Live for today

[RonBoyd]

OK, I'll tell anyway. The only things that bugged me were the chiggers as I could not seem to avoid getting bit. No worse that the no-see-ums that get me in Florida. But I'm a bug magnet.

Well, that's good enough for me. I moving down there as soon as I can pack.

 

[Nords]

Hey, Al's the kind of guy who'll pay retail in a few situations...

I wasn't aware that one could get a wholesale ticket-punch at these auctions...

 

[obgyn65]

Please consider donating to non profit organizations coordinating medical aid to those in need. In some parts of Latin or Central America, about $1,000 can help buy antibiotics, antifungal cream, vitamins, and BP meds for about 1,000 patients.

Donate to charity.

 

[Purron]

Please consider donating to non profit organizations coordinating medical aid to those in need. In some parts of Latin or Central America, about $1,000 can help buy antibiotics, antifungal cream, vitamins, and BP meds for about 1,000 patients.

It's amazing how a little bit of money can make a big difference in so many lives.

 

[mh]

Please consider donating to non profit organizations coordinating medical aid to those in need. In some parts of Latin or Central America, about $1,000 can help buy antibiotics, antifungal cream, vitamins, and BP meds for about 1,000 patients.

Additionally, If you are looking for charities that help here in the U.S.
for those in need:

RAM Rural AMerica Program

there was a 60 minutes episode on this organization a while back,
they seem like a worthy operation.

 

[obgyn65]

I do not wish to influence people on this board by naming non profit organizations. I volunteer with several of them. Examples of costs in El Salvador:

500 Tabletas Acetaminofén (500 mg.) $5
300 Tabletas Bactrin $27
400 capsulas amoxicilina $40
1000 Tabletas multivitamina tabletas $60
10 tubos Clotrimazol (Vag) $40
300 tabletas Antiacido $7
etc.

$1,000 = treatment for 1,000 patients

Additionally, If you are looking for charities that help here in the U.S.
for those in need:

RAM Rural AMerica Program

there was a 60 minutes episode on this organization a while back,
they seem like a worthy operation.

 

[e86s54]

I saw these guys in concert back in '77. Doug and the Slugs were the opening band.

To reinforce the point, both Ian and Doug died early. Ian at 57 and Doug at 52 I think.

 

[freedom42]

nice, a Sunbeam Alpine, and what's the other one? s600?

 

[FinanceDude]

Somehow I don't think you're referring to BJ's Wholesale Club.....

If there was such a thing, they could get quite a few charter members here...........

 

[Stevewc]

It seems that one should only visit Texas during the winter.
Never donate blood before the trip, that will happen naturally after you get there.
Anything else I might need to know?
Steve

 

[Helen]

I love this thread. There are about four different conversations going on.

 

[NW-Bound]

I was at a BJ auction. DW told me not to buy anything I couldn't live in.
I might just have come up with $65K for a Ferrari if I had known that I would be faced with more death (I'm sure my deceased friend would have bought one a year ago if he had known).

Sorry if I offend anybody, but...

If I was told I had a year to live, I would not know what I wanted, but a car, any car, would not be what I wanted. It's just a car!

I don't know what I would want. Life is more than just one thing, or two things, or even ten things. Life is not things, is it?

 

[REWahoo]

Sorry if I offend anybody, but...

If I was told I had a year to live, I would not know what I wanted, but a car, any car, would not be what I wanted. It's just a car!

I don't know what I would want. Life is more than just one thing, or two things, or even ten things. Life is not things, is it?

I absolutely agree and I'm reasonably sure most others here do as well.

The sad truth is some of us only have a year or so to live and don't even know it. Yet many of us still concentrate way too much of our time and energy on "things" - I know I'm certainly guilty in that regard. We may try to resist but end up justifying buying an RV (nolo contendere) or adding a pool, or sports car, or that vacation home on the beach.

Trying to find the right balance between overconsumption and deprivation is a life long battle.

 

[kumquat]

nice, a Sunbeam Alpine, and what's the other one? s600?

Hillman Minx

 

[W2R]

I absolutely agree and I'm reasonably sure most others here do as well.

The sad truth is some of us only have a year or so to live and don't even know it.

True, and what an upbeat post to be reading first thing in the morning.

Yet many of us still concentrate way too much of our time and energy on "things" - I know I'm certainly guilty in that regard. We may try to resist but end up justifying buying an RV (nolo contendere) or adding a pool, or sports car, or that vacation home on the beach.

Well, if you had only one year to live, there wouldn't be much sense in saving for the future.

I'm not sure what I would do if I only had a year to live and knew it (other than update my estate planning). My father loved travel, and when he found out he had terminal cancer he did some international traveling while he was still able, as well as visiting each of his children. Other than that he spent a lot of time staring at the ocean.

Trying to find the right balance between overconsumption and deprivation is a life long battle.

So few of us in the U.S. are truly deprived. We live in a culture in which overconsumption is the norm, though. Besides, it's fun. Did I really need my new Venza? Not really, but I love having it even so, just as you enjoy your RV.

 

[NW-Bound]

I absolutely agree and I'm reasonably sure most others here do as well.

The sad truth is some of us only have a year or so to live and don't even know it. Yet many of us still concentrate way too much of our time and energy on "things" - I know I'm certainly guilty in that regard. We may try to resist but end up justifying buying an RV (nolo contendere) or adding a pool, or sports car, or that vacation home on the beach.

Trying to find the right balance between overconsumption and deprivation is a life long battle.

I think my post was unclear, hence was misunderstood.

A nice car is, well, nice. I no longer care about cars, because I am interested in RV now , but I understand other people's happiness to own one, and not trying to knock it at all.

Most people agree that money spent on experience is bound to bring more happiness than possessions. That too is ambiguous, because possessions are sometimes needed to get the experiences. But if I know I have only 1 year left to live, I am not sure if I would even care to travel. I just don't know what I would care about then, but a car is the last thing I would want. Or an RV. I would enjoy many things and activities in life when I am healthy, but in sickness?

Yes, the right balance between consumption and "having to work another year" is hard to define. And exactly because we do not know if we even have a year left means we need to "live for today", like this thread title says. And if that means "working for just another year", hey, it is not so bad, is it?

Talk about working to death, I once repeated to an older colleague, a former boss actually, the statement that no one would wish to spend more time at work on his death bed. I said that was the reason I wanted to travel now. He shook his head and said that on a death bed, most patients would just wish the pain to end. That left me speechless. It is sad, isn't it?

Another thread with the title "I've Arrived" by Kyounge1956 brought to my mind the song "J'arrive" by Jacques Brel

J'arrive j'arrive
Mais pourquoi moi pourquoi maintenant
Pourquoi déjà et où aller
J'arrive bien sûr, j'arrive
Mais ai-je jamais rien fait d'autre qu'arriver​

I arrrive, I arrive
But why me, why now
Why already and where to next
I arrive for sure, I arrive
But I have done nothing other than to arrive
​

It has nothing to do with financial, and the song poetic lyrics are ambiguous but hint of the end of life, and it is more appropriate to post that here than in the other thread.

PS. Few people know that the popular hit songs "If you go away" and "Seasons in the sun" were English translations of Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" and "Le moribond".

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I absolutely agree and I'm reasonably sure most others here do as well.

The sad truth is some of us only have a year or so to live and don't even know it. Yet many of us still concentrate way too much of our time and energy on "things" - I know I'm certainly guilty in that regard. We may try to resist but end up justifying buying an RV (nolo contendere) or adding a pool, or sports car, or that vacation home on the beach.

I agree that it's all about experiences and not about things. But even that is not a bright line. While it is clearly a "thing," we bought and use our RV to experience new places, new people and a new lifestyle -- not because it's a big, intimidating, expensive item. I think that goes for every RV owner I have seen post on this board. A Prevost Rock Star bus, not so much (for me, at least).

Eye of the beholder, I guess. Or maybe the "thing" has to pass the Frankfurter test: can't define it but know it when you see it.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I'm thinking if I knew I had only a year to live I'd be investing in experiences; also, for sure I'd start smoking again if I'm just going to die anyway and hello, facelift and other cosmetic surgery, so I could be the best looking corpse ever. I might line up DH's next bestwifeever for him, too--lots of great available women out there.

 

[W2R]

And exactly because we do not know if we even have a year left means we need to "live for today", like this thread title says. And if that means "working for just another year", hey, it is not so bad, is it?

Yes, it is!!! Why spend your fleeting moments left on earth that way if you really don't have to? Who would enjoy being another megacorp slave with lots of [-]cr*p[/-] stuff to maintain and no time to enjoy it, more than the freedom of being at nobody's command but your own, free as the wind, without as much stuff?

 

[REWahoo]

+1

What W2R said.

Ditto.

Couldn't agree more.

Took the words right [-]out of my mouth[/-] off my fingertips...

 

[BTravlin]

Once we do retire and know that all is set there are many things DW and I want to do and will do but there is one thing different we're going to do and this is it. Go to local church/charity/whatever and ask if there is a young family that does everything right, works hard, lives right, plans ahead, etc but is still down on their luck and struggling. Vet them carefully and if all checks out, anonymously give them something like $10-20k. Somebody else posted a thread here about whether or not we believe in karma and this is one way to provide a little karma for somebody that deserves it.

 

[RonBoyd]

Once we do retire and know that all is set there are many things DW and I want to do and will do but there is one thing different we're going to do and this is it. Go to local church/charity/whatever and ask if there is a young family that does everything right, works hard, lives right, plans ahead, etc but is still down on their luck and struggling. Vet them carefully and if all checks out, anonymously give them something like $10-20k. Somebody else posted a thread here about whether or not we believe in karma and this is one way to provide a little karma for somebody that deserves it.

There was a TV show back when I was but a mere lad called "The Millionaire" in which a guy named Tipton did something similar... every week.

 

[Khan]

I have been giving money to individuals I thought deserved it.
They didn't come to me asking, and I have asked them to keep it quiet.

Am I hoping for 'karma'?
I don't know.

 

[W2R]

Once we do retire and know that all is set there are many things DW and I want to do and will do but there is one thing different we're going to do and this is it. Go to local church/charity/whatever and ask if there is a young family that does everything right, works hard, lives right, plans ahead, etc but is still down on their luck and struggling. Vet them carefully and if all checks out, anonymously give them something like $10-20k. Somebody else posted a thread here about whether or not we believe in karma and this is one way to provide a little karma for somebody that deserves it.

Good idea, but may I make a suggestion? Give them up to the IRS maximum, so it doesn't have to be reported. I think that is somewhere around $12K-$13K.

 

[bbbamI]

I'm thinking if I knew I had only a year to live I'd be investing in experiences; also, for sure I'd start smoking again if I'm just going to die anyway and hello, facelift and other cosmetic surgery, so I could be the best looking corpse ever. I might line up DH's next bestwifeever for him, too--lots of great available women out there.

'My, my...she shore does look purty'.....