1670 Last Thoughts

I was talking with a friend recently, and we got on the subject of death and dying. A subject that's entered our conversations more and more of late, as we've both seen the demise of our aging parents—and we've also aged substantially ourselves.
So we started talking about buying things and about how certain things needed to be considered carefully, as they may be the last items of those categories we ever buy.
It reminded me of an observation I once made when I sold men's clothing. Only a certain age window was open for men to perceive value in Pendleton shirts. Pendleton's last so long that they have little appeal to the fashion-fickle young. And they also last so long you run the risk of having the shirt outlive you.
It's important to remember, when you reach 65, anything you buy may be the last of its category. Like a roof. Or a refrigerator perhaps. They certainly can be expected to last for 20 years. Would you buy one differently if you thought of it as the last refrigerator you would ever own?
Would you like harvest gold or avocado?
And your last car, of course, better humorists than I have pointed out that older folk tend to buy cars only slightly smaller than hearses.
Easy to get in and out of, and survivable in a crash. But more importantly, controls to ingrain in your habits early enough to keep them more or less automatic when your memory starts to fade and your mind wanders onto the rumble strip.
My friend had a more poignant thought. Not long ago he got a new pet. He could have recently bought his last kitten.
One more worry of aging. Syncing life expectancy with your pets...
America, ya gotta love it.