Hang in there Skip.

By the time I retired and shortly after all my close relatives had died, mother, father, their brothers and sisters, my aunts and uncles. When my father died I had a sudden realization that I was next on the totem pole.

After I retired the deaths of fellow workers started, it seemed like once month. One day as I riding with a friend, of 30 some years, to an other friend's funeral. having been to so many, he said jokingly, if I die I'm not driving.

Today, I got two emails, one of a death and the other hoping to get well enough to go home after treatment for cancer. We have a reunion every December, this last December the number those left are down to just a handful. I'm down to five close friends I communicate with regularly.

I've resided at the same location for 34 years, most of the my original neighbors are all dead. When I had a heart blockage, the wonderful lady next door, pestered everybody under the sun to get somebody to enter my house and rescue my little Tibetan terrier. Finally getting a local police sergeant who had the guts to violate the rules, went to the hospital, retrieved my house keys and rescued my dog. She cared for my dog for five weeks. She died six months later of a brain tumor. I would love get another dog, but I'm afraid what would happen to it, if something happened to me.

Somebody said it gets better. Well it does, cause when reach my age, the reason, it's simple, there aren't that many old friends and relatives left. I look at the up side, I don't need long distance telephone service any more.

But don't worry, it isn't global warming we should worrying about. Its degradation of the y chrome-zone, the pollution of our water supply that we will probably not own, the pollution of the air, the additives to our food supply. The Western birth rate is declining less than a one-to--one replacement ratio.

I remember when I came to Arizona in 1964, Flagstaff was one of the few places remaining that had unpolluted air, no more. Almost all of our streams are polluted. The government admits it don't test our water for all the various pollutants in our water, they admit they don't even know how. Thanks to the world's governments, mainly USA, all this to keep the chemical, oil, drug and all the other cartels happy. I read that a number Western European governments are starting to listening to its populous and to act on some these cartels. But the US congress is either to stupid or greedy to act, have allowed some corporations to become bigger than most governments. Our self proclaimed genius of a judicial system has allowed corporations to patent their spliced genes which they are doing nicely so that the seeds of these plants are sterile. Of course these plants migrate to other similar plants making them sterile.
Our fine US government is subsiding the sale of these seeds to other areas of the world, thus contaminating the native adapted plants only to find the genitical modified plants don't thrive there.

Want some insight into just how noce your follow man is, watch the following DVDs:
The Future of Food (Special Edition), UPC 829567-040225
Blue Gold: World Water Wars, UPC 841887-010214
King Corn, UPC 767685-115046
Flow: How did a handful of corporations steal our water, UPC 896602-002029
Food, Inc., UPC 876964-002165
Our Daily Bread,  UPC 854565-001114

There are a number the very wealthy that openly admit to wanting to see and do everything in their power that the world's population be reduce to a small fraction of its present number.

More and more viruses and bacteria are mutating into strains that we can't cure, and our attempts only seem fuel the fire. I remember a few years ago while reading Science News of how proud a scientist was at discovering a bacteria that ate dirt and how someday we would not have to wash our clothes. A few pages later an other scientist reported how if a bacteria could not find its usual meal, it would adapt to consume what ever was available. I thought to myself that first scientist better keep his jeans dirty.

Amazing how smart we are that we can beat Mother Nature at her own game, that;s like going to Vegas and thinking your are going take the house. They've both been at it to long.

When my father had a stroke and could not use his right side. He soiled himself, because he couldn't unbutton his trousers fast enough. Having been a person that didn't rely on anybody he tried to starve himself to death. I told him something I totally believe in, that we come here to learn and for a purpose and we have to ride out the string no matter what and that God don't give us thing we can't handle, especially if we ask for his help.

Very sorry to hear about your losses, Skip. I know where you're coming from - last Autumn I had three successive deaths in my environment within weeks. It sure makes you wonder "Can this stop now, please?". I wish you lots of strength and courage.

The one thing in life that we can not escape. 

I am sorry to hear of the loss of loved ones.

Unfortunately, I must agree with you.  Even at "middle age", I have seen a number of deaths that seem "unfair" for the time they were taken.  My mother passed away at not even 60.

I know that as I become more seasoned, that my family and friends will pass from this life.  I know the only comfort that I can give is that they will not be alone when the time comes.

I wish I could say it will get easier, but I know that would not be true.  It does seem to get lonelier, with the passing of each that we know.

My blessings and my prayers to you and all.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...."

Sorry to hear it Skip. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

Very sorry for your losses Skip.

I lost my father, an uncle and a friend last year. I am just hoping for a better 2010.

Quoting Dr Pavlov:

Quote:
Good grief, death is becoming way too big a part of my life. Since August, I have had a friend lose his wife to cancer and his mother is dying. My youngest brother-in-law passed away because of heart failure.. My wife's ex-husband and one of dearest and longest friends had a fatal coronary, and now my sister-in-laws husband has passed away today. This is getting way too old. I know they are all in a better place and their pain is over but I need a break.    

Skip

My Granddad died back in 05 just shy of his 86 birthday. I did not feel sad be celebratory for life well lived. It was clear he was tired and he knew that his time on this Earth was over.

The last time i seen him was in hospital after successful operating out his bowel cancer. When i seen him looking back on it i knew he was at peace and that his time to leave this world was near.

Just shortly before his death he out of the blue phoned my great aunt saying he wanted to see her. Not long after he died peacefully in his sleep.

My aunt grows sunflowers to his memory in her back garden.

Death is inevitable the only thing we should hope it is in peace and fulfilled.

Cherish the memory's these people have given you and find cause to celebrate the time they have given to you.

Condolences Skip; what a horrible run of events; I wish you a happy event or more to at least give you something to feel good about.

Skip, stay strong! I know how you feel. As halg, stated at our age (we are still young fellas)


Len