Thanks Shakes for bringing up the topic sensibly and with honesty.
We are about 10 years younger (57/61), and started our road to financial independence from reading your "Investment Primer" more than 13 years ago, and followed your (email) advice to this forum, and joined it two years after we left the rat race in 2008. What a sensible wise man, and what a journey for us!
Your post reminds us, money (is important, but) is not everything. During recent years, there were three men (ages 72 to 74) in our little cul-de-sac passed away due to cancer. Even ourselves, being very careful with food and physical exercises and keeping same fit body shape for more than 20 years, started being labeled as "pre-diabetes" and "pre-high-blood-pressure" by our family doctor, based on a few recent check/test results and family history.
After seeing all these, we decided to fully embrace life more, e.g. started to learn more French, were in France for 5 weeks last fall and will try TMB this or next fall, etc etc. So we would have no regrets, but lots beautiful memories when we slow down eventually, be it sooner or later.
But as my Dad (he is 90 and is still very sharp) said: aging makes men (and women) wiser. So all you wise people, please keep on your good work on this forum and other sites, they are truly appreciated. Nous apprécions
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” — Charles R. Swindoll