Many things didn't turn out at all as I expected in life Of all that you shared (and I appreciate you doing so because it isn't easy for some people to do), That line stands out the most because its so true for so many of us. I hit 60 last year and the Hourglass is now tipped upside down instead of right side up. I am TOTALLY ok with that. I've had several NDE's in my life so I know how this goes in the end and frankly, it can't come soon enough because as you said, The World is a MASSIVE shit show. But back to your thought. The guys I grew up with have all had more than their share of troubles. IDK, something in the water in our town maybe, but One is fighting Vaxx induced raging cancer, so far making progress but who knows. Three others are raging alcoholics who could never put much past basic survival together. One of them is my cousin who is a talented decorative concrete guy but he cant stay out of the bar long enough to collect his money etc. Another dude basically drank up his first house, spoiled his bariatric surgery because he wouldn't stop drinking, has had two strokes and is generally a whiny mess. Another has become a basic shut in, two others had nervous breakdowns. If you had told us all at Graduation over 40 yrs ago how it was all going to go I think we all would have laughed because it was too unbelievable. I knew a bit differently. As I said visits through the veil can do that to you but I felt it coming a long way off. The trouble for everyone and the world at large that is. As the Seventies began to draw to a close I kept getting this feeling like everything had shifted out of phase in the world somehow and that 1980 was IT. the turning point from which there was no going back to anything we had known. Sadly, what I tried to dismiss as fear of the unknown was well justified. The 80's brought with it a cheapness. The cars got majorly shitty. TV, movies, MUSIC all took a hit. Greed was good. Snorting your brains out encouraged. Debauchery of all kinds making its way right into every fabric of life. The 86 Amnesty which took the 65 I.R.C.A. and put it on steroids and so on. Now I know that for the generation that came of age THEN they'll tell me I'm nuts and it was the greatest etc. And for THEM that's probably true. Its not like everything became crap INSTANTLY, but that IS the starting point for where we are currently at. MY take anyway based on what I "saw' coming. Like You, I am facing the back 9 and trying to clean it all up to save someone else the trouble. I am FINALLY after 30 yrs in New York getting out. I came here in 89 pursuing a music career because in those days you had to be where the record companies were and I sure as Hell wasn't going to Cali. Grabbed a SMALL piece of the brass ring. Formed a band that after a few years got a deal. I'm on a couple of albums, never saw a dime (big shock I know), but I gave it all I had. It just didn't work out like I thought it would. There's that phrase again lol. But now, I'm finally out of here at the end of the month, Packing has commenced and I'll get to spend my last days in a beautiful state where the word Freedom still has a little meaning anyway and I'll have to be satisfied with that. It's funny that people have such a hard time living together because despite political differences, age differences etc, MOST of us seem to want the same things. A nice place to live, a few bucks in our pockets, a chance to succeed at something and to be left the hell alone. But as long as we keep kicking each other instead of the assholes that NEED kicking I guess this is how it'll be. Thanks for sharing this with me. This is really what POAL OUGHT to have more OF right about now instead of all the Dick swinging "im the toughest guy on the internet bullshit.