All these recent passings….

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by srick

I was listening to an interview with David Crosby the other day probably from 3-4 years ago. As most are aware, he knew that he was living on borrowed time. And unlike most, he did have one regret, and that was that he didn't 'get it' until the last third of his life. He regretted all of the time he had wasted along the way. I believe that he regretted some of the bridges he had burned also. He still wanted to learn three languages, go see more places, take this course, that course, etc. and spend more time with his family. OTOH, you can easily detect that he was happy that he had gained some wisdom along the way.

Enjoy your ride. Don't be so upset at the passing of prominent figures, etc., as they have had their own rides and we have no idea of what may have led to their demise.

Play your guitar some more, too.

100%

Everyone's path (not to mention genetics) is different, and nothing is guaranteed.

[birdsong]

Amen to this. I've said the same thing to friends of mine, the past few years: "How did we survive all the crazy things we did?"

Originally Posted by Murphy Slaw

To be honest, I'm surprised many of them (us) made it as long as we have.

Our generation smoked and drank like no other. I remember smoking cigarettes in my hospital room, after a motorcycle wreck. We rode bikes as kids with no helmets, stayed out till dark running the streets at 9 years old, drank from the vinyl hose. I played guitar in bars when I was 12. Was gigging, drinking, smoking and getting paid for it at age 17. And still doing all of that at age 47. I didn't quit smoking cigarettes until age 50, and I quit the booze at age 52.

We smoked in the grocery store, we smoked in the mall, we smoked in the boys room. We drank and drove until it became unfashionable. We fought at the drop of a hat, tested the spark plugs by holding the darned thing, shot each other with real bb guns, camped out in the desert with dirt bikes and sleeping bags and scorpions.

We lit M-80's, dropped them in a jar, screwed the lid on and ran like heck to see how high it would blow the lid up into the air. And I haven't even mentioned drugs. Or lawn darts.

We were brave, reckless, naive and nuts. All at the same time. I never thought I'd make it this long.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by srick

... he did have one regret, and that was that he didn't 'get it' until the last third of his life. He regretted all of the time he had wasted along the way.

This reminds me of the old adage: "Youth is wasted on the young!"

[srick]

And yet the vigor, angst, and experimentation of our youth often pays off. After all, look at all the music of our youth. Could any of that been written in middle and old age? Probably not.

I think it’s a necessary progression and to Crosby’s point, if you have a curious mind, you never will have enough time.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by srick

And yet the vigor, angst, and experimentation of our youth often pays off. After all, look at all the music of our youth. Could any of that been written in middle and old age? Probably not.

I think it’s a necessary progression and to Crosby’s point, if you have a curious mind, you never will have enough time.

True, but many of us will recognize in their own youth and that of others the sheer oceans of time that they wasted doing nothing or worse than nothing as young people. As we age, we gain a keener sense of how rich but finite is the gift of time.

[Silly Moustache]

When I was young - maybe 13-15, (probably too young to drive, and /or go to the pub, or gigs, I said to my Mum _ "oh I wish I was older!"

She looked me deeply and lovingly into my eyes (all 4'11" of her) and said, "you will be Andy, you will be!"

Sadly, she didn't cancer took her in her mid fifties.

My Dad did get older, he made it to 75, but sadly his mind went when he was still in his sixties. I cared for him for ten years. (That made me old!)

I'll be 75 in a few weeks (I hope) I'm still adjusting from considering myself no middle aged, but elderly.

Us Baby Boomers just might be the most fortunate generation ever - those of us that keep going.

Just last week I heard that a regular at my club died of a stroke on Christmas day. He was probably in his early '60s?

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Us Baby Boomers just might be the most fortunate generation ever

Indeed.

I think this will be true.

[dnf777]

Years ago my (now late) Grandfather told me:

“As you past 50, you will begin to know and love more dead people than living…”

At first I didnt understand. At 55 I totally get it.

[Slothead56]

I’ve lost three very close friends in the past couple years to cancer and heart attacks. All under 60, all wonderful family guys, all big personalities….and all ridiculously too soon.

I was talking with my 37 year old son today and told him “when you’re 37, while you don’t know when or how, life seems to be forever. When you’re 66 you still don’t know when or how but you have a much clearer view of the end of the runway.”

He gets it. And I get it too.

[Pura Vida]

I hesitated in writing this earlier, but after reading a few of the recent comments, decided to share.

My grandfather worked a factory job his entire adult life. He worked nights, weekends, holidays, double-shifts... all to provide for his family. They made ends meet, but never traveled or took vacations. Unfortunately, he was also a lifelong smoker, and when he finally retired in his late 60s, he had a couple of good years before he got cancer and died in his early 70s.

I was fresh out of college and just got engaged, when he was dying, and I decided right then that I didn't want that to be my legacy. I worked hard, but played harder and saved aggressively, even when I didn't know how I was going to make the rent.

Last month, I retired in my early 50s. Could I still work? Sure. But at a cost of neglecting my health (something I've been guilty of doing), losing quality time with my own family, and missing out on the things that I've dreamed of doing (music, travel, exercise).

While nothing is guaranteed, I hope that I will not repeat the all work and very little retirement life that my grandfather experienced.

[EZYPIKINS]

Have lost a front man, three bass players, a guitarist/trumpet player, two keyboard players.

Most recently, Mrs. EZ.

A few other past bandmates, present company included, with one foot on a banana peel.

Sometimes wonder, what's in store for me.

[ewalling]

Lifestyle must surely play a part in the spate of "passings" we've RIPed here recently. I remember a colleague of mine some thirty years ago whose father, an Englishman, had lived the bohemian life before it had really become a thing. He traveled on the road to Spain and learnt Flamenco guitar at the hands of grass roots players in Cordoba and eventually began to play for money in various locations. My colleague remarked that many of his friends from that time started dying as they entered their 50s and 60s. The 'sex, drugs and rock n' roll' thing does seem to take its toll in many cases.

[srick]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Lifestyle must surely play a part in the spate of "passings" we've RIPed here recently.

Yup - Cigarettes and second hand smoke in particular. I believe that the statistic is that they take ten years off the average life span.

[Mr. Jelly]

Life by definition is a tragedy. It ends in death. Plan on it.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Life by definition is a tragedy. It ends in death. Plan on it.

Wow. I am stunned. For many years, I have believed that “life ain’t nothin’ but a funny, funny riddle!”

But more seriously: every moment is a gift. Yes, some gifts you/we would prefer to return, or would “re-gift” if you/we could. But to be alive, to have a few more moments to love, to learn, to grow, to be kind to others before it’s time to leave… in my sane moments, I can see how precious and wonderful this life is. And, like anyone else, I have a certain degree of craziness that I carry that impairs my gratitude and undermines my ability to love or grow or be kind.

I have lost some close friends to death in the past year, and realize that I will experience more such losses, unless I check out myself before they do. And, necessarily, there will be the relentless parade of losses of people whose art or cultural influences have been important to me. But that is the deal: you are thrown into this life, you attach to people and places and things, and then you lose those objects of your attachment as time unfolds changes.

The only thing that is negotiable is how you relate to your self, and what you do with the moment that is here right now.

If this post seems over the top: in recent days, when I read about young people (could be kids or even adult in there 20’s or 30’s, I feel a subtle and deep sadness as I think about the many days I have had, and how they have had only a fraction of that lifespan. My best years have been the last 20 or 30 years, basically my 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s; it is stunning to realize how many people don’t get to enjoy similar fruits.