When you're young and growing up, everything is about the future.

"When I graduate..."

"When I grow up..."

"When I get married..."

It lasts for a long time, this phase, at least it did for me; well into adulthood. Always looking into the future. Always, always.

As time passed and I got older- nearing retirement age- the looking to the future slowly faded away, and then, life became an experience of the present moment, and I believe this is the way it should be for those of us ambling on down to the Big Roundup at Eternity Ranch.

You- or I, at least- begin to see things with great clarity; from the trivial day-today routine, to the big picture- the Great Circle of Life. Damn, I surely could have used those Wisdom Goggles when I was twenty.

But, here we are now, approaching yet another election, and yet again, we've declared it the most important election this country has ever had, and this is- once again- our "last chance to save the country yadda yadda".

Well, the approaching election may very well be those things, but if not, it certainly is still a very important election, and this is going to be the last time around for Donald Trump. Everyone knows it.

OK, fine a battle for the soul of this nation, or whatever trite platitude you favor.

The worst part of this- for me- is that THIS SHIT IS TAKING FOREVER TO GET HERE!!

God DAMN!! We're still a year out from the election. The two and four year cycle of elections in this country- we're either going into an election or we're coming out of one and so you would think that the experience wouldn't seem like it's NEVER going to happen!!

Thank you for listening. I make no apologies for rambling, because- well, because...

Thank you for listening. If Tab A does not smoothly fit into Slot B, I'm certain that those of you of sufficient age will still get my point.

The End

I’m close enough to retirement that I’m nervous about not having adults running the show when it could wreck my investments. I get it.

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The worst part of this- for me- is that THIS SHIT IS TAKING FOREVER TO GET HERE!!

Yep. Biden is so horrible we all just want to HURRY UP and get to what’s next.

I am at the age where I may not be around all that much longer. But I am very concerned about what my son may face 10 or 15 years down the road. I hope the upcoming election can be a starting point for a better, stronger and more just constitutional republic.

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I am at the age where I may not be around all that much longer. But I am very concerned about what my son may face 10 or 15 years down the road. I hope the upcoming election can be a starting point for a better, stronger and more just constitutional republic

Yoopersigs, you speak for many of us old codgers: our worries are all about our kids, and grandkids if we have them.
All predictions about the safety and growth of our savings and retirement have gone out the window due to massive government debt and subsequent inflation. An article in today’s WSJ predicts future growth of 2.5% may be the ballpark’s are looking at. We’ve never seen this kind of outlook.

Yes, as I approach 80 yrs next year, I also feel the need for immediacy in all my plans and actions. Financial planning for the future and even longterm repair-maintenance on the home are not that important anymore.

The hardest part is having the knowledge and wisdom that I have gathered over the years and desperately trying to share that knowledge with my kids and grandkids before I am gone. I feel that is the most important part of their inheritance from me and yet, they just can't or won't make the best use of it.

The greatest gift I have ever received was learning to care about others more than myself. It enhanced my life immensely and gave more purpose to that life than when I was young and self-centered. That gift also brought a heavy burden of frustration that I can't be around long enough to greatly contribute to my great-granddaughter's journey. (If not for that, I would pass peacefully from this world - knowing that I had pretty much seen and done all that I had planned in my youthful days. )

I have found that at 72 I have moved all concerns to my own survival.
My brain now processes everything with my survival as number one priority.
As my body begins to break down and I realize that NOTHING will ever be as good as it once was,I adapt as best I can.
I have also come to accept that my future is not held by my own peers.My age group is no longer a majority or are the views I have always excepted.
Since I retired, my children are all grown ,I don't contribute much to society accept my now minority conservative views, most are left to me from my Depression/WWII/WWI era parents and Grandparents.
I try to impress these values on my children (all in there 30's), to some extent they listen and agree but also tell me there opinions don't count either because most all there friends are Libs, voting to them is a waste of time.

All I can do now is vote and attempt to convince others why they should care. I'm beginning to hear an echo.
I hope the younger generations wake up but I fear they won't. I also feel that we have already given the GREAT SHIP away. Youngsters care more about there phones than who rules over them. If China threatened to cut off cell service I wonder how fast the youngsters would hand over the keys to the kingdom so they could use there phones.
Very sad.I pray I'm wrong.

I am younger for sure, but no less know that there are few "next steps" for me. The next big one is retirement, and it's strange being in this rather longer stage of life when so much of my life was looking towards the next step. High school graduation, college and college graduation, getting into med school and the med school graduation, getting into residency, passing the USMLE exams, graduating residency, written boards, and oral board certification. Now, I'm in the middle. The next step is, frankly, a step away, away from constant striving forward towards the next achievement. But towards another goal all-together. I am hoping that it is towards a goal of a deserved new experience of new places and things, without the worries of getting there and paying for it. However, it is a different mindset, approaching this next stage (though it still seems quite far off, like a kid in middle school imagining college). It is strange to realize you are middle aged, mid-career, and at the top of your game. I am an excellent emergency medicine physician, able to manage all varieties of crises, and also manage the responsibilities as CFO of my small company as well. It's a hell of a peak, and exactly where I drove myself to be, but strange not to see another summit ahead, but a long plateau before a brass ring of repose. The next goal seems so far ahead in the distance (likely 15-20 years), and I'm not used to goals ever being more than 4 years away. It is indeed a strange time, and I am beginning to understand why men have "mid-life crises". I'm not about to buy a sports car (have one from 2006 and love it!), or look towards a new love interest (I am madly in love with my wife).

In short, I've been very blessed and succeeded for as long as I can remember, and I am grateful for everything that I have been given and achieved. Yet, how do I continue to strive and be fulfilled, when it's basically cruise control from here to retirement?

I do not wish this post to in any way demean those members who struggle each day and dream of being in the position I have been blessed to be in. I simply hope to hear from those members who may have found themselves in a similar situation, where they found them to be at the height of where they dreamed, without a clear next ring in sight.

Time for me is speeding up. Sure, some things like the election may appear to be in the distant future but it seems to come faster as it nears you then it zooms by.

I can’t believe it’s October already and November is right around the corner.

Age 72 and in good health but well into life's 4th qtr. I have a loving and loyal wife, a liberal sister who I love and a niece and her husband who are the closest things to children we have. They are both doctors and set up.

I'm pissed as hell that the USA I grew up in is long gone and I'll never voice negativity again but I think this thread is different and I'm speaking/rambling from the heart - I think we're fucked. Too many years of unsecure borders have let unknown amounts of miscreants into the country and a sect of 8th century, avg iq 75, well armed terrorist fanatics are here. Can I prove that - No but how could they not be? Let several cells and lone wolfs go on some shooting sprees and watch the chaos.

If things do get crazy martial law is a possibility - I think Trump is automatic if there is a remotely fair election but that is a big if.

I'm a Christian and believe the promise of eternal life so this ain't home it's just a stop in the road in the overall scheme of things. I've always tried to carry my troubles lightly and not take myself too seriously but I'm expecting some turmoil on our shores as evil is all over the globe - things are playing out like Revelations said they would. Get right with God, vote MAGA, prep as best you can and stay frosty.

As to worrying about the problems our children might face in the future, well, in many cases they are the ones creating/contributing to those problems.

My horizon is suddenly a lot different.
I used to think of planning as maybe 20 years out. Now it's more like 5 years at the most and then we'll see if things matter beyond that.

A troubling thing to me is that younger folks don't seem to pay much attention to history and it's lessons.
Many don't even seem to know it exists at all. Those are the least expensive lessons to learn and the most reliable predictors of the future, if you know how to read and apply those lessons to the present.

The worst effect of politics is paying too much attention to it.
We keep looking, waiting, yarning for a positive result in our direction almost certain to be disappointed.
Like mentioned before ~ take a break, which is not easy so maybe just "do other stuff" and take the stress level down if you can.

When in my late teens to early twenties I had concerns about the direction we as a nation were heading.

If today I could go back in time and meet my younger self I’d have a conversation with me and say “What do you think the future holds for you?”

After my answer which would have probably optimistically contained “things will get better” my older self would probably say “Hold my beer and watch this”

Presidential campaigns should be limited to strict budgets, with no contributions of any kind allowed. Failure to comply results in disqualification, even for incumbants.
No campaigning allowed until four months prior to the election.

When you're in office, do the work. When you're seeking office, bring it correct or stay home.

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Originally posted by smschulz:
The worst effect of politics is paying too much attention to it.
We keep looking, waiting, yarning for a positive result in our direction almost certain to be disappointed.
Like mentioned before ~ take a break, which is not easy so maybe just "do other stuff" and take the stress level down if you can.

You can take a break, or get involved.
If you are simply watching as a spectator, I would agree that the worst effect of politics is paying too much attention to it. It's frustrating. It's full of disappointments. But you are right: it can be mostly ignored to lower your stress.

I have two kids. My son doesn't want kids and my daughter can't have kids, so no grand kids for me. I used to think that was a bad thing. Now I'm not so sure.
Rod