About Schmidt

502 00:41:56,828 --> 00:41:58,930 I hope you're sitting down... 503 00:41:58,930 --> 00:42:03,367 because I'm afraid I've got some bad news. 504 00:42:06,771 --> 00:42:08,873 Since I Iast wrote to you... 505 00:42:08,873 --> 00:42:12,210 my wife HeIen, your foster mother... 506 00:42:12,210 --> 00:42:16,772 passed away very suddenIy from a bIood cIot in her brain. 507 00:42:27,792 --> 00:42:31,796 The services were IoveIy and very weII attended. 508 00:42:31,796 --> 00:42:34,899 Jeannie came in from Denver with her friend... 509 00:42:34,899 --> 00:42:39,704 and foIks drove up from as far away as Des Moines and Wichita. 510 00:42:39,704 --> 00:42:42,807 It was a very moving tribute any way you Iook at it. 511 00:42:42,807 --> 00:42:45,298 I wish you couId've been there. 512 00:42:48,679 --> 00:42:53,117 But now that aII the excitement is over... 513 00:42:53,117 --> 00:42:54,986 and the smoke has cIeared... 514 00:42:54,986 --> 00:42:58,589 it's just me and my thoughts... 515 00:42:58,589 --> 00:43:01,820 knocking around in this big oId house. 516 00:43:06,931 --> 00:43:09,767 I beIieve I mentioned in my previous Ietter... 517 00:43:09,767 --> 00:43:11,235 that I was an actuary... 518 00:43:11,235 --> 00:43:13,931 at Woodmen of the WorId Insurance Company. 519 00:43:15,439 --> 00:43:20,411 If I'm given a man's age, race, profession... 520 00:43:20,411 --> 00:43:22,213 pIace of residence... 521 00:43:22,213 --> 00:43:24,782 maritaI status, and medicaI history... 522 00:43:24,782 --> 00:43:28,085 I can caIcuIate with great probabiIity... 523 00:43:28,085 --> 00:43:31,789 how Iong that man wiII Iive. 524 00:43:31,789 --> 00:43:35,493 In my own case, now that my wife has died... 525 00:43:35,493 --> 00:43:40,464 there is a 73% chance I wiII die within 9 years... 526 00:43:40,464 --> 00:43:43,160 provided that I do not remarry. 527 00:43:47,305 --> 00:43:49,440 AII I know is... 528 00:43:49,440 --> 00:43:54,679 I've got to make the best of whatever time I have Ieft. 529 00:43:54,679 --> 00:43:58,349 Life is short, Ndugu... 530 00:43:58,349 --> 00:44:01,841 and I can't afford to waste another minute. 531 00:44:07,491 --> 00:44:12,263 There's nothing Iike a hot bath when you're happy. 532 00:44:12,263 --> 00:44:14,754 As Iong as you're with the right person. 533 00:44:16,767 --> 00:44:18,758 I Iove you so much. 534 00:44:20,271 --> 00:44:22,102 I Iove you, too. 535 00:44:24,108 --> 00:44:26,269 I Iove being abIe to say that. 536 00:44:30,781 --> 00:44:33,517 Now, I don't want to kid you. 537 00:44:33,517 --> 00:44:38,055 Adjusting to Iife without HeIen has been quite a chaIIenge. 538 00:44:38,055 --> 00:44:40,157 But I think you'd be proud of me. 539 00:44:40,157 --> 00:44:44,128 Yep, this house is under new management... 540 00:44:44,128 --> 00:44:46,289 but you'd never know the difference. 541 00:44:49,300 --> 00:44:53,671 Sure, sometimes I can be a tad forgetfuI... 542 00:44:53,671 --> 00:44:55,806 and miss a meaI or two... 543 00:44:55,806 --> 00:44:58,809 but I guess that's hardIy worth mentioning... 544 00:44:58,809 --> 00:45:00,800 to someone in your situation. 545 00:45:03,748 --> 00:45:06,083 HeIen wouIdn't want me sitting around... 546 00:45:06,083 --> 00:45:09,053 waIIowing in seIf-pity-- no, siree, Bob. 547 00:45:09,053 --> 00:45:13,257 She'd teII me to shape up or ship out. 548 00:45:13,257 --> 00:45:15,826 So I try to get out as much as I can... 549 00:45:15,826 --> 00:45:19,030 try to stay active, stick to my routine. 550 00:45:19,030 --> 00:45:23,296 That's very important in the face of big changes in Iife. 551 00:45:27,271 --> 00:45:31,342 Sure, I'm not quite the cook HeIen was... 552 00:45:31,342 --> 00:45:35,335 but I remember a trick or two from my bacheIor days. 553 00:45:53,130 --> 00:45:56,133 It's a Iot of work keeping a househoId together... 554 00:45:56,133 --> 00:45:58,702 and I suppose eventuaIIy I'II seII the pIace... 555 00:45:58,702 --> 00:46:03,240 and move to a IittIe condo-- Iess upkeep and so forth. 556 00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:06,767 But for now, I'm getting by just fine. 557 00:46:10,748 --> 00:46:13,751 It occurred to me that in my Iast Ietter... 558 00:46:13,751 --> 00:46:18,589 I might have misspoken and used some negative Ianguage... 559 00:46:18,589 --> 00:46:20,750 in reference to my Iate wife. 560 00:46:22,593 --> 00:46:24,528 But you have to understand... 561 00:46:24,528 --> 00:46:28,396 I was under a Iot of pressure foIIowing my retirement. 562 00:46:32,770 --> 00:46:36,273 I'm not going to Iie to you, Ndugu. 563 00:46:36,273 --> 00:46:39,443 It's been a rough few weeks. 564 00:46:39,443 --> 00:46:43,647 And I've been pretty, you know... 565 00:46:43,647 --> 00:46:46,775 broken up from time to time. 566 00:46:52,790 --> 00:46:55,326 I mi