Sad News

[Mountain_Mike]

I just heard some sad news about Ron, a former collegue. I'm sure this kind of thing is not unfamiliar to many of you.

Ron was in the same business, but about 10 years older than I. He was kind of a mentor to me, and a friend. He retired about 10 years ago, with big plans of operating a little 20 acre almond ranch as a hobby farm. After Ron retired, we exchanged emails on about a weekly basis. After a few years, the emails started to trail off. I got busy, and had multiple challenges to deal with, so I didn't give it much thought.

Finally, about 2 months ago, I realized it had been a loooong time since I'd heard from Ron, so I shot off a quick email. About two days later, I received a reply from his wife stating that he hadn't been doing too well...been spending most of his time in bed, between dialysis sessions...

I just found out that Ron passed on.

A stark reminder. Retire as soon as you can. Embrace life on earth, and have faith for the eternal if you are able.

Ron probably could have retired years earlier than he did and had more good years on his farm. Who knows their future on this earth?

-Mike

 

[Dawg52]

That is sad. Tough day for me as well. Today is my brother's birthday and exactly 2 months to the day that he passed on. 

I totally agree with your quote "A stark reminder. Retire as soon as you can. Embrace life on earth, and have faith for the eternal if you are able. "

 

[fire5soon]

A coworker of mine just passed last week. He was only 32 yrs old and had a stroke. It really does make you think about things.

I'm sorry for both of your losses.

 

[johnlw]

Last year, one of the guys I worked with on a day to day basis (someone younger than me) died. When I received the news, it felt like someone had hit me.

The day he died, we were both on a stupid conference call together. His last day on earth was spent dealing with corporate BS.

Something like that makes you focus on what's really important.

John

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I used to work primarily with two other managers. One discovered cancer too late and was gone within a matter of months. He was in his late 30's. A few years later, the other retired early around 52. Not early enough; he also was diagnosed with late stage cancer and lasted only a little over a year.

Both left wives and children behind who hardly ever saw them, and when they did, saw a stressed out, tired man.

I cant remember ever second guessing my decision.

 

[retire@40]

For some it does take a tragedy like this for them to understand that the purpose of life is not to work at a job you don't like.

I know I am preaching to the choir, but for those of you that might be lurking, life is short.  Don't "waste" your days doing what you don't enjoy.  Don't give your life to a "boss" who steals the best hours of your day.  Don't let work condition you into thinking you are stuck doing what you have always done.

Breakaway and give yourself time to think.  There are more fun and gratifying things to do in life than you can imagine.  Don't end up being an eighty-something sitting in a wheelchair thinking of all the things you wanted to do and could have done 40 years ago.

 

[Eagle43]

Carpe Diem!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah, watch out for those asian carpe's too...

 

[BUM]

-Mike,

You touched a nerve. When I was a sales rep I had a few "lobby buddies", guys who where coincidentally on the same biorythems and schedules as me. Every other Tuesday I would see Fred in the same customer's lobby at the same time FOR YEARS! So we became friendly. Fred was 15 years my senior and looked weatherbeaten but resilient and a mentor-like sales prorfessional. One Tuesday Fred told me he was retiring and he and Blanche would finally have a life outside of sales. Fred and Blanche were headed for Arizona. Blanche died suddenly before any of these plans could be implemented. Fred's off the scope. Nobody's heard from him. I miss him. This is perhaps Life's crulest joke. Live for today...

 

[Lazarus]

This is an early retirement forum. The posts on this thread make me think that the focus is too narrow. I think most of us here are trying to live life to the fullest. ER is just a part of what we are trying to accomplish. Having FIRE enables us to be free and do what we want. But there is no guarantee that we will be here tomorrow to enjoy it. So I think we have to strike a balance between living today and planning for tomorrow.

I had a recent experience that drove it home to me. I received my notice that my 30 year class reunion was this summer. Included in the note was a list of people they could not locate. Two of them were a brother and sister that lived next to me when we were growing up. I thought, I can locate them on the internet. I was able to locate the sister and her phone number and made plans to call her and find out her brothers number. The brother and I were friends all through High School. I told my Dad of my plans to call and ask about the brother. He called me a day later and said he saw the obituary of the brother in the newspaper. He died within a day of the time I decided to look him up.

It’s later than you think.

Sorry to all for their losses.