Thank you for your kind and gentle response, very much appreciated.
When I was fifty-nine, I lost most of my vision, much of which has since been reclaimed through surgeries. That singular event transformed my thinking, showing me without tolerable uncertainty the importance of living in the moment and not allowing for too much dependence upon outcomes yet to be proved.
Since that time, then, I've found it useful to closely examine familial histories with regard to life-spans of my predecessors as well as ways in which I might improve on my own odds through transformative self-generated actions. Over the past several years I dropped a lot of weight and am now holding well at my target level. Too, daily aerobic exercise is a given as is carefully monitored dietary control.
So today, with wonderful vitals and no physical limitations to speak of, I know I've altered my earlier-established quality of life. And with this I've come to see I have reason to plan my future more in line with longer term time horizons too. The end result is that I'm embracing greater levels of risk yet enjoying the exhilaration coming from increased freedom.
My wife and I own a hobby ranch with horses, ponies, goats, dogs and even a couple of donkeys. Life is wonderfully rich despite the daily demands of animal care and 16.27 acres of prime pasture in an urban environment.
Final item: When I lost most of my vision (now recovered), I determined that I'd never again place fresh funds into my brokerage accounts. I needed to believe my portfolio could and would survive on its own merits. This was back in 1999 and I've been fortunate enough to remain true to that resolve.
My hope is that this moves you to challenge your own relationships with life, age, investment. I'm convinced such inquiry may lead to good things as it has for me.
I wish you the best!
Len
PS: The price per unit of EPD right now is super compelling at $25.87. Aahhh, were that I were ten years younger!!
