About a month ago, we were with some family, one of whom had recently lost his job. The wife of the now unemployed person said: "I'm not worried at all. He's much happier and I told him he didn't have to make any money at all, moving forward." I gently said: "Um, well, I wouldn't go that far. As someone who has taken care of old people, it's REALLY expensive."
So this is what I'm reduced to - issuing tales of doom and gloom to those my age and above. Heck, I'm issuing these warnings to my own kids. Save your money! Stockpile it!
And my warnings aren't limited to money. I look around at doctors' office waiting rooms and I do mental calculations of the costs of poor health. I just feel like I know, first-hand, the payments that are due upon reaching older years. People who are overweight, smokers, those that are inactive - they all will, eventually, pay for this.
I need to back off, but this is kind of my way of doing things. While most people learn from mistakes, I run and hide so that I never, never, EVER make them again. This is odd in the sense that caring for my parents has been, overall, very rewarding. I'm closer to them (or at least my Mom ) than I ever was and it sure beats living 75 miles away, wishing there was something I could do. Now I can and I do.
But that's me. I shine a light on the bad, instead of basking in the glow of the good. When will I learn? Sigh.
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