I had a coworker who had this quote on his wall. “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”” ~Hunter S. Thompson

He seemed like the sort of guy who had really leaned in on the sex, drugs and folk music lifestyle (it was Eugene, not L.A.) He was probably in his mid-fifties and hadn’t planned on living this long, so he needed the office job to pay for his continuing existence. At this point he was overweight, had bad knees, bad skin, bad teeth, and a wicked smokers cough. While he had had various girlfriends across the United States, and Europe apparently, he lived alone and took in stray dogs and people periodically.

While I agree we should pursue experiences, try new things, and meet new people, it wouldn’t hurt to think a little about your final decades and eat a vegetable occasionally, slather on sunscreen before jumping off a cliff and maybe drink some water instead of vodka before bed. You may need your body longer than you think.