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Reality, you, and have you made your peace.

I doubt I'll go out in a blaze of glory, fighting off the chinese/russian/overreaching gub'mint/zombie hordes (take your pick). I have thought about the end having been there while my mom died (peacefully) and watched my dad gracefully leave this world with the care of hospice. In both cases they were surrounded by their children and were not alone.

We do not have kids, which makes me wonder who will be with me or my wife when we die? One of us will die alone. I can only pray that it is me and not my wife who has to face death alone. But this is a double edged sword since I will be witness to her final breath then face my remaining days on my own. Ten years ago I never thought about these things.
I worked in an Emergency Room for a few years(as an Advanced EMT, Spanish Interpreter, Unit Secretary) and have seen people die.

I held my ex-mother-in-law's hand and prayed for her until she took her last breath. A couple of years later I did that with her son(ex-brother-in-law). I've seen people run away from their relatives who were in their last days and then fight over their assets once they passed. No doubt they'll have to answer for those choices some day.

I moved back home to be around my mom before she passed. And though I wasn't at the nursing home when Dementia took her away I had visited with her a couple of days before. And I'd spent a lot of time with her trying to make her as comfortable as possible. My mom adopted me when I was 1.5 and though she's been gone 1.5 years, I miss her often, but I also smile when I think of her..:)

One of my martial arts instructors died from ALS. I spent a couple of hours with him less than a month before he passed. He couldn't speak and move very much but he still managed to smile and in his way tell me he loved me. I've rarely seen anyone be that brave in that condition and close to death.

Death is inevitable. Some days it's kind of scary to me, though I do my best to deal with my fears. Prayer is helpful. Being around family and good friends helps a lot also. All of my sisters and brothers are older than me. 4 of them live nearby. I moved back home to try to be there for them also.

I'll be 65 in a little over a couple of weeks. My main goal in life now is to be positive and comforting to those near me I can help. And shut my mouth around those who I don't really have anything good to say about. To me each day is a gift and try to treat it as such.

As far as dealing with violence or dying in a sea of brass, I've trained most of my life and still train daily. I don't train out of fear but rather because it's a part of who I am. I have to do my best to stay in shape, to be strong for those around me who might need me mentally and/or physically.

My best friends are all about my age and we talk/text/email almost daily. We often express gratefulness of each other's company. My girlfriend works in a Dialysis office. She sees death often. When she's not at work I do my best to spoil her because I don't think there's enough people like her in the world. Seeing her happy, makes me happy. It feels almost as good as when I helped my mom smile when we talked about old times and she got a break from her Dementia.

Death is not easy to talk about. But facing it is a lot easier when you're blessed with the people I've been blessed with. I believe if we are loved and have a strong faith in God we are never alone. But that's just my belief and perhaps believing that way helps me cope with the fear of death.
 
How will they remember you?
 

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I have come right to death's door twice in my life. I've been on borrowed time for over 20 years now. I've made my peace with it and don't fear death. But that don't mean I'll lay down and accept it. I will fight to my last breath. ;)

As for the SHTF scenario, I have no illusions that this pot bellied, decrepit old man will be a long term survivor. I probably won't last long at all. But again, I plan to go out fighting.

Honestly, The one thing I fear is that I live alone and may well die that way. My sons love me, but they're busy with their own lives and we don't speak as often as I'd like. I fear that I may die alone at home and not be found for days or even weeks. Now that scares me.
 
As far as my above post joking aside.
I never put too much thought about when mine time is up, until 2018 when I got diagnosed with Multiple Meyloma Cancer that has no cure.
Take everyday as it comes, keep your family and friends close and don't be afraid to tell them how you feel, because you may never get that chance.
My only real fear is what my wife will do with my meager collection.
 
I have seen more than my fair share of death. 32 years as a Police Officer. It doesn't scare me I personally beat it twice already with my own health issues aka scares. But what does bother me is my wife's parents are gone and she's estranged from her brother so all she has is me and my dysfunctional family and if I have to go before her I just wanna and have to know that she will be taken care both financially and have people there to help her. Plus I truly believe in the Rainbow Bridge for pets and I hope that when my number is called at the deli counter I get to see all of them again... Just my two cents....
 
I have come right to death's door twice in my life. I've been on borrowed time for over 20 years now. I've made my peace with it and don't fear death. But that don't mean I'll lay down and accept it. I will fight to my last breath. ;)

As for the SHTF scenario, I have no illusions that this pot bellied, decrepit old man will be a long term survivor. I probably won't last long at all. But again, I plan to go out fighting.

Honestly, The one thing I fear is that I live alone and may well die that way. My sons love me, but they're busy with their own lives and we don't speak as often as I'd like. I fear that I may die alone at home and not be found for days or even weeks. Now that scares me.
My folks gave up oceanfront property to move to N Tx in the burbs to be near their kids/grandkids. My parents, My brother & his family and my family all live in the same town now.. He hates the burbs and mom as aphasia, but we see each other quite a bit for meals and talk all the time. Memories over money is what my dad says. Matter of fact my daughter stopped by and had lunch with them today.
My dad and brother joke they just need enough ammo to shoot their way to my house for SHTF and we’ll all bug out together
 
I’m 54 and I doubt the apocalypse comes in my lifetime. I’m prepared as best as I’m willing to be. They may get me but I’m not going to be the only mofo that’s dying.

I’m with you my friend. I’m not wasting my time dwelling on how I go or a scenario that isn’t coming, I’m focused on living my life well.
 
I’m with you my friend. I’m not wasting my time dwelling on how I go or a scenario that isn’t coming, I’m focused on living my life well.
Well said sir. As I get very close to being 65 years young I think about all I survived to get here(Micro fracture neck surgery, quadruple bypass surgery, nasty divorce, etc, etc.). I wouldn't trade any of those experiences because it's allowed me to be here now. Hopefully a little wiser, more appreciative of the many blessings I have.

For me each day is a gift and I try to treat it as such. Hopefully in the next couple of months, God willing, I'm moving into a new place that will give me room to work on electric bicycles, recumbent tricycles. Maybe I'll even work on changing guitar pickups on a couple of guitars and lap steel guitars...:) I truly believe the best is yet to come, because I don't get in my own way so much anymore.

I'm a better listener but I know I can be better. Encouraging others is much more satisfying than discouraging them. Avoiding arguments is better than proving I'm right. Being open to learning new things is much better than thinking I know very much...:)
 
Well said sir. As I get very close to being 65 years young I think about all I survived to get here(Micro fracture neck surgery, quadruple bypass surgery, nasty divorce, etc, etc.). I wouldn't trade any of those experiences because it's allowed me to be here now. Hopefully a little wiser, more appreciative of the many blessings I have.

For me each day is a gift and I try to treat it as such. Hopefully in the next couple of months, God willing, I'm moving into a new place that will give me room to work on electric bicycles, recumbent tricycles. Maybe I'll even work on changing guitar pickups on a couple of guitars and lap steel guitars...:) I truly believe the best is yet to come, because I don't get in my own way so much anymore.

I'm a better listener but I know I can be better. Encouraging others is much more satisfying than discouraging them. Avoiding arguments is better than proving I'm right. Being open to learning new things is much better than thinking I know very much...:)
Pickups is easy. If you can solder you can install pickups and wiring harnesses.
 
Pickups is easy. If you can solder you can install pickups and wiring harnesses.
Speaking of pickups I really regret changing my pickups from my old 1955 es 330 . I use to play and there was so much feed back you couldn’t play it so I toke in to a great place back in the day in San Francisco it was a famous place can’t recall the name anyway they end up changing the end part that holds the strings and drill into it wish I would’ve never did that I sure it toke the value away I still have the guitar
 

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Speaking of pickups I really regret changing my pickups from my old 1955 es 330 . I use to play and there was so much feed back you couldn’t play it so I toke in to a great place back in the day in San Francisco it was a famous place can’t recall the name anyway they end up changing the end part that holds the strings and drill into it wish I would’ve never did that I sure it toke the value away I still have the guitar
So this guitar should have a Trapeze Tailpiece. They removed it and installed a Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Was there also a tremelo ( whammy) bar ? Some of them were equipped with Bigsby roller bar bridges. Did they also change the pickups ? It would have come stock with P-90s, which is what is on it now.

Changing that bridge did nothing to tame feedback. If you got it back and it didn't feedback as much the pickups were either microphonic or needed potting. Feedback is a thing with hollowbodies. A lot of guys like them for that reason. Controlled feedback as an effect.

A 1955 ES-330 is worth from 15k-25k today. And yours can be restored.
 
I do still have all the parts crazy I didn’t know how much they were worth now I really mad that I did that yes I still have that original tail piece . Yes the pickups were changed no whammy bar or I would of still had it in the box
 
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