So what happens in 20 years?

It is cold outside today. I want to know what happened to the awesome mid 60's we had all weekend? This cold spell is making my shoulders, hips, knees and back hurt. The grinding pain that only arthritis can bring to someone. Who ever thought that at 34 years old I would sound and feel like someone well in to their 80's?

I always wondered what I would be like as I got older. Would I be the crazy guy who sits in the window? Or how about the nut job that for some reason always occupies the corner lot? You know, the one that chases off the kids after school so on Halloween they light the bag of dog's doo on his porch or TP his house... Would I be the guy in line at the grocery store fighting off the need for someone to help him with the groceries, even though he should probably not be out by himself?

Every day that I feel a new pain I wonder how my life will be 20 years down the road. I try not to think of it in a negative way but since I need to plan for those things now some of the thoughts can seem like it. I am looking at policies for longterm care for myself. I will not buy one yet as I want to see what Social Security decides because if I am approved they have some riders that I can add to the medical portion that will provide long term care.

It is not that I do not want to be a burden on someone, it is so that I can make sure that I can afford the proper care so my wife and I can live our own lives and not intrude on our children. I have no doubt that my children would want to help it is that I want them to be able to do their own thing and not have to worry about us. They have the right to live their lives without having us intruding, if that makes sense. A good long term care policy with the right clauses should allow for me to have space in an assisted living community or in home care if I should need it. Since there is no way to predict what might happen I figure it is just safe to have a policy like that. I want to insure that my family will be able to maintain their independence, both my children and my wife and I.