Touch Wood - Ouch

Over the past 2 years I can't help hearing bad news about some friends, ex-colleagues, associates' sudden departure from this world. It sets me thinking that life is indeed vulnerable. One moment a person can be healthy and alive and the next we suddenly hear of his/her passing away.

Story 1

About 2 years ago, a friend (let's call him A) whom I know through my good friend's (let's call him B) younger brother (let's call him C) for more than 35 years during my army time were attending a wedding dinner of C's daughter. A was in the pink of health when I last saw him at the wedding dinner. Four months later I received news from B that A had departed from this world. What? He's only 52 at the time of his passing away. I was told he died of a heart attack.

Story 2

A business associate whom I known in the middle of 1990. My boss intended to bring him in to join our company some time in Aug'10. I strongly objected to my bosses in employing him after knowing him from past records and reputation from the market. I will leave out the negative details. Just as suddenly I received news of his passing away in Nov'10 of heart failure. I am not entirely sure of his age but I was told he is also 52 years old at time of death. Coincidence? I am not sure.

Story 3

My ex-boss of whom I have known for about 14 years now. Two months ago I received news that he had a mild stroke. He was hospitalised for more than a month. Fortunately, he survived. When I spoke to him last week he has a slur in his speech and a bit slow when talking. He is 50 years old. I prayed for his full recovery and asked him to take good care of his health. His feedback from his understanding from his doctor is it would be difficult. Nevertheless, I will pray for him for full recovery.

Story 4

Just yesterday, I received news of an ex-colleague who got lung cancer. His doctor gave him not more than 3 months to live. He is around the age of 50.

Story 5

Lastly, it may be sheer coincidence, but my father died when he was also 52 years way back in 1964 of lung cancer and I was only 9 when he departed from this world. I am wondering if 52 is a number which we should be cautious.

From the above stories, I would like to summarise as follow:

1) Story 1 - My friend A was a heavy smoker and drinker.
2) Story 2 - This business associate is also a heavy smoker and drinker.
3) Story 3 - He is neither a smoker nor a drinker but he enjoyed pork legs and
all things that comes with high cholesterol.
4) Story 4 - This business ex-colleague is a heavy smoker and drinker.
5) My father is neither is smoker nor drinker and yet he died of lung cancer.
Maybe pollution at that time is really bad and he has been inhaling traffic
smoke and also a passive smoker. I gave up smoking since Jul'1981 after
smoking for 10 years and I am glad I did.

The moral of the story (Non-fiction, in case you ask): Enjoy life while you still physically can. Let's golf more often if financially possible. For those brothers/sisters who still smoke or drink heavily, I hope you can start by reducing the intake and totally eradicate it for the sake of your loved ones.

I am surprised that there's not a single response on this topic. Maybe the issue I raised is taboo and I understand that people tend to shy away from such issues.

In all, I mean well to inform all brothers and sisters that we cannot take life for granted. Healthy living is for everyone and it is supposedly our responsibility to our family and loved ones to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I hope that what I have posted did not offend anyone as it is not my intention.

Cheers to good health!

Hey bro, it's not no respond ...it's just speechless,
try tis ,last year 2010...1.Friend A's wife got breast cancer (cured),2.Friend B's daughter 9 month old also cancer( lost 1 eye sight), 3.Friend C's son abt 12yrs old also cancer( till now still uncure as it's rare case).All tis 3 friend is very close 2 me happend in d same year . all i know during tat time we try give them whatever support we can .

frankie wrote:

Hey bro, it's not no respond ...it's just speechless,
try tis ,last year 2010...1.Friend A's wife got breast cancer (cured),2.Friend B's daughter 9 month old also cancer( lost 1 eye sight), 3.Friend C's son abt 12yrs old also cancer( till now still uncure as it's rare case).All tis 3 friend is very close 2 me happend in d same year .

Thanks for sharing. Just for all bros and sisters here, my wife was diagnosed with 3rd stage nose cancer in early 2003. My ex-boss was the one mentioned in Story 3. He is very knid to allow me to take 3 months no pay leave to take care of my wife. 8 years has now passed and I am glad that she has fully recovered. I will leave my story out this time round of how much she suffered. I am duty bound to take care of her. She knew I love golf and insisted that I continue golfing even in her sickness.

Of course I didn't continue and stopped golfing for 3 years. I returned to golfing in 2006 when I am prettty sure she is alright. So much has happened since then to people around me, people that I know in one way or another.

Again, I want to stress, life is unpredictable and that we should enjoy it while we can, in a healthy way.

Cheers!

No worries mate,good or bad in life ,we live 2 d fullest! cheers( DON DRINK N SMOKE SO MUCH tats including ME!)

Thanks for sharing your stories. A friend of mine who was doing well career wise had a triple by pass before he turned 40. I have a few friends also around the same age (doing well financially) who have health problems even at a young age. The adage, live fast , die young taken from James Dean seems to be more and more prevalent for the pace of life that keeps getting faster and faster, even as society gets more and more affluent. Countries that get more industralied on the other hand suffer from higher depression rates than the non-industralized nations. My less affluent friends ( and perhaps did not have the opportunity to further their studies ) are relatively "happier" . Bringing this back to golf, the best tournament I attended was one in Fan Ling in Hong Kong ( Frank Nobilo won) when I did not follow the crowd and walked barefooted whilst everyone else followed the frenzy. It reminds me that life is more than just merely competition, but we got to smell the flowers (and the grass) along the journey. I guess , am a little more sentimental as the little girl in China died today as well (at so young an age) . Contrast this to the jubilation of responses from the world when Gadaffi gets killed after 42 years of strong hold , leaving such a bad legacy . Life is so short, and unpredicatble. We should live for our loved ones, and to leave a legacy that speaks well of the relationships we build and invest in , in this short life. TDO, glad to know that your wife has recovered. Thanks for sharing.

TDO wrote:

I am surprised that there's not a single response on this topic. Maybe the issue I raised is taboo and I understand that people tend to shy away from such issues.

In all, I mean well to inform all brothers and sisters that we cannot take life for granted. Healthy living is for everyone and it is supposedly our responsibility to our family and loved ones to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

I hope that what I have posted did not offend anyone as it is not my intention.

Cheers to good health!

Not surprised at all that many had not responded.

Every smoker and drinker know that such habits are detrimental to health, but how many will quit even if they know of such danger?

As long as the health issue doesn't occur to the smoker and drinker themselves, all these issues are someone's else problem till it's too late.


But luckily, compared to tyrants and any ruler who bring their nation to war, these are just some small individual issues.

Sadly, this is the agony of life.

I am not campaigning for all smokers and drinkers to stop their habits. The purpose of my writing these short stories is to share with all bros/sis what I have seen and been through myself.

I was a smoker myself when I was 16 and decided to call it quits in Jul'81. I smoke 20 sticks Rothmans a day and on Sats and eve of holidays it is 40 sticks. I quit on a Sat night in Jul'81 and told myself, "From tomorrow onward I will stop smoking", and I did just that. No cold turkey, no withdrawal symptoms, no substitutes.

I believe if the mind is willing we can move mountains.

After reading your post, Life is really strange.

There are some heavy smokers like George Burns who smoke cigars and he lived almost 80years of age. And then there are some who lived less than that

Do you guys believed in the Chinese belief of "9 ?"

I have a friend who died at age 49
and Qadhafi died at the age of 69

Personally I am not sure about such stuffs. But in everything that we do, just do it with caution.

Latest news on Story 4 that I posted on 17 Oct'11.

He passed away yesterday. And the doctor gave him 3 months at most.

God bless.

TDO wrote:

I believe if the mind is willing we can move mountains.

There is deep wisdom in those words.

Hi TDO, sad to hear those stories and glad your wife is enjoying her re-newed life.

And yes i agreed that life is unpredictable and we should treasure our life and what's around us...

I had a friend who passed away 2 mths back at the age of 49, he was in the pink of health and had stopped smoking years back. Recently, i had another friend who recovered from initial stage of stomach cancer, he is recovering and had since rejoined us in the game of golf...

God bless all with good health and great golf! haha...