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@siam that’s a really thought provoking post. You’ve clearly spent a lot of time thinking about this snd drawn some deep conclusions.
Not wanting to challenge, but a question if you don’t mind …. We often talk about people dying with Covid or of Covid. This situation here, was it all the Covid stuff, or was he mentally not well and anything could have triggered it?
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@majorrage said in Happiness Scale:
@siam that’s a really thought provoking post. You’ve clearly spent a lot of time thinking about this snd drawn some deep conclusions.
Not wanting to challenge, but a question if you don’t mind …. We often talk about people dying with Covid or of Covid. This situation here, was it all the Covid stuff, or was he mentally not well and anything could have triggered it?
It just can't be discounted as a relevant variable. Nick was anti vax. He didn't trust the safety mantras and he was as fit and healthy and strong a 50 year old as we'll ever meet. Overwhelmingly, statistically, he would have sailed through covid.
He'd talked about and suffered from depression for decades and finally did suicide during covid. We talked endlessly about covid and the bleak future the world faces. The illogical and inconsistent legislations. He just wanted to be left alone on his self sufficient farm. He didn't want the vaccine and was depressed about his newly given status in society.
We also talked a lot about his depression before covid came about.
There is no doubt that the lack of covid transparency and the free floating anxiety that everyone feels was one of many straws that broke the camel's back.
If the slight presence of viral DNA is a legitimate cause of death to an 85 year old with, dementia, renal and heart failure, then the society wide response to covid is also a cause of death for Nick.
Also add that access to his hospital and counsellor and ketamine treatment has been stopped and suddenly the society reaction to covid is an obvious variable
Chalk up another who died in the presence covid, or because of covid. Certainly a covid related death.
Thanks for asking, rage. It could have been other triggers, sure. I'll never know but I do know he was very anxious about the turn the world has taken over 2 years. He would have survived covid, but I think the authorities reaction to covid had a big role in his death
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Oh yeah, and don't think I haven't noticed that my friends are killing themselves😉.
Surely it's not me....😁
Always remember, humour and comedy are vital ingredients in the mourning process. It distracts your mind from utter grief for a moment at least and resets emotions and perspectives 😁👍
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@siam said in Happiness Scale:
A slight revelation for the 24th guy was that we had a good weekly catch on the 17th. He was in good form and looking back he had too much of a carefree demeanour. This is likely the change of mood the experienced talk about when the deceased resolved to commit suicide and there's a euphoric reaction that all the hurt is about to be over. All the troubles won't have to be dealt with again, everyday.
I have often heard this in the way too many suicides I have responded to. Those that know the deceased saying he/she seemed so happy all of a sudden. Like they have made a decision and a great weight has been lifted off their shoulders.
Interestingly I was talking to a colleague following a suicide the other day. He is well read on the topic of euthanasia. I haven't read it for myself, but he said in euthanasia programmes where the subjects are given a pill to take when they feel time is right for them to go, subjects are reporting an improvement in the way they feel. Some don't end up taking the pill.
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Mate , no words for your troubles.
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@catogrande said in Happiness Scale:
Mate , no words for your troubles.
Thanks mate, I know exactly what you're trying to convey.
But we must be careful not to mythologise death, in all it's forms. We must treat this imposter just the same as all parts of life - triumph and disaster.
We must stand tall and verbalise it.
Swallow the hurt and confront it with an unturned head.
Throw the words around with no fear, that's the route to clarity and improvement.
Words are essential in everything. Hell, words are the only known antidote to suicidal feelings.But thanks Cato, it is shitty, and like all shitty deaths we must turn our attention to those left behind and harbour only good will and understanding to the deceased.
Life is a challenge filled with shitty things and is to be met courageously with head held high - especially when that's the hardest thing to do🙂
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Two days riding in Victoria's high country covering 1000km with mates is a good way to close out the year.
Here's to some sanity in 2022. 🍾🍻
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@antipodean said in Happiness Scale:
Two days riding in Victoria's high country covering 1000km with mates is a good way to close out the year.
Sounds like heaven.
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Off to Turkey 03-13 January
Skiing
First assignment for Fall Line ski magazine here in the UK
Jonny Richards (no relation) writing the words, me taking the pics.
Very excited
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@majorrage said in Happiness Scale:
I was todays years old when I learned you could go ski-ing in Turkey.
Let us know what it's like. Not been to Turkey before and would love to go there to do something different.
Will do
Got the title of the feature already
Turkey, It’s Not Just For Christmas
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Having travelled at least a few times a year at least, biggest happiness impact has been the Covid on international travel. I have family in NZ, inlaws in Hong Kong and love the beaches in Asia. Sigh.
We've managed to get away to Greece (2020) and Portugal (2021 with lots of testing costs) which is keeps me sane but still ...
- Hong Kong, forget it - 3 week hotel quarantine still. Crazy
- NZ - waiting for it to open up, sometime soon
- Asia ... still Covid paranoid. Thailand is pretty closed bar Phuket "sandbox". Philippines (Bohol, Boracay etc) is closed for non-residents.
Some things you just take for granted until you can't access them. I'm vaxxed, boosted but at some point the world has to deal with Covid being a reality that's not going away
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@l_n_p Yup. Oversaes travel keeps me sane and these years we are missing were the ones I was planning to do the harder travel before I enter my dotage.
If I could I would be off tomorrow irrespective of any bloody virus. It's now coming up to three years stuck in NZ and even in 2019 only had a week in the Cooks which would not have been my choice but was a family thing
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@dogmeat Yeah, lived long-term in Asia and Europe, been based in London for over a decade now ... part of my life for almost 30 years has been travel - that you can head overseas over long-weekends (city-breaks, cheap travel), summer holiday "wherever", and break up the long/dark/cold winters here too by heading somewhere sunny over the Xmas holiday if you want
Yeah it will all return over time ... but current reality is still that "the wider world" now seems smaller and a lot more inaccessible than a few years back
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I do think that where you are in life is really impactful in how this lock down shit has been. If you're in your late teens early twenties you will be missing out on some of the rites of passage which really sucks salty balls. If you're in that winding down/coming to/at retirement, it has really fucked with some important years as well. Not just in the "what can I do" scenario but also how this has affected people's earnings, business plans, exit strategies etc. No-one has had it easy, but it has fucked over some more than others.
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im not designed for summer, hanging out be able to get back to canada or japan easily and go skiing....or just sit buy a fire drinking
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@catogrande Totally - sharing from experience as my daughter had her last school year through to September here in the UK ... not just that the 2021 teens had quite a few months of on-line teaching, but the kids missed out on lots of the normal "final year" social side stuff - normal parties, school ball later in the year etc
With all the disruption there was actually far more academic pressure here - uncertainty on how they'd be assessed, schools set internal exams, more self-assessment. And then university places were tighter as many from the 2020 year before had deferred a year. Universities had to manage the admissions chaos meaning top Unis & popular areas had fewer places to offer ... many sent out their offers weeks later than normal, and were very conservative - preferred candidates from schools with proven track records etc
So some really smart kids really missed out and of course many of these have now ALSO decided to defer a year. Either because they want to re-apply, or because Unis offered them a place but only for the following academic year. Mine got what she targetted i.e. Uni and college choice but f_ck me it was a huge stress on our whole family
I have told her to have a blast and enjoy the social life her first year at Uni ... she does seem to be taking me at my word!!
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@catogrande Yup. I would dearly like to be part of the great resignation but investment return has dropped and remains uncertain and the things I want to do are limited so might as well suck it up.
Met a mate for a few beers last weekend. Known him since 2nd year at Uni so a lifetime. Always been envious as he truly loves his job. Uni Prof acknowledged globally as expert in his field with his own company for the last 25 years that allows him to monetise his expertise as well.
We only catch up a couple of times a year. Man has Covid changed his outlook on life. He is talking about walking away from his company. Effectively just seeing out current contracts and shutting the door. I thought he would put a Manager in and milk it for life. Same with Uni - he hasn't had to teach much for the last decade 'just' writes books and goes on the lecture circuit. Figured he'd keep that up as well. Certainly that was his plan 12 months ago.
Now - he wants to cash everything up and become a beach bum. He's even adopted the surfer dude look. Covid has him questioning what is important in life and he's decided work (which he always said was fun and something he'd do even if he didn't get paid) isn't of value any more.
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@dogmeat I hear that. I pulled pin on Job last year to take a time out. Have ended up contracting back to them but have decided that I would be happy earning less salary for more me time.
Looking at a job locally currently and I must admit it excite me to be getting away from massive corporate type of role to a medium less corporatie job (if I get it)
Happiness Scale
