty much every view could be on a postcard. (And that's before you get to anything significantly scenic.) There's a downtown grocery store with local produce, and farmer's markets, and all sorts of other things.
I have a job that I mostly leave at work (I mean, I keep thinking about technology and libraries and information pretty much all the time, but that's because I love it, not because I have to bring work home). I have the world's most endearing and adorable cat.
But I also know that these things aren't necessarily what other people would choose (or what I'd choose at other points in my life, or if I lived in a different place, or had more money to play with.)
Things I'm watching: I'm currently rewatching season 3 of Doctor Who (I've been a fan since before I knew you could be: I grew up watching Tom Baker from under a chair in the living room.) Tonight, I'm going to go see the Joss Whedon Much Ado About Nothing for the second time so I can go with a friend (and because, on the whole, I would like to encourage people to do more projects of that kind.) What're you watching? Why is it interesting to or fun for you?
(This means I'll be out from 5ish until 9:30ish tonight. I assume you can all manage in my absence.)
Quick reminders
-![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jjhunter did a great guide to following conversations here on Dreamwidth. Also a roundup of regular Dreamwidth events.
- If you want to post anonymously, please pick a name (any name you like) that we can call you - it makes it more conversational and helps if we have more than one anon post.
- Base rule remains "Leave the conversation better than you found it, or at least not worse". If you're nervous about that, I'd rather you say something and we maybe sort out confusion later than have you not say something. (I've heard from a few people who worry they're going to say something that's going to be taken weirdly. If it helps, I am usually around and if there's a thing you'd like to get out in the conversation, but you're not sure how, feel free to PM or email or IM me, and I'll nudge the conversation that direction.)
- The FAQ still has useful stuff, and I added some thoughts about getting conversations going a few weeks ago.
- Comments tend to trickle in over the course of a day or two, with a few nearly a week later: you might enjoy checking back later if you're not tracking the conversation.
Quality of life: what does it mean for you?
I was thinking, walking home from work the other day, that there's a lot of different kinds of things that make up quality of life, the "This is a good day" and "I like how I'm living".
In my current job, I don't make much money (especially given the amount of education required). But I live half a mile from work, in a gorgeous rural New England town where pretty much every view could be on a postcard. (And that's before you get to anything significantly scenic.) There's a downtown grocery store with local produce, and farmer's markets, and all sorts of other things.
I have a job that I mostly leave at work (I mean, I keep thinking about technology and libraries and information pretty much all the time, but that's because I love it, not because I have to bring work home). I have the world's most endearing and adorable cat.
But I also know that these things aren't necessarily what other people would choose (or what I'd choose at other points in my life, or if I lived in a different place, or had more money to play with.)
Things I'm watching: I'm currently rewatching season 3 of Doctor Who (I've been a fan since before I knew you could be: I grew up watching Tom Baker from under a chair in the living room.) Tonight, I'm going to go see the Joss Whedon Much Ado About Nothing for the second time so I can go with a friend (and because, on the whole, I would like to encourage people to do more projects of that kind.) What're you watching? Why is it interesting to or fun for you?
(This means I'll be out from 5ish until 9:30ish tonight. I assume you can all manage in my absence.)
Quick reminders
-
jjhunter did a great guide to following conversations here on Dreamwidth. Also a roundup of regular Dreamwidth events. - If you want to post anonymously, please pick a name (any name you like) that we can call you - it makes it more conversational and helps if we have more than one anon post.
- Base rule remains "Leave the conversation better than you found it, or at least not worse". If you're nervous about that, I'd rather you say something and we maybe sort out confusion later than have you not say something. (I've heard from a few people who worry they're going to say something that's going to be taken weirdly. If it helps, I am usually around and if there's a thing you'd like to get out in the conversation, but you're not sure how, feel free to PM or email or IM me, and I'll nudge the conversation that direction.)
- The FAQ still has useful stuff, and I added some thoughts about getting conversations going a few weeks ago.
- Comments tend to trickle in over the course of a day or two, with a few nearly a week later: you might enjoy checking back later if you're not tracking the conversation.
no subject
I'm not where I want as far as quality of life, but part of this whole school thing is to help get us to a place where we *do* have what we need and some of what we want. And I'm finding as I'm changing from one kind of life to another that some of what I consider most important is shifting a bit as well.
I do have a lot of what makes my life good, though. I have a wonderful Honey that I adore and who fits me really well - and who understands my eccentricities and thinks they're cute, or at least not overly annoying. I absolutely must have time and space to hermit. I am an extreme introvert, but part of the work that drives my passion involves working with other people. The only way I can do this without going crazy (or crazier, actually) is to regularly take time away from the world where I can just be in my own head, with my own projects, and not deal with anyone else. Even Robin sometimes.
I need light, and food that feeds my heart as well as my body. I need books and stories. I need my projects. I need access to friendly trees to hug, and regular visits to "living water" - a healthy creek or stream that I can put my feet and hands in. I need to be able to drive. Driving with Robin with our tunes is my best way to de-stress (double so if it's through the mountains), and it's our favorite talking time. I also need to do my religious Woo regularly. Working with the particular critters that I do isn't a choice for me - if I don't deal with them in a way that works for all of us, they will drive me to the not functional in consensual reality level of crazy. (Not intentionally, I don't think, but as a side effect of Other Stuff.)
We'll be moving next May, and that will bring a lot more of our "quality" bits that we've been low on back. A brighter apartment. A less stressful school schedule. A bigger college community. More mountains to explore. Less Vol Orange. Now if I could just manage to wiggle a trip to Disney in there....
Overall, while there are things I certainly complain about, my life is pretty good. I am loved. I am working towards doing work that I've been passionate about for decades - and I'm doing pretty well in school, too. I have an internship that appreciates me and that I feel I am making a difference for others in. Money gives me ulcers right now, but that's a short-term thing until one of us is done being poor students. And it's all good.
no subject
Yes, yes, yes to trees and to living water - I have gone on (slightly incoherently) above about why landscape is so important to me.
I am glad that things are going broadly well for you.