Never Retire - What If My Health Fails, Part Five

At the end of yoga class last week, the instructor addressed the class, warning us she was going to get emotional.

One of the yoga regulars—an older gentleman named Steve—hadn’t been around lately.

I knew who Steve was because he always set up in the same place—top, righthand corner of the room, a sliver away from the front mirror—and practiced hard and strong. Doing handstands and seamlessly moving from pose to pose.

Steve was slender. Actually skinny. And had what looked like a buzz cut.

Turns out Steve had cancer.

Makes sense now, but I never would have suspected such a horrible thing. In his fifties, Steve crushed yoga class, in near 100-degree heat and 80-percent humidity.

Ocassionally, I’d look at this guy and think to myself—

Damn, I hope I’m in as good of shape as him when I’m that age.

You just never know.

Steve passed away a few weeks ago.

He hadn’t been able to come to class so the instructor sent him videos of her classes so he could practice yoga at home.

The instructor had a history with Steve. He took her classes before the pandemic in Austin. During COVID, they both happened to end up in LA. He took her classes here too.

The entire room had tears in our collective eyes at the end of that class.

---

This story—Steve’s reality, little known to me—got me thinking about my own reality.

I’m 47. I do hot yoga 5-6 times a week. Half of the classes include weights. I walk, at minimum, 2.5 miles a day. Usually more.

As I explained in part four of this series about embracing the reality that I’ll Never Retire, rather than overexert and run myself down, I focus on age-appropriate exercise I can do now and for the duration. I hope this will keep me healthy and contribute to a long life.

But what if it doesn’t?

Because I have embraced the reality that I’ll Never Retire, I must generate cash flow into and beyond relative old age.

I don’t discuss this often, but it’s safe to say I have health anxiety.