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Peter Rukavina

The Monkees - I'm a Believer_45 rpm

My grandparents died at 34, 82, 83, and 84.

My great-grandparents died at 38, 46, 69, 72, 78, 82, 85 and 86.

My great-great-grandparents – the ones I know about – died at 30, 39, 61, 69, 77, 80, 82, 85, 90, and 97.

Any way you slice it, I’m likely more than halfway to death today (perhaps I should start counting down rather than up). Which is less a depressing realization than it is a call to action: so much to do. And, hey, I’ve already outlived four of them, which is presumably the whole point.

It’s pretty amazing to consider the lives of all of those ancestors, each of whom had the good graces to not die before they spawned a new generation. So today I tip my had to them.

Musing

Comments

Submitted by Robert Paterson on

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Yes at 60 the end get even closer and time more precious - will the roof last? How many more cars? Can I get another dog? Will I se my grand kids get married? Who will die first?

Questions that I had never thought of when I was younger - also why I am now a Paleo man - for the real risk is not death - that is inevitable - it is in being decrepit - on PEI the average man is helpless by 65 and lives another 9.7 years. I don’t want to be like that and we can all do a lot to avoid that fate.

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About This Blog

Photo of Peter RukavinaI am . I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.

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