Lookin

I don't know Jose's family situation, but it isn't necessary for 'everyone' to take care of the elders.  In a large family there are bound to be those members who naturally come into that role, and in many cultures, it represents a special part of life for the caregiver and the one being cared for.  I know I would never trade the time I have spent caring for family members who needed it.  It comes down to treating others the way you would like to be treated yourself.
 

My brother died a slow brutal death over 2 years with cancer.  His wife and her young sons cared for him in their home,I supported them financially.  He was able to pass at home with family.
I’m on good terms with my nephews, they are kind honest people.
I’m fortunate.

My doctor told me a banana 🍌 a day would be good for my colon.  So that's what I did.  But on a follow-up visit he told me that I should EAT the bananas 🍌

Thank you, Charlie
Kind response 

I started this thread with an ironic misquote of a line from an old song ("Nobody loves you when you're old and gray"), but I didn't mean it literally. Most relationships change over time, as both parties age, and for gay men who have no children, there are no younger generations of descendants who typically feel some responsibility for the older family members who raised them. Of course, even gay men may have younger lovers, friends and family members who are willing to take responsibility for them. 
I don't believe that nursing homes are only "geriatric prisons;" the residents may sometimes feel that way, but often the elderly receive better care there than they would from their family. After five years of living with my spouse and me, my 94 year old mother actually chose to move to an assisted living/nursing care facility, where she thought her life would be more comfortable and interesting than it was with us, and she was right.

Exactly.   I visited a provider several times when he was in a Philadelphia hospital. The first few times at his request. From then, I went because it was the right thing to do.

Well, this is sad, and fortunately not my experience. I know I have helped others without expecting anything in return, and I am not an angel. I am sure I am not alone.

This is not my experience. In general, I like and respect young people and get the same in return. 

Right-and those of us who’ve been through a few off those cycles know that the city will always come back.  The San Francisco Center is going to be a challenge-the owner walked away from a $750 million mortgage a few months ago.  The city is trying to figure out a way to repurpose the property

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

A slippery slope indeed.
Personally, I do the self-checkout when I don't want everyone to know I'm buying five bags of potato chips for the price of two.     But I wait for the cashier when I've got more than a few items.
In their pursuit of every last nickel, I'm not sure how long my market will even have a cashier, let alone a bag boy.  At least they haven't sent me around back to help unload the delivery trucks.

Not yet anyway.  

A slippery slope indeed.
Personally, I do the self-checkout when I don't want everyone to know I'm buying five bags of potato chips for the price of two.     But I wait for the cashier when I've got more than a few items.
In their pursuit of every last nickel, I'm not sure how long my market will even have a cashier, let alone a bag boy.  At least they haven't sent me around back to help unload the delivery trucks.

Not yet anyway.  

I don't like the self-checkout and I don't use it. First, I don't work there. Second, because of the self-checkout, neither does someone else who used to, and I don't like being complicit -even in such a small and indirect way- in someone losing their job in order that a huge chain can make a bigger profit; it's obscene.
I dislike it so much that at least twice that I can recall, when all the checker-staffed lanes were swamped and the self-check lanes were much less busy, I left my groceries-laden cart where it was, walked out, then went to different store. Yes, I can be a Karen-esque bitch when the mood strikes me. I'm not really proud of that behavior, but as Frasier once said of himself, "It's part of the magic that is me."
Another annoyance of grocery shopping in my city is that the store is required by the city government to charge 5-cents for each plastic bag. I understand and agree with the objective of limiting the use of these bags, but not in this manner. In a newspaper article on the program, the city manager reported that it had brought in more revenue than had been projected and that he was very pleased with that result. When I saw the mayor sometime later (in a social setting) I told her the city manager was an idiot. If the objective of the program is to reduce the use of plastic bags, does the manager not realize that a higher than projected income from the program is a sign that the program is not working as effectively as possible to reach the stated goal of reducing usage of plastic bags? If you truly want to reduce usage, simply ban them instead of making their use a revenue stream for the city. Madam Mayor didn't say it words, but her eyes and pursed lips screamed, "What a Karen!"
Damn right, bitch!
End of rant.

That’s a lovely post, brother. So much of what you do seems grounded in the search for (and appreciation of) connection — appropriate, of course, and sometimes only up to a certain point ... It’s one of the many things I value in you, and I’m glad you’re finding scope for that connection in the forums. 

Thanks for the kind words! 🤗 
It's been really busy the past few months and I haven't had as much posting time as I'd like.  Things are slowing down though and, as soon as I get a few notes in order, I'll be churning out the usual drivel.  

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

I want to follow you around and pick up the crumbs you leave behind. Especially the handsome ones.😉

Am 81 year old woman and her son & grandson died Saturday night in another fire started by one of these batteries.  That's 17 deaths this year in NYC.  There really needs to be more regulation & harsher penalties for the people who make & sell substandard batteries.

That's a very sad story.
According to this article, most lithium-ion batteries are made in China.  I wonder what kind of oversight there is to ensure these potentially dangerous products are safe and reliable over time, rather than merely cheap at the point of sale.
I'm also not sure Amazon focuses on quality as much as they focus on low cost.  And that's assuming the product even comes through one of their warehouses.  I recall reading that Amazon often acts as a 'marketplace' for products that ship directly from other resellers who may be individuals rather than companies.  This would be even more likely for a second-hand product.
Bottom-line, I'm not sure there's anybody who can vouch for the safety of some of the products showing up on our doorsteps.  If there isn't a trusted brand name on the product and a company reputation at stake, it could be a crapshoot.
If I had to suggest a fix, it would be to hold the US distributor (in this case, Amazon) liable for damages caused by products they sell.  Once they have to pay out a few million-dollar judgments, I expect their quality control will improve.  And, yes, their prices will go up, or their profits will go down.

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

Great topic and very timely, as I just turned eighty.  😳
It's impressive and heartwarming to hear my fellow posters are blessed with supportive families and/or the wherewithal to keep going throughout the golden years.
Personally, I've never been much of a planner.  There's a chance a couple of my younger relatives would put me up when my cash runs out after a couple months in the Olde Poofters Home.  But it's not a sure thing.  
I'm thinking my best bet might be to snuggle into a wicker basket and drop myself off at the local fire station.  

 

That's a very sad story.
According to this article, most lithium-ion batteries are made in China.  I wonder what kind of oversight there is to ensure these potentially dangerous products are safe and reliable over time, rather than merely cheap at the point of sale.
I'm also not sure Amazon focuses on quality as much as they focus on low cost.  And that's assuming the product even comes through one of their warehouses.  I recall reading that Amazon often acts as a 'marketplace' for products that ship directly from other resellers who may be individuals rather than companies.  This would be even more likely for a second-hand product.
Bottom-line, I'm not sure there's anybody who can vouch for the safety of some of the products showing up on our doorsteps.  If there isn't a trusted brand name on the product and a company reputation at stake, it could be a crapshoot.
If I had to suggest a fix, it would be to hold the US distributor (in this case, Amazon) liable for damages caused by products they sell.  Once they have to pay out a few million-dollar judgments, I expect their quality control will improve.  And, yes, their prices will go up, or their profits will go down.