Do you consider your life simple or complicated, and whichever one it is, do you wish it were the other? You may interpret the two terms any way you like (but please define and discuss).
I consider my life very simple. I follow a no-frills routine, as I am The Original Homebody and like it that way. I work, walk my dogs, buy groceries, take one class at the community college. I belong to a book club, have lunch with my girlfriends, coffee with a friend, get my hair done, and rarely travel anymore. one day/week/month is much like the next. It’s heavenly.
When my husband (of blessed memory) was alive, we had many medical emergencies and only had about one 18-month period during our 10-year marriage with no hospitalizations. The guy I dated after he died wound up having quad bypass and eventually getting into AA.
I love my “boring” life now. Only it’s not boring, it’s simple.
Today a friend told me about her life. She works two jobs, her husband is in very poor (and declining) health at home, she has twin, middle school step-children at home, plus her grown son and his girlfriend (who is out of work), and she cooks, cleans, and takes meals to her FIL every day. The other day she fainted at work from exhaustion. That is what I would call complicated.
Your complicated/simple life might or might not be stressful or freely chosen. Options for discussion wide open.
I guess my life is complicated, as I married a very ambitious, assertive woman who is always challenging me to push myself, both in my comfort levels in trying new things, and continuing to pursue things I enjoy.
Being married is both the hardest and most rewarding accomplishment I’ve ever partaken of; in purely geeky terms its like busting your ass to get that coveted tier 8 armor set- Huge investment, huge reward. But in spite of all the frustration and stress, I’m happier knowing I’m pushing my capabilities; my wife has really challenged myself on what I thought was really possible to improve upon.
In that way my life is complicated, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing :).
I love my relatively boring simple life. It’s occasionally complicated by financial issues (in that I may not have enough cash to handle an emergency), but the general pace is comforting.
When I was a young adult, I felt my life was pretty simple: work, eat, play, sleep. I could afford the time to pursue my interests on my own terms, and I had some income to support my basic needs, plus a little extra for the fun things.
As I am getting older, I have added: marriage, mortgage, insurance, 401K and retirement, kids, schooling and sports, saving for their college, handling the passing of my parents, mentally ill brother, and of course managing a job/career that helps me provide for everyone (which, itself can be complicated).
So, yes, I think my life is more complicated than it used to be. Most of that I brought on myself as a course of adding things to my life. No regrets. I also think while I consider my life complicated, I know others have much more serious and complicated arrangements, so I try not to bitch and moan (too much).
I anticipate the days when my life resembles that of ThelmaLou - simple(er) and loving it.
Simple repetitive life. I do from time to time get over committed but clear it up fast and back to normal. I wake up in the morning build bows and arrows or any number of other projects or inventions. Evening I go home eat dinner read a bit, a little TV then to bed. I have retirement income so a job is no longer an issue.
My life is pretty complicated. Lots of kids in different stages that need different things. An elderly mother who lives nearby and has needs as well. Work is different every day, and I have lots of people I have to manage/direct, etc. I have no routine, and sleep in hotels on average 4 to 6 nights per month. Give me a quiet Saturday afternoon at home with no commitments and I’m very very happy.
For many, many years my life was very simple. I usually didn’t even have a girlfriend. Then I got married in 2006 and it got a little more complicated. Then we had a baby in 2009 and it got a LOT more complicated, which is how it is now.
Mrs Iggy and I live in different countries. We are trying to arrange an international move so we can be together. That requires job hunting in this less-than-stellar job market and immigration issues.
We deal with everyday transactions in three currencies, sometimes four. Daily business is conducted in two languages.
My job has me working days, nights, weekends, and holidays. No two successive weeks are the same. Makes planning anything difficult.
Iggyette, the kid, needs some special ed which is not provided at the schools in her country. I’ve just been informed that she will not qualify for special ed in the States where we hope to move until three years after she completes ESL courses, just in case it is a language deficiency. Doesn’t matter that she has had a full educational workup at our expense in her home country.
Add in some major health issues for me (gee I didn’t know I could bleed that much so fast!) and for Mrs Iggy (two surgeries recently) and the more everyday problems seem a bit mild.
My life is simple and I like it that way. I have a doctorate but chose not to pursue my profession in favor of staying home with my daughter. My husband recently quit his job to work for himself, and it’s going well, and he has a much lower stress level than before. All three of us are healthy. No church, no school, a few close friends. House, cars, and college are all paid off. There’s blessedly little to worry about.
My life is like a wadded up mess of fishing line in the bottom of a tackle box. I dance across water every day just to get to some solid ground. But that must be how I like it; calm would sink me.
I would say life is pretty simple. We are in good shape with regards to health and finances, and work is stimulating. Ms. DrumBum has a bit less simplicity in her life due to having to navigate the streets and shops in Luanda, but this can be mitigated with a G&T or two after dinner. The only stress we have is Miss DrumBum attending university in the US. She is in a pretty safe environment but every time we hear about another shooting we worry and have to call.
Me and husband have good but demanding jobs, we have a kid in second grade, three cats, forunately no ailing parents yet.
We have a fixed routine and by God, we need that fixed routine or things go wrong.
ThelmaLou, the exhausted lady in your OP sounds like she is in an impossible situation. In the Netherlands, she would have been given paid care-leave. In the US, she probably just is going to keel over.
I’m engaged in a neverending war vs. my spouse and in-laws to keep things simple. I love them all dearly, but I’m convinced that each of them has made it their life’s work to overcomplicate the fuck out of every single thing. Every thing. When any two of them get together to try to do something, they combine superpowers and make even going out to dinner a seven phone call, thirty-two text, three venue change, five hour ordeal. It is amazing to watch.
Simple. Since retiring, I try to take a walk every day (at a nearby mall during the winter). I do some mathematics research, write it up, eventually publish it, do a bit of housework or cooking, that sort of thing. Some traveling. To Barbados for three weeks every winter and visiting my kids who live in Boston, NY, and Seattle. This weekend the Boston contingent is visiting here. Next weekend, I am going to a small meeting in Schenectady and also giving a talk. But all very unstressful.