On 9/15/2015 2:29 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 2:51:59 PM UTC-5, Don Y wrote:

(sigh) If that's what "retirement" is, count me out! :-/ I can't
imagine people spending a lifetime *working* -- doing something largely
because they HAVE TO -- and *not* coming up with a rich bucket list to
look forward to in their retirement (when, hopefully, you have the time,
health *and* re$ource$ to do so)!

Several years ago I was still working full time running service calls and
working on installations. My friend GB who was 71 at the time and still
working, died in his sleep as we were finishing up a job. Me and my brother
were at the jobsite when we found out that our friend had passed away the
night before. GB was a 71 year old juvenile delinquent who'd lost a lung to
cancer but he couldn't put the cigarettes down. He hid them from me and my
brother because he knew we'd chew him out for it. He hid his smoking from
his wife, his daughters and his sisters because they'd go after him worse
than us guys would. It killed him in the end and if he'd just thrown the
damn cigarettes away, he'd be alive today. I'm still angry about it. 8-(

His choice to smoke -- or not -- is his decision; he's answerable to himself
and to his immediate family (to a lesser extent). I don't believe anyone has
the right to impose their own sense of morality on another. People do
stupid things throughout their lives. I guess I want the right to do the
things that *I* want to do that *you* might consider "stupid". And, I'm
willing to trade my ability to impose my notions on *your* "stupidity" in
order to gain that right!

I am more concerned about those who "just got screwed" for no (apparent)
reason (i.e., weren't smokers, skydivers, having unprotected sex, drug
users, etc.). I've watched two folks die of ALS in recent years; another
of esophageal Ca; AFAICT, none did anything to "deserve" these maladies.

Watching someone smoke themselves to death is, to me, a big shrug.

Watching someone sit in front of a TV/computer (when they have other
opportunities!) is a similar shrug.

[When I think of folks like this, I ask myself, "Why do they get out of *bed*
in the morning?? Are they actually looking forward to living their lives
in this way?" It's not an indictment of their actions but, rather, a
genuine wonder: *why*??]