Secret Sauce

 

Man's Life Stages

Making the most of life is always important but never as important as when you near your Golden Years.  I refer to this post as Man's Life Stages only because it's being shared by me and obviously a man's perspective.  Having said that, all I share will also apply to a person of the opposite gender.  

Three Measures

For the purpose of this post, I will use three measures on every Stage of Life, and they are: Time, Money, and Energy.

• First Stage - Youth: Many young men during their high school years and some even into college have plenty of time and energy but minimal money.  

1. Without a doubt, most often by choice or circumstance.  Their values and priorities have yet to be developed.  I on the other hand had my very first successful business at the age of 10.  Some might say I was lucky, however, Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.  
2. I'm sure that multitasking has been around for a long time, I can't remember a time when I didn't have at least 3 or 4 things going on at the same time.  I would even go as far as to say that the common problem is lacking motivation, and thus lacking money.

• Second Stage - Adult: Young adults by now for the most part have completed college or entered the work force, started a business and/or are working their way up the corporate ladder. Some maybe even have gotten married and are raising a family.  All of a sudden they find themselves (hopefully) with plenty of money, and energy (still young) but no time. 

1. It doesn't have to be as describes but I'll guess that a sampling would show approximately 90% as described.
2. This stage of life is a time when many relationships get stressed to the breaking point.  If you don't have a strategy and great partner to help you through it, you may run into some tough challenges.  Managing your limited time is crucial.  My wife and I had 4 children, and I was fortunate that she wanted to be a stay at home mom until all the children were attending school full time. In the meantime she was involved in our family business which didn't impose a stringent work schedule on her. 

• Third Stage - Old: If you worked smart and diligently had some good luck, and kept all the chainsaws you were juggling up in the air, you should find yourself with lots of time, ample money, but low on energy.

1. Hopefully you made your money for retirement and made some wise investment choices before you ran low on energy.  I've always said that in life I took some risks based on knowing that if I failed I had enough time to recover the losses.
2. However, at some point in my age progressions I started playing it safe.

And now for the Secret Sauce:  There is one element that can make all the difference in the world at every one of the 3 stages especially the third one.  I'm sure we have all heard someone say, "if only I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."  We don't all have the blessings of good genes, or healthy habits plus a great life partner who keeps us on the straight and narrow to better life choices.

If you already missed the train to good health in your golden years, then you must share this and other similar articles with your children so they don't end up finding out at a later time in life.  As always, I make the claim that I am healthy, happy and blessed.  I still have enough energy to be working, even if I really don't have to (because I am retired).  I still enjoy long road trips in which I do all the driving by choice.  I have many interests and I stay mobile and involved.  Remember: If you don't get of the couch while you can, you won't be able to get off when you have to.  The best is yet to come.....

Reminiscing vs Reality

Reminiscing vs Reality

I could be way off base and be the only person that is afflicted with this concern for revisiting past acquaintances and random people encountered along the path of life.

I had a medical professional friend that not only was a service provider but also a golf partner.  I enjoyed knowing him for approximately 6 years and I felt that we had an average friendship (above acquaintance level).  I need to quantify what a golf partner is to me.  First off, in life I have had many acquaintances and much more than a couple of handful of friends.  I like to spread the fun and competition of a good round of golf.  So, while my golf tee times are very regular the partners vary from week to week.  A favorite golf partner might join me for a round of 18 holes eight times a year (consider that I might play 20 rounds or more on an average year).

With that disclaimer out of the way, the rest of the story is that my family and I moved across the State in pursuit of a career promotion for myself.  Some twenty years went by before I once again encountered my “friend” when I visited his office for a medical visit.  In my mind I was looking forward to seeing him again and I even imagined a hearty handshake and maybe even an embrace. Didn’t happen.

He entered the examination room, and introduced himself, and proceeded to treat me.  He never recognized my name or even remembered that we had spent time playing golf.  I know that common sense dictates that I should have reminded him.  However, I was so disappointed that, I chose to just forget the history that we shared.

I recon that my reason for writing this post is to try to once and for all put this “friendship” to rest.  I have thought of possible reasons for the lapse in memory but with out more information, I can’t make heads or tails out of my conclusions.

He could literally be having the onset of dementia, he may have had an accident that created a gap in his memory bank, many other possibilities, but while I am loyal to friends and acquaintances, I am not lacking for friendships in my life.  I have my hands full maintaining the circle of friends going.  I can’t help but internally mourn the loss of someone in my life that I thought was a friend.  The best is yet to come….

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned

10 Shocking Statistics About Elderly Falls

·        When an elderly person falls, their hospital stays are almost twice longer than those of     elderly patients who are admitted for any other reason.

·        The risk of falling increases with age and is greater for women than men.

·        Annually, falls are reported by one-third of all people over the age of 65.

·        Two-thirds of those who fall will do so again within six months.

·        Falls are the leading cause of death from injury among people 65 and older.

·        Approximately 9,500 deaths in older Americans are associated with falls each year.

·        More than half of all fatal falls involve people 75 or over.

·        Among people aged 65 to 69, one out of every 200 falls results in a hip fracture. That number increases to one out of every 10 for those aged 85 and older.

·        One-fourth of seniors who fracture a hip from a fall will die within six months of the injury.

·        The most profound effect of falling is the loss of functioning associated with independent living.  ~ by Shell Point Retirement Community

CAUTION!  Don’t try this at home.  At some point, we all reach and cross the line where we are old enough to know better.  That line can be reached through personal experience, common sense, or by someone else’s example.  However, you do reach it, we all must reach it.  I love learning from other’s mistakes because it saves me a lot of pain and suffering.  Not to mention that it makes me look mature and smart.

As I get older, I’ve noticed that every so often I catch myself pushing the envelope.  I am not sure that I am trying to prove that “I still got it,” or perhaps trying to save time.  Since I am retired, I can’t blame my corner cutting on time constraint. 

Just a short list:  I have survived the following unhurt, almost got electrocuted running electrical wire for an addition to our home; survived a rear collision on a vehicle wreck where my car was standing still and the other driver was traveling at approximately 50 mph (should have killed me but it only resulted in a broken back) (I know, I make it sound like a piece of cake).  I almost drowned while swimming with friends in a river at age 11 (I actually went under for the count); I was painting the trim on the exterior of my house while standing on the very top rung of an 8-foot ladder (a wind gust came up and I almost lost my balance), I quickly came to my senses and I called a professional to finish the job.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.  Well, my wife and I have spent perhaps thousands of dollars over the years in an effort to stay healthy through exercise (gym memberships).  My most recent effort is to transform our large garage into a gym.  We purchased 5 professional workout pieces of equipment, and a hot sauna to complete the ideal workout place.  And now the rest of the story:  No work out place is complete without a descent size screen television to take your mind away from the pain and suffering of a healthy workout.  I was trying to place the tv on top of the sauna but it was about a half inch too big to fit. From on top of the ladder about 4 feet high, I was holding the tv and tried to place it on top a shelf about 30 inches away.  Bottom line is I lost my balance and went backwards from the ladder while still holding the television.  I protected the investment on the tv set keeping it at arm’s length as I went down backwards.  Fortunately, on the way down my elbow knocked over a stack of walk-in carpets that miraculously landed under me and cushioned my fall.

All’s well that ends well, but once again, someone was looking out after me, and I came out unhurt.  I surveyed the area where I landed it, and still don’t know how those carpets ended up under me.  I came within inches of hitting my head on at least three very sharp corners, any of which could have killed me.

I beg you to be very careful in your own personal lives.  If you believe that you can’t afford to have a professional handle your project, ask yourself if you can afford time in the hospital and the medical bills or worst.  I hereby promise to draw on my experience, and the mistakes of others to keep myself safe for my family and friends.  The best is yet to come……..

Pluses and Minuses

Pluses and Minuses

I still remember like if it was yesterday, how incredibly nice and empowering it is (was) to be young and have things going your way.  I was in my early twenties starting a family studying and held a job in mid management.  Among my passions, I lived for driving my muscle cars which I upgraded on average every 18 months.

In today’s socio-economic environment I feel bad for my children that they didn’t get to have the kind of easy going life that people my age enjoyed.  Yet, I am so proud of their accomplishment, and ability to handle the challenges that come their way on a daily basis. 

Pluses:

One parent got to stay home and guide the children through their formative years. There was abundant work to be done (no exaggeration here) The only way you didn’t make a living is if you were ill or were otherwise plain lazy.  You didn’t have to pay gym membership because there was plenty of physical activity to be involved in, you drove into town and parked your car and walked to every store to shop or pay bills.  Family activities were almost always outdoors: biking, hiking, baseball, game of tag, and so much more.

Minuses:

We didn’t have the internet, or the electronics (iPads, iPods, cell phones).  Our knowledge was still there to be gained, just at a slower pace (encyclopedia vs Google).  You always had to have coins in your pocket in case you had to use a payphone while in town.  Dating was so much less risky back then. Today you could end up dead if you hook up with the wrong person (illness).  Today a college degree doesn’t guarantee you a job or better yet a career.  In the old days even without a high school diploma, as long as you had a strong back you could support a family.

That is just the surface of the Pluses and Minuses, if you are willing to give it some thought you can come up with so much more.  Today I constantly get an earful about how fast food service doesn’t pay enough to support a family; DUH, it was never meant to!  With higher pay will come higher cost fast food, can you imagine McDonald’s selling value meals at gourmet priced hamburgers?

That job was meant for people transitioning between, high school and college or perhaps transitioning between living at home in mom and dad’s basement and sharing an apartment with a friend.  Bottom line:  it’s a vicious circle, if you raise the pay to make it a livable wage, better qualified people will apply and compete for the fast food jobs, you will also have to compete with robotics (if for no other reason), because they don’t complain about long hours and or better pay.  The best is yet to come……………

Senior Moments

Senior Moments

·       Creeping into our everyday vocabulary over the past few years, the term "senior moment" is now the chief lament of midlife adults who fear they are losing their memory. You've probably used this term yourself on at least one occasion. Perhaps you forgot where you put your keys, blanked on the name of an acquaintance or couldn't recall whether you turned off the oven after you left the house. "I'm having a senior moment!" you mutter to yourself or complain to your friends. Although you're probably half kidding, that other half secretly fears that you're showing the early signs of serious memory loss.

·       Fear of developing memory loss is a common concern of people 55 and older. In research I conducted a number of years ago on people's concerns about aging, I found that the number one age-related change that people feared the most was changes in their memory.~ Susan Krauss Whitbourne Professor of Psychology

While we May all chuckle or laugh out loud about “senior moment’ situations, we need to realize that the problem can be very serious or not, depending on the causes for the lapse in memory.

The most serious could be the advent of Alzheimer’s which according to news articles is neither preventable nor treatable.  However, there are other forms of Dementia that are treatable.  There are also other competing causes of memory loss other than dementia. Here is a partial list: preventable and treatable memory loss and should be addressed as quickly as convenient.  Some causes of memory loss other than dementia can be: stress, lack of sleep, depression, and side effects from medications.

In my own personal experience I find that my thinking process is foggy at best when I haven’t had a good night’s sleep.  I can still think things out but the process is slower and I actually know that I am working harder at it.  As an example, if I want to think of the title of a song, but it doesn’t come to me easily (we’ve all heard someone say, it’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t come up with it) that’s when I ask my wife for a clue after telling her the artist name, if she can’t help I google the artist and his song list will come up.

Whenever I am stressed over a deadline I also don’t have as clear thinking as I normally do.  For now I relay on associations to come up with the information before I ask for help.  I prefer not to let many people into the fact that I am struggling at the moment.  I actually do mental exercises and play board games with the family that give my mind a workout.

It seems that only last month if I was extremely tired I would slow down in every aspect of activity, now more and more I am finding that when I reach the wall I need to be aware cause it’s like running out of batteries.  I don’t want people to see me dosing off, so I need to be aware of my low battery gauge.  I use my last bit of mental ability to make myself aware that I am 5 minutes from hitting the proverbial wall, and thus make a proper (acceptable) quick exit. Just like older computers have to be maintained and periodically defragmented, so do our minds so we can keep it in service much longer.

Here are some foods that will help to strengthen your brain in the memory department according to Carol Sorgen Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD  (http://www.webmd.com/diet/eat-smart-healthier-brain):  Blueberries, Wild Salmon, nuts and seeds, and avocados.

We need to do all we can to keep our mind active and not give in if at all possible to declining memory.  The best is yet to come…………..

Ageing Challenges

Ageing Challenges

Facts:  We are not created equal.  Life isn’t fair.  If I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my body and mind. Arguably; it’s about quality of life.

The question remains compelling:

• What is wisdom, and how does it play out in individual lives? Most psychologists agree that if you define wisdom as maintaining positive well-being and kindness in the face of challenges, it is one of the most important qualities one can possess to age successfully~ By PHYLLIS KORKKI

For those of you not familiar with my blog; I am expressing my perspective as I have learned from experience.  My purpose for writing (first and foremost, I enjoy it) is to give my readers food for thought.  I don’t believe in making all the mistakes myself, if I can learn from other’s mistakes, I will gladly do it.  I am an expert on my own life and experience, don’t profess to know everything about anything, where others are concerned.

With the ever increasing numbers of participants in the social media, there are many people sharing advice with regard to age and health that most of us should take with a grain of salt.  Something as basic and simple as how to prepare the tastiest peanut butter and jelly sandwich, has the potential of making someone deathly ill, could even prove to be fatal.  Not everyone should eat peanuts or peanut derivatives.  For some obscure reason, I don’t recall ever hearing of such thing growing up, but today we know that allergies to peanuts are a fact.

I often see postings on Facebook by younger people that are not yet afflicted by old age, basically make fun of the elderly, and their age afflictions.  Here is where we are not created equal comes in.  We are all raised different some lacking a formal education make their living by using their bodies (backs and knees) with time the tear and wear on the joints and back will cause disabilities that a person making a living professionally (formally trained as an attorney, or medical professional) will not experience.  On the plus side those back breaking jobs are disappearing quickly as mechanical equipment takes over more and more menial jobs.

Laying pipe (for irrigation, natural gas, telephone or cable etc.) used to be labor intensive, at present most ditch diggers are being replaced by mechanical digging equipment.  Once upon a time a young man or woman just starting in life might get side tracked from a formal education because of the seeming easy money provided by labor intensive jobs.  Today’s labor market offers hamburger flipping jobs to the young, but it shouldn’t side track any one away from college or vocational training.

Choices made when young (back breaking work) affects you in later years when even leisure things like gardening or walking for exercise will be a challenge.  Taking medication for back and joint pain can eventually have worst side effects than the back problems (from serious prescription addiction to kidney problems for excessive use of some over the counter pain meds.).  Again decisions made when young will came back to haunt us later in life.

We are not all predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, but many of us are, and by the time we find out we are well on our way to it.  I have a favorite saying:  Everything we say and do will come back to us, positive, negative or indifferent, but it will come back to us.  This is where, “if I’d known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of my mind and body,” comes in.  Such things as smoking, alcohol, drugs, not taking the time to prepare yourself for a career, not investing on your retirement, etc., etc. will get you in the end. I realize that as individuals we don’t always make a conscious choice, sometimes it’s a matter of playing the cards life has dealt us.

With regard to the social media posting, I try to be considerate, but once again consideration is in the eye of the beholder, I am sure that somewhere along the way, I have insulted or offended someone.  I promise to try even harder.  The best is yet to come…..

1950’s Pioneer Spirit

Small Town USA

When you hear talk about the Pioneer Spirit or the reference to the Pioneer type woman (with reference to strength), I always imagine a strong and stout woman with a near perfect posture.  In fact the pioneer spirit that we refer to is something that people simply endured or grew into for survival’s sake.

You and I can elect to be strong by choice or be made strong by circumstance.  What I mean is that back in the 1940’s and 1950’s people chose the pioneer type spirit to survive, where as the time shown on Little House in the Prairie (the television series) that was the pioneer times.

In today’s society if you have a wood burning fireplace, you can cut your own wood if you have the Pioneer Spirit or you can simply Google “firewood,” and have it delivered and stacked in the back patio already cut to perfect size.  Back in the 1950’s some people had the option to buy the product but most chose to cut their own, and many times it was used in the wood burning stove that served for cooking and heat.

Imagine having an ice box instead of a refrigerator, and waiting to catch the iceman when he came by on your route every other day.

 

• The ice trade, also known as the frozen water trade, was a 19th-century industry, centering on the east coast of the United States and Norway, involving the large-scale harvesting, transport and sale of natural ice for domestic consumption and commercial purposes. Ice was cut from the surface of ponds and streams, then stored in ice houses, before being sent on by ship, barge or railroad to its final destination around the world. Networks of ice wagons were typically used to distribute the product to the final domestic and smaller commercial customers. The ice trade revolutionized the U.S. meat, vegetable and fruit industries, enabled significant growth in the fishing industry, and encouraged the introduction of a range of new drinks and foods.

Another small struggle of the early 1950’s was the need to maintain a supply of kerosene usually in five gallon cans for the purpose of lighting the homes after the sun went down (using kerosene lanterns).  One of my uncles created a job for himself by keeping the neighborhood supplied for a fee. 

 

You also grew your own supply of vegetables, and anything you couldn’t eat you would trade and barter with.  Homes for the less fortunate ones didn’t have running water or any kind of indoor plumbing.  Imagine having to answer nature’s call in the middle of the night and going to an outhouse with a newspaper in hand (dual purpose including reading).  Taking a bath was not as easy as it is today.  You had to plan it by first warming up water, and later disposing of the used water.  Is it any wonder people didn’t bathe more often?

 

The fortunate people that had cars would usually pick up friends and coworkers every day on the way to work and dropped them off on the way home.  Others would use public transportation or ride bicycles by necessity not just to conserve or be cool.  Walking was a very acceptable mode of transportation, is it any wonder why they didn’t need Fitness Center Membership to get or stay in shape? 

This post is a very small snapshot of what life was like in the 1950’s (for a slightly less than well-off family).  The majority of these people were so satisfied that they had no clue that they lived in poverty.  If you have memories of your grandparents being strong and healthy the reasons were many, including fresh air plenty of sunshine and hard work, many natural foods that included plenty of fruits and vegetables, and minimal addictions.  The best is yet to come…..

A Gaggle of Girls

A favorite Hangout

• A gaggle is a term for a flock of geese that is not in flight.
• In terms of geese, a gaggle is equal to at least five geese.
• In certain regions of The Netherlands, a gaggle can also refer to a group of adolescent females.

I was working in my office (home office), while keeping an eye on three of my granddaughters for a couple of hours.  As usual I have part of my mind concentration on the work I am doing and the other half tracking my granddaughters. The only time I worry is if they are not in the line of sight or when the house gets too quiet. 

On this occasion I was working and blocking out sounds until I couldn’t help but listen to the noise coming from the family room.  The sounds reminded me of a few times in spring and summer when I am out at the golf course chipping or putting on to or on the green and a bunch of geese grazing nearby interrupt my concentration. Each one of my three youngest granddaughters are very assertive, and each one will raise her voice to be heard over the others. You honestly can’t tell what the discussion is about or who is making the most sense.  Their ages are three, five, and seven.  Two are sisters, and the oldest one is their cousin.

They are a joy to look after, and I love each one equally.  Never a dull moment when I have them in my care.  Through the years I have re-acquainted myself with cartoons and children’s programing in general.  From Disney Jr., to Nickelodeon, and from Lazy Town to Sheriff Callie and everything else in-between, including the Mutant Ninja Turtles.  We spend time at the park playing foot races, and play equipment (swings, teeter totter, monkey bars, and slides), and can’t forget riding bicycles.  Sometimes the highlights of a day are the trips to Children’s Hands On Museum, Chuck E. Cheese, Charlie Safari, or Jumping Jacks.

I also transport them around, I am their care provider (not full time), chauffer, nutritionist, cook, activity director, homework helper, first aid attendant (EMT – Band-Aids only), and favorite grandpa; in no particular order.  I suppose that the one outstanding qualification for my present position is that I am retired, the second is that I love them more than life itself.

When I get a time for reflection, I think of how great it would be to see them off to college, and perhaps to be at their weddings.  Either way it is very reassuring to know that my DNA will go forth even long after I am gone, and the best part is that it will be in very capable hands.  The best is yet to come……

1950’s USA Economics

1956 Ford Custom V-8 4-door

From my youthful recollection the whole time of the 1950’s seemed like a laid back time almost sleepy in all aspects of life.  In reality the 1950’s was a vibrant progressive time that I couldn’t guage, because after all I had not witnessed the 1930’s and 1940’s. 

The 1930’s were a time of struggle and sacrifice.  A time when you worked extra hard just to reach a level of survival.  We are talking about the 10 years that followed the Great Depression.  Everyone used every penny they could bring together just to have a meager meal of bread and water.  Soup was a luxury for most of the country.  If you happen to have a large family you were in for a real struggle.  Those were times when parents many time would go to sleep hungry just so their children would have something in their stomachs.

The 1940’s were not much better than the 1930’s until the war started and most able bodied men signed up to defend the country.  Women took the placed of men in the factories to supply the war machine, and the economics didn’t improve much because sacrifices needed to be made because of the war effort. 

The 1950’s were in fact a Decade of Prosperity.  Young people like myself were aware that all our needs were being met, and didn’t question how.  By 1956 my family bought the first brand new car a 1956 Ford Custom V-8 4-door.  Our car payment was $24 per month.  By 1957 we bought our first brand new 3 bedroom house.  I don’t remember the cost of the house but the mortgage payment was $58 per month all inclusive (Interest, insurance and tax if there was one).  1957 was also the year we bought our first black and white Philco Television.

 

• To put this in perspective, 1957 is considered to be the height of the baby boomer generation.  Dwight D. Eisenhower was the United States President and Richard Nixon was the Vice President.  There were around 170 million people living in this country (compared to 300 million today).  The 1957 Best Picture of the Year (The Bridge on the River Kwai) grossed $27,200.  In 2007 the movie “The Departed” grossed $125 million.  No one owned a computer fifty years ago.  The only games were “board games” and make believe games.  Girls still wore dresses and guys still dressed up to take a girl on a date.  Mothers stayed at home to raise the kids and fathers were happy to be the breadwinner of the family.
• A lot has changed in fifty short years.  The United States of America bears little resemblance to the country bearing its name not even two generations ago.  States that were mainly deserted deserts fifty years ago are now the fastest growing states in the country (Arizona, Nevada and Utah).  Areas that were farms fifty years ago are now cities with hundreds of thousands of people.  There was only one Interstate Highway fifty years ago and that was I-70.  Now people can travel all over the country on multi-lane super highways going pretty much as fast as they want. 
• In 1957, the average income of America’s 44 million families (according to the United States Commerce Department) was $5,000.  There were actually 4 million families whose income was over $10,000.  There were also 6.5 million families whose annual income was under $2,000.  The vast majority of American families, 33 ½ million of them, had annual income between $2,000 and $10,000. ~Shmoop University, Inc.

In the 1950’s and even 1960’s most of us didn’t have fitness center memberships and if we did it, it was the YMCA.  Most of us drank water from the tap (faucet) for free, not bottled for a fee.  Most of our exercise came from walking almost everywhere, or doing chores round the farm or around the house.  We performed many of the physical jobs that are now performed by robotics also for exercise. My family treated the children to a hamburger or a ham sandwich twice a month, today a majority of children and adults eat fast food as much as twice a day. Hang in there, the best is yet to come…..

Memories Anyone?

Wholesome Family Fun

Back when I lived in Texas (in a galaxy far, far away).  One of my favorite past times as a nine year old was to roller skate.  My allowance was enough to accommodate the visit to the local movie theater, plus a couple of nights at the Roller Rink.  I usually finished in the top 3 whenever I participated in a dance (on roller-skates) contest.  Over a two week period I was a no show at the rink because of family illness, and when I returned I told the manager that I had stayed away for lack of money (not wanting to talk about the family illness).  The most productive little white lie I ever told.

• The music would start and off you would go…skating clockwise around the rink.  After a while there would be an announcement over the loudspeaker and everyone would skate in the reverse direction.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A member of staff was responsible for maintaining orderly behavior on the rink.  He would skate slowly backwards between the oncoming skaters and toot his whistle and admonish anyone who stepped out of line and broke the rules.                                                                                                                                                                   Pushing, speeding, skating against the flow and cutting across the rink were major offences.  It was forbidden to cut across the rink as the center was reserved for the more serious skaters to practice forward and backward figures.
• National Anthem                                                                                                                                                    After a dozen or so circuits the MC would clear the floor and the music would start up again in a lighter, more contemporary, vein (Fats Domino, Johnnie Ray, Ray Charles, Duane Eddy) and it would be time for everyone to return to the rink for a final clockwise session before the National Anthem and home time.

I was offered a job teaching young beginners to skate in exchange for food from the snack bar, and free skating.  There are few other events in my life where my skill actually went to my head.  I really enjoyed showing off my dancing on skates skills in front of the young ladies.  I also played up the fact that I worked for the Roller Rink.

How I miss the days when everything you did was fun, and not much was required of you.  It strikes me that at my tender age of nine my mother allowed me to go all over town and have fun.  I was always given money for Taxi fare, but I seldom used it, unless it was to make sure that I got home on time.  What were your fun times like?  The best is yet to come….