From TheLongestTrip.com
Joe and I grew up together, but we were never really close. We knew all the same people. Hung out in the same places. And yet I could never really call him a friend. Still, the news my brother sent to me the other day made my blood freeze. Joe was dead. He had a heart attack.
I’ve lost people closer to me to heart disease or cancer or whatever. Most of them were considerably older than me. Even when my friend Richard was taken at the age of 42 by pancreatic cancer, I was younger than him at that time. But Joe was the same age as me. Right now. Suddenly the idea that someone in their early forties could be snuffed out so swiftly scared the shit out of me.
A couple of months ago, I decided it was time to get myself healthy. And yes, I went to the doctor. I listened carefully as he poked, prodded and pontificated about my future. He said I was in good shape despite my lazy, complacent lifestyle. That, and I was “still young” so I had advantages others don’t. So, I let my laziness take over and never bothered to call for any of the results. I figured, if it was bad news, the doctor would have called me. And then…
Read More at TheLongestTrip.com: The Same Age as Me
