You are an interesting character, Alan, with a lot to say. A good sign for a writer.;-)

I am sory to hear about your experience with the wee Chipmunk. That must have been devastating.

20 years seems an eternity. For me, life is getting less pleasureable daily as the body breaks down. If I cannot be free to do the things I love to do, and the joint pain continues to become worse, then life becomes unattractive.

Worse than the pain, it is the loss of mobility.

The idea of sticking around for a great many more years becomes distasteful. Painkillers simply mask, for a while. The side effects are undesireable.

Our world suffers and collapses around us, as we stand by stupidly and fiddle.

People are always the problem. The other major problem is GREED. If people were content to have what they have there would be no wars.

It's the will to have what your neighbour has and more. It's the will to control your neighbour so that you can take his stuff.

Another problem is Curiosity. To see what's on the other side, to see what makes it work.

Think about it.

If it weren't for people who went charging about "discovering" countries, and forging through jungles, etc. I feel the world would be a better place. People would have remained in their own space. Animals would be left in peace, plants and trees would not be razed to accomodate the next factory farm or industrial site or Amazon warehouse.

Are we really better off for having all the technology? It may be nice in the short run, but in the long run I think it is harmful. Not to be a Luddite ... but ...what happened to people talking to each other face to face? What happened to people walking around - WITHOUT talking on their Cell phones? What happened to people doing their own cooking? (Uber eats etc).

And that does not address the issue of the batteries needed to power these devices. The horrible and harmful components that go into them. And then, that go into our precious soil. I think Jeffers is lucky to have died when he did. He REALLY would have been horrified at the acceleration of the destruction going on. (Thanks for mentioning him, I had not come across him in my English literature studies.).

Well, young man, you really got me started on a rant!! Sorry.