Photo from the Gunwerks Sheep Mountain L3 Mountain Shooting Course, July 2021. Register Here. Carpe Diem – “Seize the Day”. Make every day count…This story is not about firearms or reloading equipment or any of the small details of our sport. It is more about life…and, sadly enough, death. After the recent death of a close family friend (and fellow gunner), I began to think, “I am now sixty-eight – what if I had only ten years left to live? How would I live my life?” What is the most important thing? What would I do differently if I could? What dreams would I pursue?” There are thousands of AccurateShooter.com readers in their 50s and 60s. We all hope to live long, happy and fruitful lives. It’s important to remember that everyone is mortal and the clock is running. In the United States, men have a life expectancy of 73.5 years. * Using this number as a reference, I have 5.5 years left to enjoy my life and do the things I enjoy — shooting, travelling, sailing, camping and listening to music. Only 5.5 more years — that’s something my brain can grasp, especially after all the time lost due to COVID locksdowns. The good news is that American actuarial table predicts that I should live to age 83, as the life expectancy of a 68 year-old American male is predicted at 14.9 years. The Social Security Life Expectancy Calculator estimates that I will live another 16.8 more years, until age 85. 16 years is 201.6 months and 876 weekends. It’s not as scary, but it still rings true: time is running out. Live your dreams now. A Life with Fewer Regrets and More Good Times Recently, a group men nearing the end of their life were surveyed. The men were asked if there was anything they would change if given the chance to live their lives again. The majority of men had surprisingly similar answers, which could be grouped into five “Life Lessons”. Bronnie Ware reported on the “Top 5 Regrets” of the Dying in an article for the AARP magazine. Ware writes that “when asked about any regrets or things they would do differently, there were common themes.” Here are the top five regrets of older men. I wish I had the courage to live my life according to what I wanted, and not what others wanted.
“This was by far the most common regret.” It is easy to see that many dreams were not fulfilled when people realize their lives are almost over. “Lesson: Don’t delay in following your dreams. Be true to yourself. 2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
“This was the response of every male patient [surveyed]. All the men… regretted spending so many years on the treadmill of work. Lesson: don’t let work take over your life. 3. I wish I had the courage to speak out about my feelings.
Many people suppressed feelings to keep peace. They settled for a mediocre life and never became the person they were capable of becoming. Lesson: express yourself honestly. Don’t suppress feelings for decades. 4. I wish I’d kept in touch with friends.
Many people regret not giving friendships enough time and effort. Many [were] caught up in their lives and had allowed friendships to slip over the years. Lesson: Take a keen interest in your friends’ lives, and keep friendships strong. 5. I wish I had been happier.
“This is an incredibly common [regret]. Many people did not realize that happiness is something that can be chosen until the very end. Lesson: Be positive and pursue the things that make you happy. Don’t stick to your old habits. Turn off the computer and do something memorable with your friends today
How does all this apply to our hobby of shooting? If you’re like me, and in your middle age (or older), have some fun on the range this weekend. Load your rifle and head to the range. Do the things that bring you joy. Call up old friends you haven’t seen in a while. Renew friendships. Get outside and enjoy nature. Start figuring out what you can do to live your dreams. Time is a thing that does not wait for anyone. *This is based upon 2021 World Bank Group data for all males. One of our readers noted that the numbers are actually better because, once a man has survived to later life, the men of his cohort have a projected lifetime longer than the average projected from birth. For example, a man born exactly 60-years ago in the United States has a calculated life expectancy of 20,47 years. This means that he will live to an average age of 80+. CLICK HERE to find out your SSA-predicted life expectancy based on birthdate.
