Stoic and Epicurean Philosophy

What impressions do you have of these two groups, and what does it mean to be one of these?

The impression that I have of these two groups is that they are old, plain and simple. Realizing that I had to read forty four pages of this philosophy after looking at the reading schedule was daunting... I had to read some old, dead white man's philosophy on how to live a good life. Snooze.

Then I actually read it. Little did I know how much I knew about it. Epictetus was a wise man, redundant, yet wise. He spoke of how our attitude affects the situation, not the situation itself. That we need to realize that we cannot control most things, but to take control of the things that we can, i.e. our attitude. Reading Epictetus' work was just like reliving a scene from childhood, you know, when your mother's image pops into your head saying, "Be patient, good things come to those who wait" or "Everything happens for a reason." Wow, go Mom! I took every passage as if it were a mini lecture, and it was interesting how I could conjure up an event from my past to fit every scene. Looking back, I can see when I did and did not follow the Stoic or Epicurean philosophy... when little did I know that I was just living life.