20 years and changes…

So I’m in yet another interminable meeting, and we finally get a break; standing outside with a cup of coffee, and this old guy comes walking over.

He’s smiling (a good thing), and sticks out his hand.  He says in a very soft voice, “you don’t remember me, but I know you.”

I shake his hand and say, “honestly, no I don’t.”  

He tells me his name, and I just about fell over; he and I had worked together 20 years ago.  He used to be a big strapping guy, cheerful, full head of dark hair, and deep booming voice.

Now he weighs about 120 lbs, is bald, stooped and can’t speak above a whisper.  He tells me he’s survived colon cancer, two strokes, an heart attack during Chemo and a stint in the last five years.  

I asked him what in the hell he was doing in the meeting after all that, and he said working was the only thing that kept him going.  

The fact that he’s a damn good engineer, so his bosses hung on through all the issues, and kept him on the payroll didn’t hurt either…

After all he’s been through, he needs to go buy a lottery ticket…

And thankfully all this went down BEFORE Obamacare kicked in, otherwise he probably wouldn’t be here…

And I just found out yet another old friend died two weeks ago of cancer…

Comments

20 years and changes… — 23 Comments

  1. Sadly, we are in the age group where we will be losing more and more good people with or without Obamacare. But I do admire your friends spunk. It would have been easy to just sit down and rest.

  2. CP- He admitted if he’d done that, he’d be dead. And his wife is completely supportive of him working.

  3. I understand those people. I come from a long line that said that if they stop they will die. They all lived up to that statement. Good on him and his wife to understand that.

  4. I have also reached that age where I am having to hear of, or people I know passing on. This is when life gets a bit tougher.

  5. I was asked at my review last week about my career goals.
    I laughed and said that if I couldn’t be chairman, I’d settle for being employed. I do not want to retire.

  6. As was said in the lamentable Indiana Jones “Crystal Skull” debacle, we’ve reached an age where life stops giving us things, and starts taking them away.

    And +1 to Ed B, above.

  7. I am glad you get to meet him again, even in his new state, and that you are still looking like you did kind of after all that time.

    Looking at a recent candid picture of self, I only see my father’s smile or his receding hairline… but it isn’t he it is me. Time doesn’t slow down……. I am.

  8. “I read the obituaries every day to make sure I’m not in them.”
    Can’t remember who said that (George Burns?).

  9. Keads- Yep, I’m there with ya…

    ADM- It does, and the flood of memories are what really hurt…

    Opus- You are correct Lady!

    Ed- Agreed! I’d just like a job with a ‘bit’ lower stress level…

    Rev- I wish they’d take some of my waistline back… sigh

    Earl- I am too, I’m older and fatter; but we’re still plugging along!

    Stretch- I think it was Mr. Burns.

  10. You can’t cheat the reaper.

    And you can’t beat the clock, because in the end, the clock ALWAYS wins.

    sic transit gloria mundi

  11. I’ve seen too many good people “retire”, and then just wither away.
    I’m lucky that my “hobbies” are all work related (or is my work hobby-related??), and I have no intention of going to seed once I retire.

    All the guys I’m friends with are busier now that they’ve “retired” than when they were working!

  12. you’ve got me wondering how my mom’s going to handle retirement. her last day is a week from today.

    she doesn’t know how to sit down. she’s going to drive my dad nuts.

  13. I haven’t been to a wedding in over ten years…but I hear about funerals all the time. Mainly I hear about them from my parents who are out-living most of their friends.

  14. What an apropos posting. A little over a year ago my office had an Agent die following complications following surgery. A major loss for our organization and her family.
    And today we lost another Agent from my office after his fight with cancer. The only thing that kept him going was his work. Many people will never know the his contributions to our country’s security. Very soon I will be making an official trip to Arlington Cemetery with the rest of my office. Sigh.

  15. Laura- I’m betting she will find ‘something’ to do…

    Jenn- Yep… dammit…

    NC- Yep, ‘we’ are getting to that age…

    WN- Understood. Say a prayer for him for all of us…