c.i.
What you said earlier to Dream2020 is exactly how I feel! Here it is for anyone who missed it:
When we're young, most things are "too personal" to share on a international forum. As we age a bit, we become a bit wiser, and understand that most people have secrets in their closet. When you get as old as some of us on A2K, most of our inhibitions disappear, and we're willing to share most things we have experienced in life - both good and bad. It's a matter of what you're comfortable with. My attitude now days is, so what? I'm not ashamed to share with the whole world that I've always been the black sheep of the family, and that's only the beginning.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ironically I find myself the black sheep of my family, but I must say as a sheep that I have had far more "life" than the others, in my humble opinion. I've always been a risk taker, but when I had my children I was far more cautious because of terrible consequences that could arise if I took many chances in many ways. My middle son was born with severe handicaps and as a result our lives changed dramatically. There is not one time I would change what I have done or not done since he was born and that is now about 24 years.
What I can venture and share is that in my advanced age of 51 years, I have now gone back to being more comfortable with taking risks. All in all, my life could not be "stable" and "secure" with all the hard, hard choices that had to be made over the years. Staying at the poverty level on purpose for 14 years was necessary to provide Medicaid coverage. Not having health insurance most of the time was not a choice: with one member of the family disabled, the whole family becomes ineligible. Risks with health were some of the worst things to deal with. BUT, his father and I were pleased to have known life far more intimately than we would otherwise have experienced.
And, I borrow a quote to say "Life is rich". I look forward to - "The best is yet to be".
ive done a lot of living and gathered a lot of neat and painful experiences over my 53 years. Im still looking forward to maybe 3 new careers in my life.Im just now beginning to develop a sense of the finite amounts of time we each have and, the concept of just getting on with it is the main thing. Its like dancing, it doesnt matter if your good or not, just Get up there for chrissakes .
I wanna have a long obituary.
farmerman, As I read you post, a involuntary laugh blurted out, because of your desire for a "long obituary." Somebody's gonna have fund listing all the countries and places I've visited during the past 68 years of my life, and I haven't finished with travel quite yet. I doubt the newspaper will print it. LOL c.i.
cobalt, If truth be told, my life was the hardest of all my siblings when we were children as the second of four, but most of my adult life has been very rewarding, and probably a great deal more fun than any of my siblings. c.i.
Well CI, that's a big question. Some times in the late afternoon I'll sit out on the patio with a beer or 2. I'll then rummage through the back pages of my life. There is a whole load of 'em crambed into 3 score years.
I've enjoyed my life for the most part. Done many of the things I set out to do. Had a good career as a Film Editor. Worked with a lot people I liked. Had a good social life. Wife and daughter I'm proud of. Made a few errors at times. Would of liked to of traveled more but I always told myself the job comes first, simply cos it was my creative side being expressed.
All in all not a bad life for someone who left school at 15 and then graduated from the University of Life via the London streets, pubs,
clubs and film and TV outfits I worked for.
Proudest moment/achievement ? My daughter, with her degree, the world is her oyster.
Mistakes ? Sure.
lessons learnt ? Watch your back, coz there is always some scumbag who will wipe you out. Be polite to those you meet as you climb the ladder, coz you might meet 'em on your way back down
NONE OF US IS FIREPROOF, WE ARE ALL SUSCEPTABLE AND FINITE.
oak, Your's is a success story that many with advanced college degrees wished they had. I was never good in scholarly pursuits, but managed to get a degree in accounting at a time when accountants were in great demand. Luck had to do with much of my successes, including marrying one of the most wonderful woman I have ever met in my life. Luck, luck, and more luck, got me through pretty well. Who would have thought a dunce like me would have a successful career in anything? c.i.
CI, God helps them that helps themselves
Just stumbled across this thread and my eyes have been glued to the screen reading everyone's responses.
I was raised on that adage, oldnandknew, and I truly believe it.
God helps those that help themselves.
This is a good read. Thanks, CI. I was too young when my grandparents were still alive to get the most out of their stories, though I do remember some good ones I can pore back over and glean new meaning from. Thanks for sharing, folks.
I can only say at this point in my young and still shifting life that there are a few of the big decisions I might question the wisdom of, but if I consider where each of those led, I'd've lost out on many other experiences and people that came as a result of them. So I wouldn't change any of those life decisions so far, even though I am in the process of correcting some of them.
There are some people I would have treated differently, been more attentive to, been kinder to, though. I can think of a couple off the top of my head whom I think I hurt (inadvertently but still negligently) and wish I hadn't. I just hope they don't bear me any grudge.
In fact, they've probably forgotten about me entirely...
Rae, it's amazing how many people have had to face similar diversitys and come tru them. Also a lot of people have similar points of extreme pleasure and success. We can all learn a little bit from one another. All it needs is an open mind and when to say yes or no.
EOE -- Amen to that
You just described LIFE, patiodog.
I did? Oops. I was trying to stay on topic.
patiodog ~ your comments struck a chord with me. I was always very close to my paternal grandparents ~ spent a lot of treasured time with them. My Nana and Grampy are the first people who come to my mind now when a decision is at hand.
oldandknew ~ John, as always, every single day, I'm amazed at the realities we all face ~ if we don't have each other, what else is there?
Rae to be a friend to the people next door is dead easy. To be a friend to someone an ocean away requires just a small trace of effort, but hell, so what. A little effort and a kind word, keeps people sane.
Distance makes no difference to me, my friend, as you well know.
To be loved, is to be loved. Period.
Even beyond the grave.
pd, I think most of us have our share of having wronged loved ones. I'm at that point in my life when I try to be kind to most people I meet, because looking back on my life, many have been so kind and generous to me. It's kind of a pay-back time, and I only hope I do much more than I've received at some point in my life. ** Must add this one story. When I traveled to Peru and Ecuador in May, I came back with some ceramic corns and about eight scarves. The ceramic corns cost about $10 each, and the scarves were so cheap, I don't even tell anybody how much I paid for them. I give them to my wife when I return from trips, and she gives it to her friends. Most of them think I spend a fortune on those gifts, but the reality is they are very inexpensive. The most generous I have ever been with my wife's friends was when I visited Egypt for the first time and came home with gold cartouch with their names in hieroglyphics. They were not cheap. Came home with 8 of those.
c.i.
(Ceramic corns. Hmmm. Sounds very painful.
)
Generosity comes from the heart, not the wallet, c.i.!
Rae, Sometimes the wallet does help. I donate to Second Harvest Food Bank and Habitat for Humanities. Those are definitely from the wallet. Without that extra, it would be almost impossible. I only have social security income, so still must watch what's left in the wallet.
c.i.
