OT - What If You Only had a Few Months to Live?
Mates,
Today's agenda unfortunately includes going to a funeral for a friend of more than a decade who passed away from cancer this past week. He was a wonderful, godly man, displaying to the end tremendous courage. Indeed, the last time we were together a few weeks ago my last words to him were telling him what an inspiration he was.
He knew his time was near, but thought it was measured in months, not weeks. By outward signs that appeared to be true. He talked very positively about his plans that he had to make the most of the time he had left. His daughters were coming over to his house every week to have dinner with him. He was supposed to be on a fishing trip with his son up in Canada this week. There were other plans. All gone now.
Assume you have been given the news that your time here is also short, maybe a few months. Assume further that you are at least reasonably ambulatory and have finances to do some things. In honor of my friend Clint, the question is this: What do you do with your last days, where do you go, and who do you spend it with?
XM
EDIT: So I don't write all over the thread, thank you to the folks who expressed their condolences about my buddy. It was a meaningful ceremony and I was fine until the very end when they did the EOW radio broadcast (End of Watch - a very particular law enforcement term) live, piped through the church sound system. Every cop there, and me from my prior life, lost it at that point.
If you are of a mind to, pray for the family. And pray for guys like Cali Wolverine who went through this with his wife. Can't even imagine that.
Travel to the rest of the 50 states. I'm 80% of the way there, but I have yet to get to some of the most scenic ones (Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah, etc.).
Easy. Drive to Montana. Stop in ND on the way there and SD on the way back. Done.
If you're going to SD, you have to see the Black Hills, a unique landscape that has Mount Rushmore among other things. The Badlands are also great, but they're further east. In North Dakota, go see Theodore Roosevelt national park which has more unique landscapes. It's at the far west end of the state, just north of the Black Hills.
Ohio State game in Ann Arbor. This time a glorious victory.
I've always loved my visit there and like the environment it offers. The fact it's quite scenic & everyday you can explore it's treasured,making no day the same. Wait my time out and embrace my destiny along with my fam & Halle Berry.
XM, sorry about your friend.
I don't know his age, but I think this is often a good thought experiment. It underlines the risk of leaving anything "for retirement." I've had a fair number of extended family members and friends not make it to 65 / retirement age.
But if I should pass before my wife and before I retire, at least my wife will get my base retirement and 401K. Very close to getting all my debts paid off, since I'm only 10.5 years from retirement. If you are 50 or older you should get everything lined up before your death. This aarp site list some of the more important documents. http://www.aarp.org/relationships/caregiving/info-09-2010/legal_documen…
I had a friend who died of a massive heart attack at age 47, he had no symptom but he was also into distance running had run a dozen marathons. He could have had high cholesterol?There's practically no downside to the empire-building business.
I would make a video for my 4 year old son so I could tell him some things I wouldn't be around to later and to give him something to go back to if he needed a memory of me. I can't remember much from when I was 4 so chances are he would only have a vague recollection of his father.
I could really mess with him and make ones for different circumstances. Mom plays the video and I say "Listen kid, I heard you were out after curfew boozing it up with your buddies....You're grounded. Hand the keys to your mom." Haha.
Visit my daughter in Botswana. She's been in the Peace Corps for 11 months and I miss her more every day.
Go to Okavango Delta. Go stay at the Chobe Game Lodge. Drive over to Victoria Falls. Thank me later. Going on safari is a borderline life changing experience. I've spent time living in South Africa and safaris are some of the most memorable things I've done in my life.
so close to the Okavango. She was on a houseboat on the delta for Christmas. Saving money and working a little extra to go next summer.
You need to go. 100%
Spend time with family.
Go to Egypt and London.
Enjoy TV/movies/music one last time.
NOT cut the lawn that is for damn sure.
Make my last words be,"End quote."
Sorry for your loss XM.
I'm not much for sentimentality
What?
If someone didn't have this response. I feel like there was a similar post a bit ago, and over half the responses had some variation of this.
I don't remember who it was, but he was asked what he'd do with this final few hours of life if the spacecraft's engine failed while he was in orbit. He replied, "I'd work on the engine."
That goes for me too. I'm spending the last months/weeks/days in the lab working on a treatment. I already did it for years to help others (I was in cancer research in a former life), so I'll gladly help myself out or go down trying.
Unless it's football season. Then I'll be on here bitching about how Brian should make with the UFR already, doesn't he know I'm running out of time?
