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Numerous readers have asked about my health, and the answer is “not good.” I’m not in any pain, but I suffer a lot of fatigue and brain fog, a product of two rounds of radiation, one of my brain and the other of my back. I also had a “brain incident” in August that caused me to lose the ability to read and write for a few days.
All this has made it taxing to run HumbleDollar and to correspond with readers. That complicated tax question? No, you shouldn’t expect an answer. And, no, sending it along twice doesn’t help.
What about all the recent nonsense over upvotes and downvotes? For goodness sake, children, let’s move on. If you keep belaboring the same point, expect to be berated by your fellow readers, and a few downvotes are in order. End of story.
How will things play out from here? I’m hoping my energy level will return. But I could also see things spiraling down, and perhaps I’ll just slip away, hardly a terrible fate. If that happens, readers will be the first to know. Elaine will make sure of that.
It’s always enlightening to see your thoughts and comments even though they are becoming fewer now. All HD readers have wished prayer upon prayer for some intervening miracle. While searching for something entirely different on Ted.com, I came upon this 14 minute talk from David Fajgenbaum about his own non-curable disease. It is an amazing short talk I found to be inspiring. Wishing you all the good days to remain among us.
https://www.ted.com/talks/david_fajgenbaum_how_nearly_dying_helped_me_discover_my_own_cure_and_many_more
I imaging that if we asked your wife Elaine she would tell us that you are not perfect. I am also convinced that she and so many others would say you are a good person. That is special I especially appreciate your last comment because it is another example of what you do well, that is be the “adult in the room” when we as a communiity lose perspective. My prayer for you is that the remainder of your days are peaceful, that you let go of worries, and bath in the warmth of the love of your family and we your community.. Hold on tight. It has been and will be a hell of a ride.
Jonathan, As we all face up to our mortality and transition or passing you are a prime example of how to do it with grace and thoughtfulness. I have alway thought that each one of us will die just as we live, personality revisions and conversions are rare. As most of comments suggest when you depart from our presence you will leave behind a large host of people who will remember you with gratitude for having known you.
Jonathan, it is hard to imagine what you (and your family) are going through so first — prayers are in order. I wish for you as little physical pain as possible in this moment. Your gift to the world is clear: to have served as our guide in this crazy world of personal financial literacy. I have avidly read your HumbleDollar blog since becoming a “semi-retired” subscriber and seen your touching story in AARP Magazine and a variety of other places over these past few months. It is a constant drum beat of kindness to remind all of us to live life to the fullest as our time on this earth is certainly not forever. Peace be with you.