The following are just some reflections that someone sent me. They discovered this, apparently written by an anonymous author, and thought it was worthy of passing on. I also upon reading it thought the thoughts expressed by the writer say a lot of the things that come to mind when a person reaches the age I am now. I won't tell you what it is but I must say that in the last year or so some of the same sentiments have run through my mind.
You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing of years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on a new way of life with my mate.... And yet, in a way it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years have gone. I know that I lived them all.
I have glimpses of how it was back then, and all of my hopes and dreams. But here it is, the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise in some ways.
How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? The "babies" are now grown and have their own families. And where did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But here it is. My wife and I are both retired and we are both getting gray, we both move slower now and when we look in the mirror we both look older now. My wife is in better shape than I am but I do see a change. She is not the young, vibrant woman I married, but like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we would be.
Each day I find that just taking a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat any more, it is mandatory! Because if I don't on purpose, I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things and I know that the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last, and when it's over, it's over.
Yes, I have regrets.
There are things I wish I hadn't done and things I should have done. But there are things I'm very glad to have done. It's all in a lifetime. So, if you're not in your winter yet, let me tell you it will be here faster than you think. So whatever you would like to do in your life, do it quickly. Life goes by quickly.
So do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not and you have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life. So live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember.
Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a great one!
It's also odd that as I get older, its not so much that you miss your children but almost as if you need the companionship of your own siblings, those of your own generation, not that you don't love your own children but as if the older ones are the ones that have most in comemon with you. Could it be because they also realize they have reached the winter of their lives and the other seasons have passed?
Live Well!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
I'm NOT Complaining
The time to add to my rambling comes much too quickly. It seems like I added something a day or two ago and 2 weeks have passed, however, it is time that I once again contribute to what I have already said.
I have been talking about things of the past and probably will continue to do so for the benefit of those who have not lived there or those who would like to reminisce about times gone by, however, there comes a time when a person has to give some opinions about what he/she sees transpiring around them in the world of today, for example:
What is this with self serve gasoline costing the same as full serve. I used to go to any self serve station and gas up until I noticed that I could have someone do this for me with all the cheerfulness and agility I myself could muster and not pay a penny more. Also, I am probably getting lazier in my old age and find that the young folks in the stations can do this much more quickly and with less effort than I could myself. The other thing is that they wash my windows, (yes, all of them in most cases) and that's also more than I would do myself.
And on the same note, how many of you are using the new self checkouts at the stores? I notice that many of the larger stores now have them. I have to admit I like them most of the time, however I am a little concerned that there are jobs being lost to people who might need them. Possibly it is hard for the stores to get enough cashiers to cover their needs, since I have talked to some of the store managers and found that they are always short of cashiers. Maybe no one wants to do this kind of work??? The other thing that comes to mind is that, again, should we pay the same price as those who use the stores' cashiers? I don't know. I probably will continue to use this service since I find that in most cases it is very convenient. Maybe that's the answer to the previous question, (whether we should pay the same price). I have also noticed that at certain times of the day these are the only checkouts that are open in some of the stores you go to.
Well, enough of that. I am not complaining, only voicing some of the thoughts that go through my head as I take advantage of some of the services offered out there. I will return to my more innocuous ramblings in my next contact with you, so I'll say so long for now. Hope to meet you again in the near future.
For instance: Who remembers what an apron is? And what were they good for, (think carefully)? What did you do in your spare time before TV, Video Games, DVD's, cell phones, CD's, personal computers, internet?
I have been talking about things of the past and probably will continue to do so for the benefit of those who have not lived there or those who would like to reminisce about times gone by, however, there comes a time when a person has to give some opinions about what he/she sees transpiring around them in the world of today, for example:
What is this with self serve gasoline costing the same as full serve. I used to go to any self serve station and gas up until I noticed that I could have someone do this for me with all the cheerfulness and agility I myself could muster and not pay a penny more. Also, I am probably getting lazier in my old age and find that the young folks in the stations can do this much more quickly and with less effort than I could myself. The other thing is that they wash my windows, (yes, all of them in most cases) and that's also more than I would do myself.
And on the same note, how many of you are using the new self checkouts at the stores? I notice that many of the larger stores now have them. I have to admit I like them most of the time, however I am a little concerned that there are jobs being lost to people who might need them. Possibly it is hard for the stores to get enough cashiers to cover their needs, since I have talked to some of the store managers and found that they are always short of cashiers. Maybe no one wants to do this kind of work??? The other thing that comes to mind is that, again, should we pay the same price as those who use the stores' cashiers? I don't know. I probably will continue to use this service since I find that in most cases it is very convenient. Maybe that's the answer to the previous question, (whether we should pay the same price). I have also noticed that at certain times of the day these are the only checkouts that are open in some of the stores you go to.
Well, enough of that. I am not complaining, only voicing some of the thoughts that go through my head as I take advantage of some of the services offered out there. I will return to my more innocuous ramblings in my next contact with you, so I'll say so long for now. Hope to meet you again in the near future.
For instance: Who remembers what an apron is? And what were they good for, (think carefully)? What did you do in your spare time before TV, Video Games, DVD's, cell phones, CD's, personal computers, internet?
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Remember This Car?
So, its time to go for a short (or long) trip. What have you got to go in? What is you car like in the days and ages gone by? I can tell you of some of the things that my father coped with, but more clearly the way things were when I first started driving and what we were used to when we travelled.
I recall being told about some of the things my parents put up with when they first began travelling in autos. Never mind what it was like travelling by horse and buggy. I have seen in museums the vehicles that our parents used for their journies. No block heaters, for those of us living in the colder areas of the country. Our fathers, on cold days, would often put a stove pipe with an elbow pointed up to the engine oil reservoir, (remember stove pipes?) and then place some straw and/or wood into the pipe and light it to warm the oil. Remember engine cranks? That's how these cars were often started when the starter wouldn't or couldn't turn over the engine. Some cars had no starter so this was the way the cars were started. There's more, but I'll go on.
My earlier travelling days were in cars that are a far cry from what the latest and greatest is today. My first car had the starter button, (no, it didn't have the starter on the key) located on the floor, just above the gas pedal, sometimes called the footfeed because the earlier cars had the throttle on the steering column. It also had a radio, AM only, and not transisorized, it had what were called vacuum tubes (remember those?). Boy, the reception you could get on those, usually one station, local, although things improved on nice clear evenings.
But those were good times. We could load up the car with lots of young folks, and because there were no seat belts there was no limit as to the number that could be accommodated in the vehicle, so there was lots of crowding and good fun. There were no child seats, no booster seats, no air bags and no seat belts. It was noisy, and sometimes smelly due to some of the fumes that came off the engine or out of the exhaust. No catalytic converters to scrub the exhaust fumes before they got into the air. Also gas was 23 to 25 cents a GALLON, (that's four liters or so).
After I married, things progressed considerably. The starter button was moved up to the dashboard, still not on the key. Air conditioning and cruise contol were option you could order but cost you extra. The cars were larger, but you could also buy the smaller imports if you wanted to save a bit of money or improve on economy. I remember the crowding that took place in those. Five in a car like that was about all that would fit, although I also recall that a lot more were often packed in for the fun of it.
Now I drive a new vehicle with many of the amenities that are offered, or are supplied at no extra charge. I'm not sure if we can call all this progress. You turn the key and the engine starts every time(?) and air conditioning and cruise control are considered necessities along with Am/FM CD player, with possibly a DVD for showing movies to the little ones while you travel. You also have engine heaters that warm the engines to make starting a fool-proof proposition.
But I sometimes sigh and wish for the "good old days" but realize also that they were often not as "good" as we like to think. I'll talk about that later.
I recall being told about some of the things my parents put up with when they first began travelling in autos. Never mind what it was like travelling by horse and buggy. I have seen in museums the vehicles that our parents used for their journies. No block heaters, for those of us living in the colder areas of the country. Our fathers, on cold days, would often put a stove pipe with an elbow pointed up to the engine oil reservoir, (remember stove pipes?) and then place some straw and/or wood into the pipe and light it to warm the oil. Remember engine cranks? That's how these cars were often started when the starter wouldn't or couldn't turn over the engine. Some cars had no starter so this was the way the cars were started. There's more, but I'll go on.
My earlier travelling days were in cars that are a far cry from what the latest and greatest is today. My first car had the starter button, (no, it didn't have the starter on the key) located on the floor, just above the gas pedal, sometimes called the footfeed because the earlier cars had the throttle on the steering column. It also had a radio, AM only, and not transisorized, it had what were called vacuum tubes (remember those?). Boy, the reception you could get on those, usually one station, local, although things improved on nice clear evenings.
But those were good times. We could load up the car with lots of young folks, and because there were no seat belts there was no limit as to the number that could be accommodated in the vehicle, so there was lots of crowding and good fun. There were no child seats, no booster seats, no air bags and no seat belts. It was noisy, and sometimes smelly due to some of the fumes that came off the engine or out of the exhaust. No catalytic converters to scrub the exhaust fumes before they got into the air. Also gas was 23 to 25 cents a GALLON, (that's four liters or so).
After I married, things progressed considerably. The starter button was moved up to the dashboard, still not on the key. Air conditioning and cruise contol were option you could order but cost you extra. The cars were larger, but you could also buy the smaller imports if you wanted to save a bit of money or improve on economy. I remember the crowding that took place in those. Five in a car like that was about all that would fit, although I also recall that a lot more were often packed in for the fun of it.
Now I drive a new vehicle with many of the amenities that are offered, or are supplied at no extra charge. I'm not sure if we can call all this progress. You turn the key and the engine starts every time(?) and air conditioning and cruise control are considered necessities along with Am/FM CD player, with possibly a DVD for showing movies to the little ones while you travel. You also have engine heaters that warm the engines to make starting a fool-proof proposition.
But I sometimes sigh and wish for the "good old days" but realize also that they were often not as "good" as we like to think. I'll talk about that later.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
More from the Past
I guess I've got the nostalgia bug since I wrote the last entry. I got to reading some of the things that we used to do, and also remembering with others what life was like in the distant? past, that is my younger days.
Some may say that's too far back to be thinking about, but I sometimes wonder if life wasn't much simpler then. I do know time seemed to travel much more slowly, and it was a lot quieter in terms of noise levels around us, even in the cities or towns.
We seemed to be able to eat, drink, do things with far less fear or concern about what it might do to us personally. There didn't seem to be the fears of harm from food oractivities that might be dagerous, although I do know that at times we may have taken risks that put us in some harms way. I recall when I was about 7 years old, walking to scholl and home again skirting the bank of the local river, feeling that I was doing something adventurous by walking along the waters edge less that a foot away, a little fearful of what might happen should I fall in. No one seemed to take much notice of this although I suppose I might have gotten a severe reprimand had I fallen in.
Some may say that's too far back to be thinking about, but I sometimes wonder if life wasn't much simpler then. I do know time seemed to travel much more slowly, and it was a lot quieter in terms of noise levels around us, even in the cities or towns.
We seemed to be able to eat, drink, do things with far less fear or concern about what it might do to us personally. There didn't seem to be the fears of harm from food oractivities that might be dagerous, although I do know that at times we may have taken risks that put us in some harms way. I recall when I was about 7 years old, walking to scholl and home again skirting the bank of the local river, feeling that I was doing something adventurous by walking along the waters edge less that a foot away, a little fearful of what might happen should I fall in. No one seemed to take much notice of this although I suppose I might have gotten a severe reprimand had I fallen in.
So many of the things that I remember fondly have disappeared. I can recall the first time we had a radio in our home. We were living in a small town and this was something we had never experienced. I recall that there were families that had a radio, but it was a battery operated appliance. Now I don't mean one that you put a couple of D cells into and it runs for several weeks. No indeed. These were operated using a B batery and an A battery, and you needed both of them for the radio to work, and great care had to be taken not to overuse them because they were expensive to replace. The radio we got was one that was plugged into a wall socket so it was a very up to date model. By the way Television was not something we new about at this stage.
I have many more memories I'll share as time goes on, so stay tuned.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Another Casualty
In the news we hear of another Canadian soldier dying in the Afghan war. I will not debate the pros and cons of the conflict, whether we should be there or not, however it does bring to me the memories of past conflicts.
I was not yet a gleam in my father's eyes when WWI was fought and therefore cannot imagine the impact of the war on the Canadian people. I do, however remember something of the sights and sounds during WWII. I was only a pre-schooler at that time living in a small city in Saskatchewan.
I remember the training planes flying over the city and wondering what all this was about. The planes were small bi-planes and they flew daily and for hours on end. I also recall an uncle of mine, not in detail, but as a man in uniform that had come to my grandparents as a "visitor". This was one of the sons of a family of concientiuos objectors who had enlisted and he was on his way to the front in Europe. I never saw him again, and learned he was killed in Europe.
I also remember the family listening at the radio each day, listening for the casualty listings that were read of soldiers killed and missing in action, wondering if friends or relatives would be included in that list.
During the Korean conflict I was attending school in southern Alberta, and recall listings of the same kind as well as advances and retreats including planes shot down or missing from both sides.
The Viet Namm war seemed to fade into the background while we were raising our family at that time and the Canadian involvement was minor.
Having said all this I cannot help but be thankful that war has never encroached on our own shores. How grateful we should be that we have been spared this and have suffered only minor inconveniences rather than the huge impacts that war has on many families around the world. If you would like a view of how the returning heros that have died are welcomed back take a look at the Highway of Heros videos that are published on the Web.
I was not yet a gleam in my father's eyes when WWI was fought and therefore cannot imagine the impact of the war on the Canadian people. I do, however remember something of the sights and sounds during WWII. I was only a pre-schooler at that time living in a small city in Saskatchewan.
I remember the training planes flying over the city and wondering what all this was about. The planes were small bi-planes and they flew daily and for hours on end. I also recall an uncle of mine, not in detail, but as a man in uniform that had come to my grandparents as a "visitor". This was one of the sons of a family of concientiuos objectors who had enlisted and he was on his way to the front in Europe. I never saw him again, and learned he was killed in Europe.
I also remember the family listening at the radio each day, listening for the casualty listings that were read of soldiers killed and missing in action, wondering if friends or relatives would be included in that list.
During the Korean conflict I was attending school in southern Alberta, and recall listings of the same kind as well as advances and retreats including planes shot down or missing from both sides.
The Viet Namm war seemed to fade into the background while we were raising our family at that time and the Canadian involvement was minor.
Having said all this I cannot help but be thankful that war has never encroached on our own shores. How grateful we should be that we have been spared this and have suffered only minor inconveniences rather than the huge impacts that war has on many families around the world. If you would like a view of how the returning heros that have died are welcomed back take a look at the Highway of Heros videos that are published on the Web.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Blogging Greenie
Hello to all you fplks out there. I am new to this excercise (sp?) called blogging. I hope to make new acquaitances and friends through this and look forward to being able to post my opinions, views and ramblings for others to share and give feedback, whether positive or negative. I love a great discusiion any time so would welcome any comments. Look for my next post in a few days.
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