Over the past couple months, I think I've been to more calling hours than I've been to in the past ten years. First, a co-worker passed away from breast cancer. A beautiful young woman with the sweetest personality, always happy, right til the end. Only in her 30s. Then, one of my friends I've known since high school. Motorcycle accident. Oncoming car driven by a 77 year old man turning left into a driveway. Dead at the scene. About a week ago, a senseless killing...some scumbag shot and killed two people while robbing a Chili's restaurant. I was friends with the mother and brother of one of the victims. Today, I read the obituaries, and a former co-worker, whom I had a lot of respect for, passed away.

Please, Lord, that's enough for a while....

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'Merica!

I hear you!

The older you get it seems like the faster your friends, relatives and neighbors seem to die off.

I remember what my father had to say about that. ''Most of my long time people are all gone now, I'm working on friends acquired later in life, and even their starting to go''. (my father lived till his early 90s and was the last of his many siblings to go)

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

As Joe Nuxall (the old left hander) said: "we're roundin' third and headin' for home".

See y'all soon.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Some fifty years ago I was visiting with my oldest uncle, a WWI vet. I asked what he had been up to and he answered "Playing dominoes and going to funerals and it's getting so that there's no one to play dominoes with now."

Your dad had the right idea. I live fairly close to one of the schools I went to, and I've been regularly going back for alumni weekends. A whole new generation of staff now know me, and I've made friends with people who weren't there when I was.

After the last trip when I saw my dad alive, I didn't want to go right back to my house, so I went to the American Legion for a drink. It was obvious to everyone there I was pretty shook up about the condition my dad was in, but the bartender put everything in focus for me. He said to me (essentially), "You've had your dad for over 60 years. I lost my dad when I was 12."

We are(some of us)getting to that age. There will be more to come. Part of life's rich tapestry. Just heard an old buddy passed last week. Sure gets you thinking.

I went through something similar in 1990-1991. Two were high school classmates-we graduated in 1967.
My old man turned his back on me when i was 6, so anyone who had a real father can be very thankful.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friends and acquaintances Gordy. You met one of my best buddies from high school when we met up on the thruway to drop of your DeWalt a couple years back. He passed away in May at 58 years old. Sadly he was one of a few folks dear to me to pass recently as well.
Life is fragile and death is never easy.

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paws for friendship

Sorry to hear about your friend, Rick. Speaking of the DeWalt, I used it today as a matter of fact. Love it and can't thank you enough for the great deal and delivery!

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'Merica!

It only gets worse as you age!

How you know when you have reached your elder years. People you knew aren't around anymore.

I look at the lives of those that have past and I think it was like they never existed. Someone else lives in their house now. Life goes on whether you are in it or not. This life is really short when you look back on it. It is hard to believe jingle bells will soon be heard. Time flies by so fast now. I look at these youngsters and I think they are just beginning their lives. It will seem not long as they look back on their lives that they are where I am now.

I went to a school alumni weekend and looking at the current batch of students I suddenly realized that now I'm old enough to be their granddad. I was starting to feel old when the school was graduating kids who weren't even born yet when I graduated, now a whole another generation is coming up.

One of my grandpas made it to 104. He said the years do go faster, that's what makes it possible for old people. Remember how long summer lasted when you were in grade school? Care free times to be cherished.

I find it necessary to keep my marrying/burying suit clean at all times. However the number of funerals I go to every year vastly out numbers the number of weddings.

All of mine and my wife's parent's generation have gone on. Guess our time's a comin'.

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Real men love cats!

Sorry to hear that my friend. I’ve been there often myself over the years. My younger brothers wife was friends with Steve. One of the guys murdered at Chilis last week.

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I reckon so

Of course that was all over the news. I'm sorry to hear that you had personal connections to the victim.

I hope all of the ones responsible get punished appropriately - from the shooter to the lowlife that got him the gun.

I know what you mean. As I age all my hunting buddy have gone to their reward. Now at age 87 I am hunting with much younger guys. My son is 52 & son in law is 62. They kill them & I help butcher. Cut & wrap & freeze is my thing.

A quick update to this situation.
They said on today’s news that the state of New York has sentenced the shooter to life without parole. The shooter admitted in court that he is guilty.
The Feds are pursuing a death penalty case against him.
It wouldn’t hurt my feelings a bit if the Feds win their death penalty case and mete out swift justice.

We are all bound for the end and nothing can change that. The choice we have is which place we are heading to and it is never too late to make that choice.

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LEX ET ORDO

It seemed like it took a long time to get here but looking back it was like a few blinks of an eye.
A question was asked how you know when you have gotten old. When you look around and those your age are fewer or gone then you know you have reached old age.
I look at these young twenty year olds with their new families starting their lives and it brings a smile to my face. I remember I was once where they are now. Looking back now it just went by so fast and we can't turn back time. I do look back and think I did have pretty good life.

...meant something completely different 40 or 50 years ago...

...found out recently that a girl I was very close to in middle school and high school passed away in 2010 at age 56...shock and sadness followed...will never forget her...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

“Grant me Serenity
To accept things
I cannot change,
Courage to change things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.”

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Halfway and one more step

I am almost afraid to think of my old friends because when I do they show up in an obituary in a couple of weeks!

I've just been to the 3rd celebration of life for people who worked at my old job of 17 years or who were closely connected to the people I worked with back then. A lot of the people I worked with are still there, and I guess I still think of them in terms of who they were before I quit that job in 2002. I can't really offer anything to say, other than I hope my remembering the deceased means something to the people who remain.

I pray that your request comes true.

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Always Stay Strong!

My condolences,,, these things never get less painful. At age 73 I am headed for a new hip Wednesday and this downhill slope is getting steeper and more slippy. Enjoy every day.

Nearly all of my friends and people I worked with are gone. One of my best friends from church, a couple of years younger than me, fell yesterday and was lucky, didn't break any thing.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

I started this post on 9/23/18. Thanks Hillbilly77 for the bump. Since that time, I've had a heart attack (in December) and lost another friend just a few weeks back (diabetes). I'm still here and I'm going to race a vintage motocross race in 13 days on a 1979 Yamaha YZ-250. Screw it. You only live once!

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'Merica!

Will be 65 in few months. I have had a VERY active life. 2 years ago I lost my Father, and 2 youngest Brothers. My Mom & one Brother is left. I been blessed with 2 GOOD parents that always did their best for me & my bros. What problems I have had in life where prob 90% my fault. Guess you could say Im a "Late Bloommer". In the last 3 years or so a LOT of my friends & family have passed, seems like more than ever. I read the other day, don't know if its true or not, But 3 MILLION die in the US every year? Kinda gets you thinking. I have a Heart DR. appoint today a 2 oclock for some tests results I had last week, and most of the time I feel like pure POOPIE, But Im gonna ride my Harley, gonna be a beautiful day here in East Ky, It makes & keeps me young when I manage to climb on it! Regards Ernie

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Rimfires Makes me "Insane"

Three from my old rural Kansas neighborhood went into nursing home, last week and another died. Knew them well growing up and played it their kids for years. There hardly any left.
Time marches on.

First it is friend's weddings, then friend's kid's baptisms, graduations and weddings, then we go to each other's funerals until it's our turn.

Several of the guys that I went to school with are now winding down before their time due to cancer and heart failure. My mother in law broke her sacrum Thursday in her second serious fall in a week. It will not be too much longer. My grey suit and black tie are ready to wear vertical or horizontal.

My wedding/funeral suit is not seeing many weddings anymore

Been to several wakes myself since I retired a few short years back. Mostly co-workers that did not make it out of their 50s unfortunately. Diabetes and heart problems seem to be the culprit. Pretty sad. Luckily my dad made it to 87. Too many going too young these days.