The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

We noted earlier this week the passing of Tom McIntyre.

One thing that I've noted in particular is this. This is how this is captioned on Stephen Bodio's blog, a link to which appears to the side here:

Thomas McIntyre, 1952–2022

1952 to 2022.  Seventy years.

1952 strikes me in particular.  I wasn't alive in 1952.  Indeed, my parents hadn't yet met in 52.  My mother was living in Canada and my father was going to school in Lincoln, Nebraska.  They'd meet and marry about six years later, by which time my mother had left Alberta to attend to her sister's wedding in Colorado, and had taken a job here on her way back north.  My father had served in the Air Force and was back out and starting a career here in town.

I'd come along in 1963.  So there's an eleven-year difference in that.

But there's a nine-year difference, almost ten, between my wife and I. About the same span of years here.

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Psalms, 90:10. 

I'm 59.  

Mr. McIntyre made it exactly to the Biblically referenced number of years. That number doesn't amount to, I'd note, a indication that the inspired writer was promising that God was going to terminate your life at that point.  No, rather, it indicates that even at that time it people lived just about as long as they do now.  Indeed, what's noted is that life tended to be hard and people tended to die around age 70, maybe 80 if they were of strong constitution.  Elsewhere, an upper maximum life span of 120 years is mentioned, which in fact does correlate to the rare examples of extreme old age.

Somebody I know well, and have for over 30 years, is very ill.  It came out of the blue from nowhere. They're only slightly older than me.

Yesterday, a lawyer I've practiced with for nearly 30 years called and spoke to me.  He's had a heart attack and is retiring.  After that, a lawyer I know elsewhere in another city was learned to be retiring.

A month ago or so a practicing lawyer I know, probably in his late 60s, died suddenly.

The point?

Well only this.  Financial planners may tell you to keep working forever, but you aren't going to live that long.

I've long said that after men reach age 30, they're living on borrowed time.  Up at my age, that becomes increasingly obvious for anyone who has eyes to see.