Great. I didn't need an existential crisis today :)
I really wonder about the quality of life as I age though. There is such a wide spread in my family. One of my grandfathers died of COVID early in the pandemic - he made it to 83.
I had always considered him too stubborn to die. He survived two congestive heart failures, two bouts with cancer, and a heart attack. He had never taken care of himself (obese all of his life, heavy smoker from teenager to age 50, emphysema (from smoking), etc.). He caught COVID while recovering in a physical rehab from his heart attack and that's what ended up doing him in.
His body was pretty much trashed by age 50 though. His ability to do things was pretty restricted from that point forward. As a child, he couldn't go on roller coasters with us, he had to be really careful with his diet, etc. He spent the last 3 years of his life in bed or wherever he could get on a walker.
Meanwhile, my other three grandparents are enjoying their late 70's and early 80's - they travel, go hiking, play golf, play with the grand children and great-grandchildren, etc.
I wonder how old I'll be when I get to the point where dying doesn't sound any worse than living.
It's okay to slow down, but don't stop moving.
Don't check what are the odds of you dying this year. You won't like them either.
I'm not really a brave guy, I fear change, but you got to take your chances while you're still alive.
However, I understand the job market might not always be appreciative of gaps in employment.
I have always wondered what the income volatilities as you age are for the purposes of calculating how much I should be saving. My current strategy is to assume I will be unable to earn income and/or need to spend a lot on healthcare with increasing material odds starting at age 50 (since I might not have access to subsidized health insurance that comes with a job).