We need you guys

[mickbr]

Im 51, its bothering me seeing some of the fine gents around here and in my normal life having health issues or getting closer to their time. Dont leave us yet fellas. It will be down to Gen X to try and explain how good life once was and trying to keep it that way and I am not sure I am up to that task. I know a lot of gen-x is not. I dont have a very open relationship with god, I reckon I give him enough belief, should I encounter him on death I can scrape by with a C minus to a better place( maybe with a few billion years in purgatory in the bargain). But Im asking him in advance now to keep you fellas healthy and around a while longer.

[marlinman93]

Not sure those of us getting near the end have much to say about when it comes.

[wvfarrier]

Sadly, no one gets out of this life alive

[Bill in Oregon]

Mick, thank you for the sentiment, young fella!
If I had to make of list of things that hurt, I'd need a full legal pad. Never saw this coming.

[COSteve]

I'll be 79 in November and I agree that advancing in age is not for the faint of heart. I still do the yard work, dishes, grocery shopping (since my wife's knee replacement) and vacuuming to help around the house as well as giving me the chance to exercise.

I walk around one of two malls I alternate on 3 times a week walking between 1½ and 2½ miles per trip to keep me mobile. So, I think I'm doing what I can to keep 'in the game' as long as I can.

[gamekeeper]

I'll be 78 in August but still kicking and planning on buying more guns while I can still hunt.
The reason I stopped doing the birthdays a while back was seeing so many members birthdays that no longer post,
I started posting the birthdays again but it still saddens greatly me to realise how many old forum friends I will never see again, of course not all have passed but the age often tells the story.
Thanks mickbr for the sentiment..

[Ysabel Kid]

I'll be 78 in August but still kicking and planning on buying more guns while I can still hunt.
The reason I stopped doing the birthdays a while back was seeing so many members birthdays that no longer post,
I started posting the birthdays again but it still saddens greatly me to realise how many old forum friends I will never see again, of course not all have passed but the age often tells the story.
Thanks mickbr for the sentiment..

John, thank you for posting the "Happy Birthday" messages. I'm happy we celebrate our members in this way.

I turned 62 this May, but my body says otherwise. As Indy said, it's not the years, it's the mileage. I've put a lot of hard miles on my body, and used to be proud of that - but now it just hurts!

[Bill in Oregon]

John, as just another forum member, I vote to release you from the birthday notifications, much as I appreciate your dedication. Besides, a number of us hate to be reminded.

[AJMD429]

.
I suppose I'm not supposed to say this, given my line of work, but we can't necessarily live too much longer, even if we 'do all the right stuff' medically.

HOWEVER - what we CAN do, SHOULD do, and really MUST do, is....................

EDUCATE the Young'uns - That means not just when you happen to have some around who express interest in history, guns, politics, God, or whatever.

It means SEEKING OUT such opportunities, TURNING conversations in those directions, and CREATING opportunities for contact with, and education of, the younger generation.

Nobody's going to do that for us. In fact, they really can't. The 'next-youngest' generation still has about two decades of 'experience' to get credentialed in 'geezerhood' so they can do the job right.

Having said that, the 90 year olds need to educate the 70 year olds, but then the 70 year olds must still start educating the 50 year olds, who must educate the 30 year olds, who must educate the teenagers.

[JimT]

I am a little over 80. I have lived long enough to prove that while I cannot stop aging, I can always remain immature.


Actually it is somewhat accurate about me.
How many 80 year olds narrowly escaped dying in a go-kart crash?

You wouldn't believe all the doctors and nurses who had to come take a look at one.

One doctor questioned me, asking about helmets and seat belts. I started laughing and he said, "Nevermind." At the end of our conversation he told me, "I probably should not say this, but I hope when I am 80 I can do something similar."

[samsi]

I turned 62 this May, but my body says otherwise. As Indy said, it's not the years, it's the mileage. I've put a lot of hard miles on my body, and used to be proud of that - but now it just hurts!

I'm a couple years ahead of you YK, but I share the sentiment. There are a couple of experiences, that in hindsight, I should've skipped.

[jeepnik]

I turned 62 this May, but my body says otherwise. As Indy said, it's not the years, it's the mileage. I've put a lot of hard miles on my body, and used to be proud of that - but now it just hurts!

I'm a couple years ahead of you YK, but I share the sentiment. There are a couple of experiences, that in hindsight, I should've skipped.

But it's the totality of our life experience that makes us who we are. We just have to survive that totality.