(no subject)
My God...it’s OLD!!!
About this time of year means one thing for the permenant residents of Tucson. Traffic swells to max capacity, the mean average for a Tucsonan rises about 30+ years, and everywhere you look, the living dead walk the earth. Yes, I'm talking about the snowbirds. Tucson's population of roughly 1 million people swell to take on another 45,000-50,000 retirees who make the trek to more temperate climates during the season change. Since winter in Tucson is more like fall anywhere else, we have a pleathora of the elderly who make my home their home for half the year.
I gotta tell you, old people bug me. I can't help it. The main reason I think I have such a rotten disposition to old people in general is that I have no future as an old person (exceptions to every rule: I love my parents, who live here all year long, taking the heat of the summer like the troopers they are and some of my friend's folks). The theory goes that there are so many old people living longer and longer that when I am at the age of retirement (65 is the age I'm using as an example), the social security that I've been paying since I've had to work for a living, won't be there when I need it. I've got another 29 years before I get there and it doesn't look good for my generation when we get too old to work. Old people are living too long.
It was a good idea at the time. Back in the 40s & 50s, social security was working fine because someone would pay into it for 40+ years and then only live 15-20 years after retirement. More money goes in that comes out. Straight economics. But now, through many medical miracles, old people are living an extra 15-20 years longer than they used to. Now someone who's paid It's a system for 40+ years is taking every penny that they paid in plus some. Those many medical miracles don't come cheap. And since old people are so desperate to hold on to that spark of life that most are willing to take and take and take all they can so they can hold on for another 3-6 months in a hospital bed rather than to give what they paid in to then next generation. The system is way out of balance. I pay social security every week and every week I think, man...I ain't ever gonna see that again. It pisses me off to no end.
Now some people had the foresight to save for their retirement and many of them did well, but even then when they were 40ish, I would almost guarantee that in their planning, they never thought that they would be pushing 90-100 when it would finally end. And that is now becoming the standard instead of the exception.
There is no future in being old. Best to burn out than to fade away...(as the old rock adage goes).
Pog Mahone!
About this time of year means one thing for the permenant residents of Tucson. Traffic swells to max capacity, the mean average for a Tucsonan rises about 30+ years, and everywhere you look, the living dead walk the earth. Yes, I'm talking about the snowbirds. Tucson's population of roughly 1 million people swell to take on another 45,000-50,000 retirees who make the trek to more temperate climates during the season change. Since winter in Tucson is more like fall anywhere else, we have a pleathora of the elderly who make my home their home for half the year.
I gotta tell you, old people bug me. I can't help it. The main reason I think I have such a rotten disposition to old people in general is that I have no future as an old person (exceptions to every rule: I love my parents, who live here all year long, taking the heat of the summer like the troopers they are and some of my friend's folks). The theory goes that there are so many old people living longer and longer that when I am at the age of retirement (65 is the age I'm using as an example), the social security that I've been paying since I've had to work for a living, won't be there when I need it. I've got another 29 years before I get there and it doesn't look good for my generation when we get too old to work. Old people are living too long.
It was a good idea at the time. Back in the 40s & 50s, social security was working fine because someone would pay into it for 40+ years and then only live 15-20 years after retirement. More money goes in that comes out. Straight economics. But now, through many medical miracles, old people are living an extra 15-20 years longer than they used to. Now someone who's paid It's a system for 40+ years is taking every penny that they paid in plus some. Those many medical miracles don't come cheap. And since old people are so desperate to hold on to that spark of life that most are willing to take and take and take all they can so they can hold on for another 3-6 months in a hospital bed rather than to give what they paid in to then next generation. The system is way out of balance. I pay social security every week and every week I think, man...I ain't ever gonna see that again. It pisses me off to no end.
Now some people had the foresight to save for their retirement and many of them did well, but even then when they were 40ish, I would almost guarantee that in their planning, they never thought that they would be pushing 90-100 when it would finally end. And that is now becoming the standard instead of the exception.
There is no future in being old. Best to burn out than to fade away...(as the old rock adage goes).
Pog Mahone!