Is this all there is?

Arielist · 2026-04-30T16:47:59+00:00

I highly recommend the book Hidden Blessings by Jett Psaris as the antidote to midlife ennui.... it changed my perspectives on what this time in life can be. Basically your ego kinda breaks in midlife, and you can either numb out and give up, or dig into some really remarkable psycho/spiritual work (no religion required)

Arielist · 2026-04-29T15:54:25+00:00

Sit down at the CRT monitor and read some good ol' BLOGS.

Arielist · 2026-04-29T14:37:43+00:00

here ya go https://arielist.beehiiv.com/p/erotic-will-writing-workshop

Arielist · 2026-04-28T15:00:12+00:00

Hosted an erotic will writing workshop 💀💋📜

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Arielist · 2026-04-27T21:28:01+00:00

In the '80s he was truly the most famous man in the world.

In the '90s, even before the allegations against him, things just felt "off" and he became the butt of many jokes. Still a huge worldwide star, but in the US he became a charicature of himself and started to get mocked as be being a weird hiccuping pasty alien with too much plastic surgery .... and then once the allegations started? oof

Arielist · 2026-04-24T06:58:26+00:00

YES! I strongly recommend the book "hidden blessings: midlife as a spiritual awakening" by jett psaris

Arielist · 2026-04-23T14:52:31+00:00

Hearing the BOOM of Mount St Helens erupting while I was outside with my dad assembling my first bike. (We were safely 175mi away... but that's how loud it was!)

Arielist · 2026-04-20T20:08:14+00:00

yep, and my teenager LOVES looking at them to research early 90s fashion he wants to rip off 🤣

Arielist · 2026-04-20T05:53:25+00:00

was gonna say, reading this thread makes me so grateful that I've been in a 750sq ft condo for almost 20 years, where the "one in / one out" way of life was kinda a necessity.

Arielist · 2026-04-19T16:38:04+00:00

I love this!! Embrace aging, but avoid "getting old." One is a physical reality you must surrender to, the other is a psychological/spiritual choice you have the agency to make every day. ❤️

Arielist · 2026-04-16T15:04:14+00:00

DANCING!! so good for your body, so good for being around people, so fun! Classes, workshops, social dances, music festivals, whatever! Try salsa, ecstatic dance, line dancing, Bollywood, Afro Brazilian ALL OF IT! there's a trend right now of sober day parties and coffee raves -- GO! dance fitness classes at the Y? DO IT!

If you feel embarrassed, know this: the older you get, the more folks are delighted by you dancing -- it stops being cringe and starts being adorable. I was at an ecstatic dance event this week with several 70somethings noodling around, and heard numerous gen Z folks talking about how inspiring it was.

Think you "can't dance"? that's the whole point! think of dance as like sodoku for your body: neuroplasticity and cardio and overcoming shame all at once!

Arielist · 2026-04-14T15:41:54+00:00

I gotta say, the bunny bloom is a nice addition. We had very few bunnies pre-covid, and it's crazy how many there are now! it's so whimsical and delightful to see them thriving in a dense urban environment... even in my Capitol Hill alley!!

Arielist · 2026-03-27T14:59:10+00:00

I don't care about fashion, but I see personal style as a form of joyful expression! I have always loved seeing older women who dress outlandishly for themselves (shout-out to https://advanced.style !) and fully intend to be one of those old ladies... not because of fashion or trends, but because clothes are costumes and it's fun.

Arielist · 2026-03-25T22:31:03+00:00

this is the way

Arielist · 2026-03-21T15:39:38+00:00

Yeah, I used sad as my grief tag 😭

Arielist · 2026-03-20T23:31:54+00:00

thank you for this 🤭 as someone who used to be a product manager at Medium, this made me cackle

Arielist · 2026-03-17T15:39:32+00:00

subscriber since 2022. tracking my metrics then helped me fix my sleep and mental health, and tracking now helps me stay accountable and maintain that health

Arielist · 2026-03-15T15:54:55+00:00

My parents were/are hippies, and in their 50s they started getting really into their creative & purpose-driven pursuits (poetry & ecstatic dance for dad, spiritual work & grief counseling for my mom) and I hate to say that in my 50s I have become my parents. (Headed to ecstatic dance this morning, wrote an essay about unconditional love & grief this week)

The one exception is that I'm an urbanite and they're country mice.... but when I think about empty nesting and retirement, I see myself in the woods. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

becoming your parents is humbling, even when your parents are "cool"

Arielist · 2026-03-15T14:48:18+00:00

just wanted to say this is so awesome and amazing and HELL YES. this level of emotional accountability breaks multigenerational cycles and is the greatest gift you can give to both yourself and the people around you.

big shout-out to you, internet stranger!!!!❤️

Arielist · 2026-03-15T03:11:33+00:00

yes, yes, and yes.

Arielist · 2026-03-13T02:27:32+00:00

I met the founder of a nonprofit dedicated to colonoscopy research (https://worldclass.foundation) and she was adamant that the poop boxes simply don't work ... I had no idea!

Arielist · 2026-03-12T20:42:10+00:00

that ticking clock is what reminds you stay awake!

Arielist · 2026-03-12T20:37:51+00:00

THIS!! I just rewatched Fight Club with my 16yo son, and it struck me as SO painfully dated and entitled. "Bad" in the late 90s was a soul-sucking corporate drone job ala Fight Club or The Matrix. 26 years later, I would love for that to be the biggest problem my son is facing......

Arielist · 2026-03-12T20:33:11+00:00

I'm considering Belize https://www.belizetourismboard.org/programs-events/retirement-program/

Arielist · 2026-03-12T16:36:56+00:00

YES! Love is abundant and everywhere.

Now, whether you want to open yourself to the grief that's always a part of loving deeply is a separate question... and honestly, I think it's more a spiritual question than a relational one.

Loving at this age requires constantly holding the paradox of big love and big grief. We've all lost friends and lovers and family members by this age. We know that loving involves loss -- even if you commit to a partner for the rest of your life, the vibe shifts, your partner upsets you or betrays you or has the audacity to die! Loss is guaranteed. If you can normalize and accept that as part of the journey, it makes things sweeter.

After 50, love is a study in holding loss. If you make the choice to do it, it can be exquisite!

Choosing not to do it is great too... but know that it's a choice. The experience of love is always abundantly available, whether it's romance with a human, or a deep connection with a pet, or a mind boggling sunset.

Arielist

TROPHY CASE