And from the "Just Going Along Minding Your Own Business" Department:

[trof]

A few months ago a good friend of ours was on the way to a meeting in the next town and, on a two lane highway, an oncoming concrete truck suddenly veered into her lane and killed her instantly. The truck driver was uninjured (of course) and blew almost 3 times the legal limit. At 10 o'clock in the bleeding morning.

Then there was miz t.'s famous Unplanned Dive From The Dock.
It's a long story, but resulted in one broken rib, three cracked ones, a huge abdominal hematoma, and a night in the local hospital.

Two days ago I learned that the 80 year old father of our good friend and former dentist in NH, while driving to the grocery store just before Christmas, was creamed by another drunken driver. Three time loser. Make that four time loser now. He survived the myriad of operations to pin and plate all the broken bones, but gave up the ghost a week later.

Yesterday afternoon another friend, my hometown city clerk, was attacked in his office in city hall by a former city employee. Broken nose and cheekbone and a night in the hospital. My friend is one of the nicest, most non-confrontational, mild mannered guys I know.
The world is just nuts and a damned dangerous place.
I don't even like to leave the house any more.
:-(

[skygazer]

1. Man, that's grim

My sympathy to your friend - those senseless tragedies are always the hardest ones to wrap your head around.

[Shine]

2. Sounds like you've had a lot of reminders recently that Life

doesn't give any guarantees and that the illusion of security is just that, an illusion.

When faced with those realities, the question becomes:

How, then, do we choose to live our lives? In Fear? :shrug: Hopefully not.... Ultimately, we NEVER know how much time we've got left on the planet, but the common denominator to us all is that nobody gets out alive...so we might as well enjoy the time we're given and make the most of it.

My two cents...
:hi:

[trof]

3. No, not in fear. And a damned good two cents. However...

As a good (physician) friend says: "Life is a terminal disease."
At age 64, I have made some decisions that reduce my needless exposure to risks.
Just makes sense not to go against the odds.
And yet, I still smoke cigarettes.
Ya have to draw the line somewhere.
;-)

[Shine]

4. heheh. I love that you smoke and yet you want to "reduce your

needless exposure to risks". That's funny and it sounds as if you catch the irony, too. ;)

Here's a great quote, I thought I'd share:

"To be who you are and become what you are capable of being is the only goal worth living."
~Alvin Ailey.

PS. I read in the other thread how you came to your name, "trof" and was greatly amused by it. Very clever. My dad's about ready to be one of those, too. heheh. :hi:

[trof]

5. I know. The smoking is needful.

Why else would I do it?
Irony abounds.

Years ago I had a conversation with a friend about what exercises we were doing, what vitamin and herbal supplements we were taking, in order to improve our health and prolong our lives.

"CHRIST! You're doing all that and you still SMOKE!!??"
"Hey, I'm just compensating and hedging my bets."
;-)

[trof]

12. Here's an example of risk reduction.

On the recommendation of the dean of the Alabama School of Denistry I selected a periodontist in Mobile. His office is 60 miles from me, and the commute involves travel on an interstate highway and along the I-10 Bayway. This highway is subject to a high number of fatal crashes, especially along the Bayway in foggy conditions.

There are a couple of tricky, high speed, interstate changes. The odds are definitely not in my favor for a safe return trip.
I chose this guy because I thought he was capable of some whiz-bang, bone implantation, magic bullet work.
Turns out he isn't, and I guess I'm too far gone.

So...taking also into consideration the cost of fuel for this trip, which is likely only to go higher, and the risk of some kind of traffic mishap, at our last appointment I asked him to recommend a periodontist closer to me.
He was happy to.
Since the new guy can do not much worse than the "magic bullet" guy, I'm no worse off.

Thus I've eliminated a 120 mile round trip fraught with the possibility (probability) of a bad accident or some kind of mishap.

[Shine]

13. Sounds like you're a smart and practical guy.

you've worked it all out. Good for you!
;)

[OrwellwasRight]

17. Seconding Shine's Two Cents.

Sounds like you don't need to hear it, but your comment about not leaving the house sent shudders down my spine.

No matter how terrible and scary things get we just have to keep living our lives the way we want to.

For many folks, living in fear is a sure ticket to living a life even more diminished than if whatever they are afraid of happened. Seems clear that won't happen to you.

I'm sorry it has been such a tough year for you and those in your circle. :hug:

[djeseru]

6. My dad was killed just ordering a meal...

...forgot his money in his truck, walked out in the parking lot where a homeless gentleman stabbed him. I really miss him terribly.

Sheesh, my heart is really pounding hard just typing this...

[trof]

7. Sometimes the act of just being sux.

I guess I'm becoming a fatalist.
I certainly was in the years when I was a fighter pilot.
When your number's up, your number's up.
I can't imagine losing a parent, or anyone for that matter, like that.

[djeseru]

8. Oh, hey, I have fatalist tendencies myself.

I believe, in this strange way, that his early death saved him from what he never wanted: more pain, aging and losing the ability to be independent. He was stubbornly independent.

I just sometimes forget how powerfully painful it sometimes is.

I've had other cases similar to the ones in your original post...I think I just happened to post the extreme one without really thinking of it's impact, sorry!

[Shine]

9. Please accept my most heartfelt sympathies for the loss of your

beloved father, djeseru. What a tragic and unexpected death. I'm so sorry. There aren't enough words...

:hug:

[djeseru]

18. Thank you Shine.

Your kind words have always been "virtual hugs." I always enjoy them...

:hug:

[Shine]

20. And I thank YOU, for your kind words.

:pals: :hug:

[OrwellwasRight]

16. I'm sorry for your loss.

I don't know how long ago it was, but I know the pain never goes away. You just learn to live with it. :hug:

[djeseru]

19. I knew I was going to be okay...

...when the anniversary of losing him passed by and I didn't realize it until the next day.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. :hug:

[pointblank]

10. I was reading this earlier

and started thinking the same thing:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/law

I live and work in this city. Reading this shit makes me downright f'ing nervous to leave the house sometimes.

[oneighty]

11. Darn Trof

That is terrible.

(((((((((((hug))))))))))

Ed

[EstimatedProphet]

14. Man, I'm sorry

That's a lot to deal with in a short time.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Far as I'm concerned, drunk drivers should be executed on the spot

by the cops.

Blow over the legal limit? Bullet to the head.

obviously, there are some constitutional problems with that, and I'd never seriusly advocate it, but the emotional me wants that as law.

I can't think of any crime more insane, stupid, unncessary, dangerous, uncivil, or asinine than driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

And the goddamn fucks, it doesn't matter if they get a ticket, or even if they lose their license - they'll still drive, and still drive drunk. Which is why I say put a bullet through their fucking head right there on the side of the road.

[Rowdyboy]

21. When bad things start happening, sometimes its hard for them to stop....

I know where you're coming from. 2005 was one helluva year for us and I'm praying this year will be better. So far its been very good, but its way too early to judge.

Sorry that you guys have had such a tough time. Sometimes insanity seems to reign. Dec 2nd, the 22 year old son of my best friend from college either committed suicide or died from a drug overdose. I met the mother a week after the father did. I was at their wedding, and welcomed the little shit into the world. His parents were good parents, attentive and concerned. They traveled with him, encouraged him in sports (his passion) and did EVERYTHING they were supposed to do.

Sometimes the world just doesn't make sense. I, too, sometimes just want to pull the covers over my head and tell the damned world to go away.