Life Expectancy

Magicman · February 04, 2023, 07:51:49 AM

According to the Social Security Life Expectancy Calculator I have an estimated 9 more years to live.

If I stretch a tape measure out 88.6 inches and compare the distance from 79.6" to 88.6" to the tape beginning the distance is sobering.

So What do I want for the next 9 years? What matters the most during that time? What do I want to do? Also, what do I want to see? Where should I go in the increasingly little time I have left?

Don P · February 04, 2023, 08:47:35 AM

Dad called last night to wish me a happy 'nuther notch. Which is amazing enough to us all. Dad's advice to me was "Draw!" He figured he would never get out what he put in and so he drew as soon as possible. Well, they beat the odds and are here and happy, he said he has no regrets getting out when he did. He has never stopped, no more than I could, he just does what he wants and takes care of the old folks... on his terms. I told him I'm about ready to graduate

.

B.C.C. Lapp · February 04, 2023, 09:02:02 AM

What do you do with the rest of your life? Lynn I figure the rest of our lives starts today and every day after that.
My thought is that its no good to dwell on the questions like this.   There is no hard and fast answers. So having said that I'd say continue to do the things you love and want to do.   And try to be as productive as you can for as long as you can.   I think productive working people are happier in general but that just my opinion.

Spend a lot of time with the people you love.   Be patient and learn to forgive.   Make it so when you do gotta go you go with few regrets and knowing you tried to be the best man you could be.

On a side note. I have a good friend that was in his late sixties when he told me about how long the bible suggest a man would live and he did that life expectancy bit and with all that he figured he'd be lucky to reach 75 years old.    I told him don't think like that and we got lots of work to do still an he gots what time he does and lets stay busy. Ahh huh,   let me tell you at 75 he was still cutting timber.
In his eighties he was still working draft horses.   He'l celebrate his 91st birthday this very month.

Magicman · February 04, 2023, 09:20:50 AM

Don't misunderstand, while the thought may be sobering, it is not something that I dwell on. That expectancy link came to me this morning from a RV newsletter and I found it interesting and decided to pass it on.

Yup, "drawing" is a personal decision that we must make based upon our own circumstances. With my "crossover" at age 75, my/our decision was to maximize our income during the years that we would enjoy it the most.

Looking back, drawing was the correct decision as our traveling expenses have now decreased whereas my sawmilling income is still at a comfortable level. I can continue to refuse or pass sawing jobs off to maintain a reasonable sawing schedule.

I have 14 jobs on my sawing schedule which include two whole house framing lumber jobs, plus the sand box. No rest for me. ;D

Ljohnsaw · February 04, 2023, 09:49:00 AM

Interesting. So at 63 & 4 months, I have 20.4 years left (83.8 years of age). Since my dad passed at 53 and his dad at 52, I'm doing pretty good!

mike dee · February 04, 2023, 10:31:26 AM

Relying on statistics is like driving down the road only looking at your rear view mirror

doc henderson · February 04, 2023, 11:04:38 AM

I think it is great to take this into account. I remember loosing some classmates from med school. I thought, crap they did not get to live life much other than school. I need to slow down. work has been crisis mode since about 2014. I figure my life is 3/4 over, and the physical things I can do are decreasing some. Then if a big event happens you can live a long time with little ability. I looked online at my mom and dads obituaries yesterday. Was thinking of them and mostly wanted to make sure things were accurate. It was from our hometown Concordia mortuary. most of the current obits on their site, folks were in their 90s. so maybe I am only 2/3rds done.

I quit reading for pleasure in med school. i was given a book called chicken soup for the soul by a member/friend here. I also want to read the last lecture. i have not read these yet, as I fear it may disrupt my cool calm demeanor. I feel I need to read them as it may disrupt my stuck in a rut cool demeanor, (not enjoying life as much anymore). Live each day like it is your last. hope it is not. If I did that I would have to quit my day job. good thread.

moosehunter · February 04, 2023, 03:23:26 PM

Had a very good friend that retired on a Thursday about ten years ago. Was supposed to go in Friday morning to turn in his van and tools. Had to call an ambulance for him late Thursday night. He lived about three very unpleasant weeks in the hospital.
My wife and I decided then that if we want to do something we are going to figure out a way to do it sooner rather than later.
mh

Magicman · February 04, 2023, 03:46:20 PM

A guy that I retired with used his buyout/severance money to buy a Kentucky Fried (KFC) franchise. He did not live to see it open.

doc henderson · February 04, 2023, 04:28:55 PM

I took care of a guy in Albany. He retired and took his check he got and paid off his house. He and his wife were jumping up and down in the driveway when he got home. Had a stroke and died in the hospital. a buddy a few years after residency when I was out in Hays, Ks, was riding a road bike on the hi-way and got hit by a car and died. He was into fitness, but also women and not sure if it was an intentional act.

WV Sawmiller · February 04, 2023, 06:41:48 PM

What's the old saying - If I'd known I was going to live this long I'd have taken better care of myself. :

My old scuba partner and dear friend became our financial advisor and my wife used to tell him she was worried about me working overseas in war zones, bandit controlled regions, tropical disease infested areas, etc. Mike used to tell her not to worry because I would not get killed over there. I would get killed a home turning over a 4 wheeler or cutting a tree or in a boating accident or such. He was much closer to being right than we ever thought. At age 55 he sat down on his bed and keeled over dead with no indication of any hidden illness or such. I have since attended the weddings of all three of his children and get birthday cards and party notices for his grandkids.

Lynn,

Your question hits closer to home with most of us as so many of us are closer to the end than than the beginning. I think spending time with family and friends has to rate high or our lists. I guess the big push is to figure out how to pass along the knowledge and experience we have accumulated.

I am convinced you need to take on a new career as a sawmill instructor and go around and teach others how to operate and maintain portable sawmills to saw logs into lumber.

Stephen1 · February 04, 2023, 07:46:00 PM

I just lost a close friend of ours, she had been ill all fall and only wanted to get to Florida to enjoy the sunshine. Well she made it, lasted 2 weeks and passed. She was 70 he is 82 and now a lost puppy as she did a great job of taking care of him.
Live each day as if it is your last, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
I have 2 enquiries about buying my Sawmill business, I'm pretty scared on what do I do if I sell, but I am sure I can find something to do. Maybe like WV says I go out and help sawyers take care of their mills, teach them to saw, tune up their mills. No one does it north of the border and I have a few calls over the years asking if I will come and set up their mills.

Magicman · February 04, 2023, 08:24:19 PM

I have no intention of getting out of sawing and selling my sawmill. I may not saw but once a week, month, or whatever, but I ain't quitting.

I have now been 7 weeks without sawing for a customer, but I plan to saw Monday.

pigman · February 04, 2023, 09:42:51 PM

My philosophy is that if it is something that I don't want to do, put it off until tomorrow, I might die and won't have to do it. If it is something enjoyable, do it today, I might die and miss out on the enjoyment.

WV Sawmiller · February 04, 2023, 10:02:07 PM

Piggy,

That reminds me of the old sage advice - "Life is uncertain. Eat your dessert first!"

Wlmedley · February 04, 2023, 10:54:38 PM

One thing a lot of people don't think about is that if you're married not only you have to stay healthy to get to retire and finally get to do what you want for a change but you're wife (or husband) has to stay healthy also. I was planning to retire at 62 (which I did) but my wife had a stroke 2 years before I retired and recovered enough after a while to be able to be left alone although I was worried all the time and quit working on the road and transfered into the shop.Shortly after I retired she had another one and now can't be left alone.I've learned to deal with it but retirement hasn't been what I imagined.My little sawmill is close to the house and gives me quite a bit of enjoyment along with gardening in the summer.Something to think about,like Forest Gump said,Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.

Ianab · February 04, 2023, 11:24:51 PM

Quote from: Wlmedley on February 04, 2023, 10:54:38 PMSomething to think about,like Forest Gump said,Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you are going to get.

It's a sort of Bell Curve. Some people make it to 100, and some don't even make it to retirement. Lost an old friend ( he was best man at my first wedding) just before New Year. I knew he had some health issues, but hadn't kept in touch that much. Turns out MS had affected his breathing. He was in hospital at the time, but had been discharged from ICU, and was expected to be discharged.

Ed_K · February 05, 2023, 06:43:12 AM

Yesterday I was watching a u-tube vidio of a guy sawing a spalted maple on a wood-mizer model 40 and all of a sudden there's Magic Man sitting up in bed talking about a great breakfast the food was and ready to get out of there and get to sawing. It was a shock at first then I realized that's Magic Man going sawing and living to 100.

Magicman · February 05, 2023, 08:25:43 AM

That is amazing Ed that things pop up at odd times and happen to be the right thing at the right time. It warms me to know that the video was able to reach out and bring a smile to your face.

Stephen1 · February 05, 2023, 08:50:14 AM

MM I had thought maybe, if I sell my business ( if the price is right of course) and just buy another sawmill and go back to portable. Still might. This area up here tends to repurpose trees, urban salvage, versus, sawing lumber. Too many building code restrictions on using ungraded lumber. Urban salvage is a hard go, lots of heavy lifting and moving logs and slabs. Urban salvage is a young mans game or old mans with heavy equipment. That's why it works at my shop as I have a forklift to help.
I bet I have only sawn lumber, portable for building, 10 times, and lots of hardwood for hobby carpenters.
does not matter what you do as long as you are doing something, keep moving to stay alive!

Texas Ranger · February 05, 2023, 09:50:17 AM

At 80 I quit counting.

Peter Drouin · February 05, 2023, 12:23:15 PM

At 67 I have pulled back on the working thing. Going to try to do fun things, Like the Hot Rod build.
Without Ann, life sucks, been 4 years now. I'm at the point I don't care,
I have $$ put away, and can make all the $$ I want with the mill. But,
life is no fun without Ann to share. I will be closing the mill every winter now.
I met some women, All gold diggers. :

When God want's me, I'm ready.
$$$ are not on the top of my list.

Magicman, I would think with all the years in the PH co. and all the land you have money should not be a thing. I would think working the farm would be enough to keep you going till a 100+ and be with your wife
all the time.

Magicman · February 05, 2023, 02:52:46 PM

Thanks Peter. It may not have appeared so, but I started scaling back two years ago. For some odd reason last year was exceptionally busy but I chose every job. I am very hesitant to pass previous customers off, but I do see it in the future. I have a fellow sawyer that I will increasingly pass jobs off to.