Getting old----er

[Paul B]

As I read many of the posts on this and other forums I realize that I am older than most members on here and getting older every day, or hour.
I am not ancient but this “old” thing kind of creeps up on you.
One day you go to get a haircut and the barber puts that mirror in back of your head and you think “OMG” where did that bald spot come from?
Then you go to a doctor and realize that your kids are older than the doctor.
You watch the Presidents State of the Union Address and notice that you are older then the President. Presidents are supposed to be much older then you and they always used to be.
I know the economy is tough now but I think it is relative. I always had something to eat but if I wanted money I would walk the two miles to Main Street and head to the subway grates on the sidewalk and search through the grates for coins that people dropped while getting on the bus. They were about ten feet down so we would take a string with a fishing weight tied to it and stick bubble gum on the bottom so we could “fish” for the coins. It was a normal way to make money and if you wanted to go to the movies, that’s what you did. Of course we also collected bottles for the two cent deposit. Money was easy.
Getting old is a little tougher.
Last week I went to work on my boat which is still in dry dock. I had to crawl under it to scrape some barnacles. A few years ago I would have dove under there with my scrapper and finished in five minutes but this time, it took me five minutes just to get under there. Then I realized I forgot my scrapper on the swim platform of the boat and It took me five more minutes to convince myself to crawl out to get the thing. I almost talked myself into go home and forget the whole thing.
I am still in good shape and last year at this time I was walking five miles a couple of times a week. I still swim laps a few times a week but not as fast as I used to. A few weeks ago I had to get a knee operation. That’s another thing, our parts wear out. You just don’t go for a physical any more, now something is often broken or just not working correctly. They repaired the torn meniscus in the knee and now of course the other knee hurts. 40 years of working construction takes it’s toll although at the time you are un aware of it.
I still think of myself as a 20 year old and have many of my friends from highschool, that is until I look in the mirror and think, Wow, where did those years go?
I am not complaining as I have already done almost all of the things I dreamed of doing when I was a kid. I married a beautiful girl that I met when she was just 12 years old. I went out with her older cousin until she aged a little. (I am 6 years older than she) Then there were other things like traveling and diving almost all of the Caribbean and the South Pacific, getting a boat, and another one, and another one, and another one.
I fought in a war, got some medals and lived, unfortunately many did not. Flying a helicopter was also one of my dreams and I accomplished that (although I crashed twice, not while I was flying it) Wars give you plenty of opportunity to do things you would never have the opportunity to do and let you see plenty of things you wish you had not seen.

We also have a beautiful Daughter that is what I consider the culmination of my success.
She is not into reef tanks but is married and has her own interests.
My wife and I are now finished paying for houses, schools and colleges and hope to coast on for as many years as we can. My Mom recently died at the age of 99 so I may still have a long way to go.
When I clean my reef tank I can still find marbles in there from when I was in grammar school. That’s weird.
So I have good memories and they keep piling up. I am also still making them.
You younger people should try to cherish the present times even though they may seem tough. The only thing I regret is not knowing my Dad better. He died suddenly at the age of 47 when I was 10. They announced my name in school one day and said to go to the principles office. I figured I was in trouble.
So now the only thing I have of my Dad to remember is this old bottle of Cognac from 1959 when he passed away.
I only drink about half a shot of it every Christmas in his honor and hope it lasts me to the rest of my life.

 

[duke62]

very touching paul.im only 35 and i look in the mirror everyday and wondered where the time has gone.my son is now 14 and it feels like just yesterday he was in my arms looking up at me.now im lucky i can get a hi from him lol.

 

[JonnyJ]

wow, keep going.. this is good reading.

 

[richardhmc]

I don't even know what to say... kinda sad and happy for ya at the same time.
I'm still a youngun got many more years to go hopefully but damn time does fly
Great read thanks

 

[NL146]

Well written as usual Paul.

 

[UnknownWaters]

Pauly B very moving. I know its not Christmas but you should do a shot just to honor fathers here and fathers past. live everyday like its your last. Cheers Paul.

 

[Paul B]

Duke, my Daughter is only two years younger than you are. I do miss the days when as a little girl she would look up at me as if I was some sort of God. My wife taught her well and she grew up into a fantastic, brilliant, beautiful caring person and of course we never get to see enough of them.

Richard, time does fly. You wake up one day and your 60. I got my first Social Security check last month which was a pleasant surprise but I remember my first real pay check like it was yesterday.

I know its not Christmas but you should do a shot just to honor fathers here and fathers past. live everyday like its your last.

That sounds like it would make a great post and coincidently, my birthday is Christmas day.
As a 10 year old I never got to know my Father as an adult and still think of him as a God. Maybe he was.
I know he was a hard working man and I only saw him on Sunday afternoons as he had to go to the fish store on Sunday morning to shovel ice on the fish.
He was getting ready to go to work one day and just fell down and died of a massive heart attack. No symptoms but in those days we didn't know about cholesterol or much of anything else.

As I said, I am not complaining, I love my life along with every gray hair (when I had hair) and ever wrinkle, ache and pain.
I still wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 every day because there just aren't enough hours in the day. For some reason I got busier after I retired but much of it is stuff I want to do. Of course there is the fish tank but that just takes a couple of minutes. You need more than one hobby to retire and stay happy and fish is just one of them. There are a lot of hours to fill 7 days a week and I don't think the TV works in the daytime as I have never watched it during that time
It seems that young---er people today know computers and computer games and that is about it. I guess that is OK but you don't get to learn much of the real world or get to know how anything works. There will always be cars, plumbing and electricity and always be a need for people to repair that stuff.
Yes I know you could always pay someone for all of that then work to pay the bills but I never liked to be in debt and never was.
My Father taught me a very valuable lesson and that was the value of money and how to make it.
My Dad owned a seafood market and his shoes were always covered in fish scales. If I wanted a nickel to go to the toy store to buy a toy he used to let me shine those shoes. It took a long time to peel off the fish scales one at a time so I could polish the shoes, but I got the nickel and had a toy.
I made sure I took real good care of that toy because I didn't really like shinning shoes.
I always remember that and it has helped me all my life.
My neighbor owned an auto wrecking business and when I was 12 he offered me a job there on saturdays. I earned $10.00 for 12 hours of hard work. By 13 I was cutting cars apart with a torch like a pro.
These seemingly insignificant things has made my life very easy.
I learned that there is plenty of money in the world if you just had a little ambition.
I feel that if you want a bicycle, car, boat, or house, you should go out
and buy it with your own money that you made.
Your parents made their own money and it is not their problem to buy you stuff. But it is their obligation to teach you how to afford these things and sitting around all day playing computer games while getting fat is not the way.
OK I know not everyone is sitting around all day but it just seems to me that almost no one any more knows how to do anything. How many 20 year olds even know how to change a tire? Or put air in it for that matter?
I am extreamly proud of my Daughter as she bought her car, house and wedding with no help from me. That lesson my Father taught me about shining shoes not only helped me but also my Daughter and hopefully my Grand daughter.
I just love to see when someone does something worthwile or creative. When I see these beautiful reef tanks on here that make me jealous I get all excited because I know that there are still people out there that can do things. Inheriting money does not impress me, anyone can do that, but creating something from nothing, that is an accomplishment and if it makes you happy in the process, that is the most important thing in life and that talent will always keep you happy.
Have a great day and I hope I didn't offend anyone although I am sure I did and I will start reading my hate mail.

 

[richardhmc]

Duke, my Daughter is only two years younger than you are. I do miss the days when as a little girl she would look up at me as if I was some sort of God. My wife taught her well and she grew up into a fantastic, brilliant, beautiful caring person and of course we never get to see enough of them.

Richard, time does fly. You wake up one day and your 60. I got my first Social Security check last month which was a pleasant surprise but I remember my first real pay check like it was yesterday.



That sounds like it would make a great post and coincidently, my birthday is Christmas day.
As a 10 year old I never got to know my Father as an adult and still think of him as a God. Maybe he was.
I know he was a hard working man and I only saw him on Sunday afternoons as he had to go to the fish store on Sunday morning to shovel ice on the fish.
He was getting ready to go to work one day and just fell down and died of a massive heart attack. No symptoms but in those days we didn't know about cholesterol or much of anything else.

As I said, I am not complaining, I love my life along with every gray hair (when I had hair) and ever wrinkle, ache and pain.
I still wake up at 5:30 or 6:00 every day because there just aren't enough hours in the day. For some reason I got busier after I retired but much of it is stuff I want to do. Of course there is the fish tank but that just takes a couple of minutes. You need more than one hobby to retire and stay happy and fish is just one of them. There are a lot of hours to fill 7 days a week and I don't think the TV works in the daytime as I have never watched it during that time
It seems that young---er people today know computers and computer games and that is about it. I guess that is OK but you don't get to learn much of the real world or get to know how anything works. There will always be cars, plumbing and electricity and always be a need for people to repair that stuff.
Yes I know you could always pay someone for all of that then work to pay the bills but I never liked to be in debt and never was.
My Father taught me a very valuable lesson and that was the value of money and how to make it.
My Dad owned a seafood market and his shoes were always covered in fish scales. If I wanted a nickel to go to the toy store to buy a toy he used to let me shine those shoes. It took a long time to peel off the fish scales one at a time so I could polish the shoes, but I got the nickel and had a toy.
I made sure I took real good care of that toy because I didn't really like shinning shoes.
I always remember that and it has helped me all my life.
My neighbor owned an auto wrecking business and when I was 12 he offered me a job there on saturdays. I earned $10.00 for 12 hours of hard work. By 13 I was cutting cars apart with a torch like a pro.
These seemingly insignificant things has made my life very easy.
I learned that there is plenty of money in the world if you just had a little ambition.
I feel that if you want a bicycle, car, boat, or house, you should go out
and buy it with your own money that you made.
Your parents made their own money and it is not their problem to buy you stuff. But it is their obligation to teach you how to afford these things and sitting around all day playing computer games while getting fat is not the way.
OK I know not everyone is sitting around all day but it just seems to me that almost no one any more knows how to do anything. How many 20 year olds even know how to change a tire? Or put air in it for that matter?
I am extreamly proud of my Daughter as she bought her car, house and wedding with no help from me. That lesson my Father taught me about shining shoes not only helped me but also my Daughter and hopefully my Grand daughter.
I just love to see when someone does something worthwile or creative. When I see these beautiful reef tanks on here that make me jealous I get all excited because I know that there are still people out there that can do things. Inheriting money does not impress me, anyone can do that, but creating something from nothing, that is an accomplishment and if it makes you happy in the process, that is the most important thing in life and that talent will always keep you happy.
Have a great day and I hope I didn't offend anyone although I am sure I did and I will start reading my hate mail.

I definitely agree with you all the way. Kids around my age, including me, don't know squat about most things. When it comes to technology sure I know games and computers like as if I studied for it. If my car broke down on me I'd be screwed. It's great that technology is helping us move forward, but at the same time I feel like its also "dumbing" us down. My generation is going to be a grim generation.

 

[Paul B]

Richard I am sure that if I were a teenager today I would also be a computer Geek and not know a screwdriver from a hammer but if you were stranded on a desert Island who would you want with you? A computer Geek or someone who could make you a helocopter out of 2 coconuts and a moray eel?

I would personally opt for a Supermodel but thats just me.
So far I have never hired anyone for anything except dentists and that is only because we are built with our teeth in a place where we can't really see them. If I could see them, I would fix them myself.
And I was also lucky (and I don't know how to put this) that I grew up without my Dad. OK "lucky" is not the correct word as I really miss him and his wisdom but it forced me to become independant.
My life was always easy and I could have anything I wanted. When I wanted a bicycle I went into the lots near my house and found various parts of bicycles that I could combine to make a working bike. They never looked pretty but they worked and I had unlimited spare parts.
My first car I bought for $8.00. That was the price the junk yard would give you for a junk car. It was an old Chevy Impala convertable in fairly bad shape that didn't run but the body was in decent shape. I spent another $8.00 on a carburetor rebuilding kit and bought some wax to clean it up and sold it for $150.00 after a few hours work. That was a lot of money at the time. Then I bought another car, a Simca. I know, I never heard of it either but it was a little foreign car. I got it for $75.00 and sold it for $300.00 after rebuilding the engine and doing a ring job which is a little work.
I don't want to make it sound like we were dirt poor because we had a house, food and clothes but My Mom still had a mortgage and two young boys so there was not really money for bicycles and such. Of course if I could not make one I am sure she would have gotten me one. But it is much better and more fun to build something. Even today I build almost all of my rock for my reef. I could easily buy the stuff but as I said, anyone could do that and there is no creativity involved. Also the stuff you can buy is often boreing and looks like everyone elses rock.
I just can't stand to see something laying around, if I can make something out of it I will not sleep until I turn it into something.
OK I am wierd and I am rambling :bagfish:

 

[emmanuel]

I agree with you 99.9%
I disagree with you on "inheriting money , anyone can do that "
All I ever inherited when family members died was the bills to bury them

 

[Paul B]

All I ever inherited when family members died was the bills to bury them

I know that feeling.

 

[richardhmc]

This gets me motivated to do a little more than just sit on my ass all day on the computer 24/7 (MR) thanks Paul

 

[Paul B]

Not for nothing, but that is not really good for your ass either

 

[Quang]

so when will your autobiography be available on paperback, paul?

 

[Paul B]

My autobiagraphy is the preceeding posts.
I left out all the stuff I can't post here. :lovestory