I just retired and found out my Kaiser coverage went up about $140 a month. I got mad and started to worry but then I came to my senses.
The place I worked for is on the verge of bancrupcy. A lot of my freinds might miss their pension by a couple of years. They wake up worrying about this. I worry for them. People are losing their jobs all over. The two nice houses across the street are vacant because the great people that lived there couldn't afford the payments anymore.
So, I just have to humble down and consider myself fortunate. I have the greatest wife on the planet and great kids. There's been sad threads of despair on this forum concerning illness and job losses. It makes my trivial little concerns seem petty in comparison. So I won't embarrass myself by feeling sorry for myself anymore.
Thanks for listening to me think out loud.

Glad to be of service. I need a dose of wake up and appreciate what you have every so often. I am a very lucky individual and blessed beyond my abilities or what I deserve.

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I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

Great post Wyatt. We all have our problems and trials, but it's not hard, especially in these times, to look around and see just how much we have to be thankful for. You don't have to look far to see how much worse it could be.

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Misty

No matter how bad you think you might have "it," "it" can always be worse.

Wyatt
Great post. To many people in this world worry about the things they don't have or the things they wish they had. Be glad for what you have in life, good health, a job, the love of friends and family. All these things can't be measured until you lose them.

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OGCA Member.

Wyatt, I was unemployed from oct of 08 to july 09... and have been unemployed again since mid december.
Its easy to feel bad for yourself...
I have the support of a great wife... and some days I feel like thats all I need to get by.
Dont feel bad for being concerned with your situation... you HAVE to be.
Its bad out there and getting worse.


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

Yes it could be worse...I need work , wife left yesterday, blah blah blah...

But I have the chance today to change it ...for that I am very thankful...all we need is a chance and to live till tommorrow to try again

Years ago where I worked a guy retired after working a lifetime, was pushing his tool box to his car, last day, and dropped dead with a heart attack!
When I retired I was single and didnt think I wanted to get married again. I retired soon as I could at about 58 1/2. They had a option where I got paid huge, but would drop waaay down at 65. Since I had a nice 401 K, I went for it. That was january 2000. In march I lost over half my 401K! Then I met a damsel in distress. She died on me and must have cost me over 50 K before she died. Then I met my wife and got married and we moved here to utah. Along the same period right after I retired my dad got alzheimers in wisconsin, was stubborn, lived in the boonies, lost his DL, wouldnt move, I had to go home and live with him 6 months and persuade him finaly to go to assisted liveing since he refused to live with me in california. It was the most stressfull time of my life! I had a dieing girl friend in my house in california, Dad acting up at close to 90 in wisconsin, me flying many trips back and forth trying to handle both ends.
Well, GF died, dad died, met my wife, she helped me straighten things out, and I never had things better or easier in my life than I do now! Wifes insurance more then doubled this year! About $520 from $240! Now if a couple of the step kids would just get it together=====

Ferrilmiller, you are fortunate indeed. After all, not everybody gets to own a Winchester 1895 SRC in 30-40 Krag.

Thanks wyatt. That 95 was right near the end of production, I figure 1931. I really would like to know the history to that one! I have a half dozzen or so guns that I would give a lot to know their history! We all like 100% guns, but when it comes to the old west type guns I dont mind them being well used as you know they seen action and it makes you fantasise about what they done and who used them!
Congradulations on your retirement! When I first retired I would just get in my truck in the morning, not know where I was even going, and drive around in shock for the first month or two! As just a guard I had a easy physical job, so I worked ungodly amount of OT for 35 years. I know I averaged 65 to 70 hours a week! From that to 0 was a real shock! It made a lazy man of me! 32 years of the 35 were on graveyard. That must be some kind of record! Are you adapting okay?

I woke up still breathing... figure that it is going to be a pretty good day.

When I retired (GM Engineer) we had good supplemental medical insurance, including vision and dental. It was one of the reasons for working at major corporations in those days.
Each year the cost to the salaried retiree increased for medical coverage, especially painful since the UAW retirees had essentially a free ride.
It was obvious to me though as Wyatt Burp says it was in his case, that GM was going broke, of course it had been obvious for many years that the business could not be sustained given its costs compared to the competition.
So when our coverage was cancelled two years ago it did not come as a surprise.
As another retired engineer and I were commiserating with each other about finding alternative coverage, it occurred to us as it did to Wyatt, that we had in fact been blessed. We were both getting on in age had no major medical problems, had coverage for many past years, and could afford to buy coverage against future problems which might develop.
We decided to count our blessing and be thankful we had saved enough to see us through the rough patches in life.

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Ipsis Rebus Dictantitbus

I retired at lockheed single. Then I got married. The insurance for just me was like only $24 a month. For her it was in the $250 range. Then they dropped all options out of state here in utah that she was on, and they only had ettna available for her. It doubled this month to over $500s. Now I wish I hadnt took the type retirement I did. I got about $2,500 a month from 58 1/2 to 65. Now after insurances since I hit 65 and remarried we net $400ish. Had I took straight life retirement, it would be close to $1,700! Oh well!

The funny thing for me was there was no transition. It just feels like a long weekend. I retired three months ago and six months prior to that the job moved 80 miles away. It was a horrible commute. Now I'm brushing up on the holster making.