"Eat right, stay fit, die anyway." A little snarky maybe but it's true.

Anybody remember what happened to Jim Fixx the jogging guru? Unfortunately perhaps our genes have far more to do with our life expectancy than any other single factor. Having long lived parents is the best insurance for a long life.

But, ever notice you never see elderly obese people? Smokers & drinkers ... yes. Some 100+ years is almost routine. Fat people, no, not a chance. Make of it what you will.

 

Well still not dead- so don't plan a party for me yet!

 

Me either..... but if I move much slower, it will be hard to tell.

 

Crap!! I died--- but I got better.

 

One of my friends died last week from here in town, he was a member of the car club, and had lots of neat hot rods. I knew this month would be hard already for me, with having lost my father last year on this month, but then to lose a friend nearly a year later, it will be even more difficult. My friend here in town lost his life due to a heart aneurysm. He was a great fella, really laid back and enjoyed life to the fullest. I never did ask how old he was, but was guessing he was in his later 50s. turns out he was 70. He was always so youthful and active that he carried himself like a much younger person.

 

Honestly, I believe it would be somewhat better to pass from this life at a time when I am active and able bodied rather than to out live my wife, or children. That might sound selfish, but if I point out examples like my Great Grandmother, my Grandmother, or my wife's Grandfather, their spouses left them alone years ago, few people visit, so you spend your final years staring blankly at the TV, or wall, just waiting for someone to visit, or for life to end. The days would be so long, life could be so lonely, and it just doesn't seem like much of a life to me. My Grandmother couldn't hear well, so having a conversation was really hard, she couldn't see the TV, or read anymore, so her day was just drawn out between eating and sleeping. My Great Grandmother was in a wheel chair since before I was born, and lived to be 103. While she did have a decent support group behind her, who would stop in daily to play a game of cards, she outlived all of her 9 children and their spouses. My wife's Grandfather fell in February and lost all of his independence in just seconds. He may never walk again, and his best friend died a month ago. Nearly all family members have moved out of state, and he gets one visitor once per week, some weeks. That just isn't the kind of life I want for myself.

 

It is part of life Curtis. We don't really get to choose. We lost a former neighbor several months ago. He was 80 and had serious, painful cancer that was untreatable. He walked out to his workshop and ended it. I can't really judge, but hope I don't have to face that option. I'll stick around for the long haul if I'm able to be a nuisance to you all and my family and friends.

 

The funeral I am going to today, is going to be another tough one. He was 70, and had a heart aneurism. They went in for surgery, and knocked some blood clots loose which spread through his body. Its almost like a flashback of my father, only my father did survive the surgery, just not the recovery.
My aunt died of a brain aneurism in her 30's, while she was sleeping.
It just opens my eyes to how fragile life is, and how quickly it can all be over, even when you are in the hands of the experts.
This month is especially hard for me, because it was a year ago that Dad passed, then Mike, then yesterday another one of our Car Club Member's Daughter died. I don't have details on that yet.

 

im sick of people dying already and its never the ones i want dead. stop it already.

 

It was a nice funeral yesterday. He is going to be missed. When you think of the "King of Hot Rods" in Manhattan, I believe Mike may have worn that title well. He lived and breathed Classics and Hot Rods.

 

Someone once told me you reach an age in life where God quits giving friends and starts taking them." That's why I try and never leave a bad taste in someones mouth (old Italian saying) Never pick on someone to the point of being cruel- Always in Mutual fun. In fact the more I pick on someone the more I like them. It doesn't always work out but I try to be a good person. When the President and Werid Al get up to speak at my funeral I want them to say good things :-) ha ha ha Heck since it probably will happen in the near future I hope (10-15 years) some of you will be there.

 

Well I still haven't died-- so I have that going for me

 

Keep up the good work?

After watching several friends and family die, I have determined, that when it is your time, it is your time. Sometimes you can't "Health" your way through it.

Had a 6th grade classmate die of cancer, a high school friend die in a pickup rollover, a high school classmate die in a motorcycle wreck, etc.... etc...
on the other side of that, my grandmother just passed away at 99 earlier this year, my dad died at 76, my great Grandmother died at 103..
I see the obituaries of people much older and people much younger than me.
Del and I had a good friend die about two weeks ago, that caught us both by surprise, and if I was taking bets, I would have guessed he would have lived long into his late years.

 

Somedays I think I'll live forever- then others I think its just around the corner

 

One never knows..

I had a childhood friend that went to the doctor in Beloit to complain of numbness in his leg after falling from a tractor while bailing hay. His leg was really bruised, and the doctor did xrays, and felt around on the bruise. This released some of the blood clots in the bruise that worked its way to his brain. He walked out of the doctor's office, got in his car, started it, prepared to leave, and died right there in his running car, in the parking lot of a Dr office. He was in his 20s.