Best-Laid Plans Of...

Photo: © Stan Banos

I was recently sitting and thinking, had a pretty damn good year photographically, definitely got my share of keepers. Yup, sure did. Then I started contemplating on my long term plan, good plan, solid plan- crank out the work till seventy when my SS gets to $2k, and then- just roll with the punches with the bit I got stashed... Golden! 

Only one small glitch- I can be as good and faithful to plan as can be, but... there's no guarantee in any of it. Only one fool has agreed to the terms- and that be me! Having just turned sixty seven, I've seen one too many friends and acquaintances fold in that five year stretch starting at sixty five. Goddamn Danger Zone Supreme! And it really don't matter how good your health is, how good you've been taking care of yourself- Nature's gonna do what nature's gonna do... and it don't give a flying monkey what you got planned! 

Last two weeks I got pretty damn ill, spent a good portion of it exploring new heights and levels of excruciating pain in areas of my body I had already thought could not possibly be surpassed! Had my health care service (Thrive Baby!) been half what it so proudly touts itself to be, I would have been back on my feet in ten days- Tops! Somewhere between the two trips to the ER (one in an ambulance), I got to seriously thinking on my Grand Master Plan. That little bit o' money ain't gonna do squat for quality of life if I can't get out and enjoy it! I mean, lord knows what's headed down the pike next time I get laid out- maybe the smart deal is to quit while the going's not yet quite gone...