There have been a few retirements for coaches and players recently that have made me contemplate how insignificant we really are in the grand scheme of things.
We come and go from a team or sport and there may be a small pause in the system while farewells and acknowledgements are made, but quickly the machine keeps ticking along.
If we're lucky, a few people may mourn our departure, remember us and appreciate what we achieved. Unfortunately for others, they may be pushed out of the locker rooms against their will because of a lack of form, injury or clash of personalities.
Such is life - some athletes and coaches leave very little in the way of an impression and others leave a legacy.
Talking of legends, after 26 years at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson retired in style with a last-ditch win and an opportunity to address the capacity crowd at Old Trafford. In his own words, he went out as a winner, which was important to him and to the club.
In contrast, Manchester City's hierarchy decided to end Roberto Mancini's 3 year reign at Etihad Stadium in a prolonged and humiliating manner for the manager. The board claimed he failed to meet most of his targets and they wanted to develop a more ''holistic'' approach to all aspects of football at the club. Sounds like a bad break-up excuse to me.
How different their departures as football managers have been. In the flippant era of professional sport, are the days of long-term coach or manager gone? We'll see plenty more Mancinis but will there ever be another Ferguson?Meanwhile, the destinies of rugby players are also being decided, often by the ability of their bodies to cope with physical trauma week in and week out.
As Doug Howlett and Richard Kahui have discovered, shoulders can shatter dreams and threaten rugby contracts. Howlett (34) has given up the fight to keep his 16-year rugby career going due to a shoulder injury, while 27-year-old Kahui is holding on to his shoddy shoulder muscles for dear life, hoping that the Japanese club he signed with is willing to delay his start date.
At their best, both players were dynamic players. Howlett scored a record 49 tries in 62 tests for the All Blacks and Kahui was a force to be reckoned with when not plagued by injury. They also provide the complete package as handsome, likeable, hardworking individuals.
Will the benefits of Kahui's total ''brand'' be enough to tip the scales in his favour with Toshiba?Even Conrad Smith has had to fend off calls for him to retire due to concerns about concussion and what this can do to a player in the long term.
Should Smith squeeze more out of his body and his brain in rugby or should he cut his memory losses now and consider a career change? That's a dilemma all athletes and coaches/managers face. When is the right time to leave? What will they be remembered for if at all?
Personally, I've been six years retired from rugby and the arthritis is starting to kick in. On top of that I get fuzzy brain every now and then and don't know whether that's due to lack of sleep with a young baby or due to too many knocks to the head in rugby.
Would I change anything if I could go back in time? No. Most athletes would respond in a similar way.
Time in sport, especially at the professional or elite level, is fleeting for most and more than a decade for the lucky ones.
Every player in their prime feels six foot tall and bullet-proof even if they are short in stature and have a few niggles. This is why it's important for those around them to provide guidance, suggest alternatives when they're ready, and prepare them for life after sport.
When the time comes, they'll be better able to make that transition. In the meantime, every single player announced in the wider All Black squad recently will be jumping out of their skin to make a name for themselves.
Will they be a fleeting addition to the All Black legacy, or will they make a lasting impression? Only time (and their bodies) will tell.
