Hi all! I haven't been a regular poster here so most likely do not know me. But I wanted to provide a life update and my story about overcoming my aging denial. 😜

Short version - I just spent a lot of money on a new driver setup and was devastated by my loss of swing speed when we looked at data. It's all super explainable but I was in denial.

The last time I measured my swing speed was 15-20 years ago. It was around 100 MPH. Now.... 85 MPH 😞 I was disappointed and in denial. But then I thought of the reasons...
1) I'm 57 years old now.
2) I've recently had a right hemicolectomy and started chemotherapy.
Acceptance is where I am now.

Anyway, I ended up with a Ping G440 K and Ventus Red shaft. Expensive, but fuck it - my ball speed was way up and consistency unchanged (and better than Titleist, TaylorMade and Callaway). Titleist was a very lose second, but not quite as consistent as Ping for me.

The reason I said fuck it and spent the money - I was recently (in May) diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and given the poor prognosis that comes with that. So I retired a bit early and decided to enjoy life to its fullest. My original plan was to work until 60 then buy a nice house in Phoenix in a private golf community. Things change. With this diagnosis I determined that while I have friends in Phoenix, my support group in St Louis is ten times larger. If I'm going to need help in the future its best I stay put. I can still travel to Phoenix any time I want. With the Phoenix house off the table, my need to keep working was eliminated - I had everything I needed. So I retired on June 19!

I've already scheduled two extra golf trips this year (Ireland and Streamsong - in addition to my annual Orlando trip) and am working on more in 2027. I have a few long weekends with friends in Texas and Chicago scheduled. I'm also going to increase my trips to London to see my beloved Arsenal. And yes - I'm spending money on golf equipment to make all this as enjoyable as possible. I ordered a new Stay Dry carry bag just for Ireland. This all seems crazy, but I look at my situation and think - this is why I saved.

Life comes at your fast - enjoy it while you can!