Sense of mortality

[tryan]

A good friend just lost his grandfather a few days short of 101. He had been deaf and blind for a VERY long time but his mind was sharp.

My friend's father (GD's son) is EXHAUSTED. Nearly daily trips to see his father. At 72 he has NOT lived his own retirement. Never traveled .... limited his hobbies to home activities. Now he's unmotivated to spend his inheritance (a 7 figure number).

There are worst things than death .... need to think about who you TAKE DOWN with you.

 

[Walt34]

Close calls? Wow, so many I sometimes wonder why I'm still alive. Almost run over by a car at age 5. Crashed a motorcycle at age 17, being stupid. No body suit, no helmet, it's a wonder I didn't crush my head on a curb. Bad case of road rash was it, and that heals quickly when you're 17.

29 years a police officer. More close calls than I can count and probably some I don't even know about like the time I stopped a guy for some traffic violation and gave him a warning. Found out later if I'd come back with a ticket he'd have shot me. Stuff like that.

Randomness is like that.

 

[jon-nyc]

I had a ticket on a US Air flight in September of 94 that crashed. A client moved a meeting, so I didn't take the flight. I had taken the same flight on the same day the two previous weeks.

September 11th, 2001 I was registered at the Risk Waters conference in Windows of the World, WTC 1. I had a mid morning conference call, which I decided to do at home and go late to the conference. No one at the conference survived.

I had other traffic close calls, but those two really stand out for the pure randomness that almost put me there, then didn't.

 

[6miths]

Definitely reflect on this now and then. Was brought into focus in 2008 when one of my best friends from grade school died at 48 and again this past June when another good friend from high school died. The former friend had suffered from asthma through his youth and was somewhat frail but the latter was our high school valedictorian and a great athlete. Many good reasons to try to make the best of each day and count all my many blessings.

 

[6miths]

I'm glad to see this thread. Acknowledging our mortality is essential to making the most of life.

The media love to emphasize how lifespans are getting longer. I think that's left many with the impression that we're going to make past 100 (looking great and in good health), although that's far from the truth.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average life expectancy in 2011 was 76 for men and 81 for women in the U.S. But, of course, you can't live by averages...

Definitely can't live by 'averages' especially when you consider that the longer you live, the longer you live. That is to say that the 'average' is lowered by those of your cohort who have died before you. So once you survive to 50 or 60 or 70, your 'average' life expectancy gets further and further above the average for your cohort at birth.

 

[38Chevy454]

My sense of mortality hit when I lost both of my parents in a 2 year span. They lived a very full and joyful life. That was a couple years ago and I have never been the same. I accepted the passing of the torch from my father to me as a husband and father. In his last days, my father, said to take care of my health and everything else will be fine. He said that he had a great life and challenged me to have an even better one. I accepted that many of my best attributes (looks, sense of humor, etc) came from my mother. My mother had dementia but she always smiled when I walked into the room and that's all we needed together.

What I struggle with is what others have previously said, through their passing I had finally realized I was not going to live forever and in fact have less time in front of me then behind me. However, maybe their passing is the natural wake up call for me to not wish my life away but finish strong. As my user name says, it's all about Balance. Learning from the past, Planning for the future, but living in the present. It's the Journey not the destination that counts

Very similar for me. Both parents passed way 18 months apart about 2.5 years ago. I was only 48 oldest sibliung, and my youngest sister only 36. She made the comment "I am too young to not have my parents around". That kind of struck hard, not that I could change it, but it *was* too young for your parents to be gone. Even for me at 48, being the new head of the family was a pretty major event where I had that mortality awakening.

However life goes on and you have to make the most of what you can, and one of the main reasons I intend to retire early within 1-2 years max. I want my years left to be full of being able to do what I want to do, not have to do.