Live for today

Found out this morning that a bloke I've worked with for five years had dropped dead of a massive heart attack.
He'd handed his notice in yesterday,due to his unhappiness with the contractor who'd taken over our contract.
His last words to me were,'I've got to bring some keys in,so I'll see you tomorrow'.
I'll have a few drinks in his memory tonight,but I'll be living for today from now on.
He was 62.

Sorry to hear your bad news.

I found out a week or so ago that a bloke I used to work with had died, another I knew from the pub had also died and a third had had a stroke.

All of them with similar ages to me.

Makes you stop and think a bit doesn't it.

Bloody hell. Sorry to hear that Boncey. One of them things that makes you sit up and take stock. You never know what's around the corner.

Thanks lads. He'd booked his Birthday party at the local pub for next week, sorted his annual holiday in Bulgaria,and was due to have two job interviews this afternoon.
No one really felt like working today.

Sorry to hear that, Boncey.

I know I talk an absolute pile of tosh on here 99% of the time and a lot of it's for effect but sometimes something happens that makes you stop and think.

That's what all the "buying a house in Spain" business was all about.

My parents both worked hard all their lives and both retired at the same time.

Fast forward 2 years and my Mum was dead and my Dad had had half his neck removed and is now fed  directly into his stomach through a fucking tube.

His life's effectively over and he often says he wishes he was with Mum.

So the point is, you never know what's round the corner and you only get one crack at this so enjoy it as much as you can and don't waste any time (hence why I'm not in here as much nowadays.)

I had a heart attack 12 years ago and was bloody lucky because I knew what was happening (having lost my dad when he was only 52) and ended up having it in the hospital so there was minimal damage, since repaired. Unfortunately, it was living for today that put me in that position.

Since then I've managed to keep my weight down and have struggled to stay off cigarettes but my drinking hasn't really reduced massively. But I appreciate every day and see it as a bonus. The real danger remains the same though - the danger of taking life for granted. Logically we shouldn't because folk die every die and it's bound to happen to us all sooner or later but if we start to assume that it won't be us and it won't be today there's a danger that we won't fully appreciate the time we do have.

Interesting thoughts. I've noticed recently that my life seems to be heading,with ever increasing speed,to it's logical,but unwanted, conclusion.
I seem to have gone from forty to sixty three in the blink of an eye.
Sadly,in my head, I'm about twelve.
I don't smoke,drink very little,and walk everywhere. I often try to swim,although not by choice,and I'm hoping this will stand me in good stead.
This has been a bit of a wake up call though.

sorry to hear your bad news Boncey

Shit happens!!

Believe me I know, I became a paraplegic when I was 18.


Long story, now 68, 50 years in a fucking wheelchair.

Luckily I met my wife 40 years ago and we have been happily married for nearly 39 years now.

I guess I have the kind of personality that copes, no point banging your head against the wall, you just  have to  get on with it when there is no other option.
 
It's much harder  now though that my physical strength is fading , I really dread the future now .

I used to be able to transfer easily from my wheelchair to my car, now it's a real effort and transfering out of the car is even harder.

We used to go to France on holiday and I would do all the driving, now a day up in the Lake District is hard work.

We all say live for the day as the reality of our short lives kicks in, but so much other shit gets in the way sometimes.

On a positive note spring is round the corner and the bulbs are coming through and I'm just going to have a large glass of red wine.

Bloody hell Cajun, i know it's not comparable but i lost an eye at 18, this thread is going to have me in tears in a minute

Thanks Cajun/Norpig. You've pepped me up no end.

As for you Cajun,bloody hell! Thanks for sharing that. 

Don't have any wine,but I'm raising a nice glass of Irish to you right now.

Sorry to hear about your disability Cajun, I guess most of us simply don't realise how lucky we are.

I think most of us (me included) simply don't consider anybody else's difficulties - particularly when we can't see them - such as here on the internet.

When my daughter was very young the then Mrs Sluffy did the dirty on me and long story short I ended up leaving my family home and having to move into short term digs.  Recently having moved in to them I was talking to the next door neighbour and telling her what a shit life I was having at the time and how the ex was trying to blackmail into things by threatening to not let me see my daughter.

The woman was very patient and caring for me and listened politely to all my moans.

After bitching on incessantly for what probably seemed like a lifetime to her I asked her had she any children of her own to which she answered that she had a young daughter who was knocked down and killed the previous year.

As the weeks and months went by I was able to pick myself up again and get on with my life and went on to watch my daughter grow up into a young woman, but that poor, kind hearted woman had already lost her world and no matter what the future brought her, her loss was greater than mine could ever have been - my daughter being alive and well.

I guess we have no other choice but to play the cards that life has dealt us.

It certainly puts into context how meaningless spats and vendettas on the internet really are. Even all the anguish and anger some people get into over just a simple game of football.

A long and happy life to you and yours Cajun.

Enjoy your tipple!

You guys. Gosh. Learned something this evening. May all your tomorrows be what you want and need, and risk of sounding trite, thanks for sharing.

Cheers everybody!!!

Can we get back to football now and talking bollocks.

Yes. Let's do something we're good at.

We are so fragile and vulnerable. Very touching stories above. My sincere condolences to all.

We have friends in Bristol whose children both have fragile x syndrome, which makes life extremely stressful. Last time we were with them, having a picnic in the Savernake Forest, one of the boys simply got up and walked into the lake, getting deeper and deeper. No amount of calling to him had any effect so their father had to wade in after him.....just one example of how our friends have been limited by the way the cards are dealt, having to be on constant guard. Going out in public has been invariably tricky and produces stares and unwelcome comments.

 My own family has at various times been affected by death:- one via a road traffic accident at 18 and one via cervical cancer, again far too early in life. My nephew is schizophrenic....don't let ANYone tell you that cannabis cannot result in psychosis. One of my golf buddies  has collapsed twice without warning and the doctors have not been able to see why......which in a way is more of a worry than knowing exactly what the problem is so that it can be treated......but inevitably he is now not allowed to drive.
One of the workmen completing the final touches to an extension here cheerily said good bye and "see you tomorrow"......but did not arrive the next day...or the next...or the next. We eventually discovered that he had left his house that first morning, kissed his wife and children, picked up his lunch box and drove off.....not to our house to complete the work, but to some woods where he connected a hose to the exhaust......

Bonce is right: make the most of your time and remember to say, "I love you" every day to your special ones.

Fuck me, I was in a good mood before I logged on.

Happy Friday everyone!!

It seems for all of us that life has had its fair share of tragedies. My brother in law committed suicide in his 40s and then my niece died from an overdose of GHB at the age of 23.

I had a heart attack 17 years ago- but luckily I was at the airport with NHS staff on duty so they got me to Wythenshawe in time. I can remember that night vividly- particularly opening my eyes and seeing the young doctor attending to me. She was as fit as a butchers dog- bumps and curves in all  the right places. I thought I had died and gone to  Heaven.. Every cloud has a silver lining!
Now I'm diabetic so I've got to watch what I eat and drink.
The missus has just been told that she needs surgery as she has a form of breast cancer.
So we all have our crosses to bear.
And to make the whole thing worse I'm condemned to being a Bolton supporter. Ain't life a bitch!!

Sorry to hear that about Mrs Rammy - Hope it all gets sorted quickly. (Obviously.)

It seems we are a bit of a cursed bunch on here. I had the unenviable job of turning off the life support for my first born when he was only 4 hours old which is the hardest thing I've ever had to bear in my life. Then was the murder of my sister in law by her ex partner when she was just 24 leaving behind 3 kids who were also subsequently lost to us after having witnessed their mother being butchered. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger though. That's what I believe anyway. It's either that, or let it crush you, which in my mind, isn't an option.