Hi Folks,
Yesterday evening I went to what can be best described as a wake for a friend of mine that fell victim to pancreatic cancer just two months ago and died a week ago.
I had known Terry since we were neighborhood kids way back in 1953. We lost touch for about forty years and we got back together less than two years ago. Terry was quite a guy. He had a Ph D and degrees in physics and electrical engineering as well as a degree from Harvard Business School. It really seemed a bit odd to me that he found our re-kindled friendship so inspiring when we re-connected. I’m afraid he held me in much higher esteem than I deserve. Why he felt that way I am not sure. I say that because I am not a college graduate. Yes, I have done a lot of things in my life, and a I went to a lot of tech schools and did a lot of learning on my own, but that and the current going price will get me a cup of coffee at Micky D’s.
In the brief time that we re-kindled our friendship he expressed a strong desire to learn the skills I have acquired over the years and most of all wanted to learn to weld. He also expressed a desire to work with me on a vehicle project of some kind. I guess I really feel bad that he didn’t get the chance.
My point is that time is slipping away for all of us no matter what our age. Terry was just 61 and under normal conditions would probably have lived another ten or twenty years. Unfortunately he didn’t get the chance. Two weeks before he died they gave him eleven months to live. It just goes to ahow you can’t count on any given estimate.
So many of us here are thinking that we will get around to this or that at some point down the road. Don’t count on it. If you have a passion for something do something about it now. Make a start at it no matter how insignificant it might be.
I have way more projects than I will ever be able to finish in my lifetime. That doesn’t matter though. What matters is that I am enjoying the experience of working on them. I hope that all of you who read this take a lesson from it and get out there and do your thing. I know I will often be thinking of Terry when I am working in the shop doing the things he wanted to do.
Latter Folks...
Darkside Dave
Yesterday evening I went to what can be best described as a wake for a friend of mine that fell victim to pancreatic cancer just two months ago and died a week ago.
I had known Terry since we were neighborhood kids way back in 1953. We lost touch for about forty years and we got back together less than two years ago. Terry was quite a guy. He had a Ph D and degrees in physics and electrical engineering as well as a degree from Harvard Business School. It really seemed a bit odd to me that he found our re-kindled friendship so inspiring when we re-connected. I’m afraid he held me in much higher esteem than I deserve. Why he felt that way I am not sure. I say that because I am not a college graduate. Yes, I have done a lot of things in my life, and a I went to a lot of tech schools and did a lot of learning on my own, but that and the current going price will get me a cup of coffee at Micky D’s.
In the brief time that we re-kindled our friendship he expressed a strong desire to learn the skills I have acquired over the years and most of all wanted to learn to weld. He also expressed a desire to work with me on a vehicle project of some kind. I guess I really feel bad that he didn’t get the chance.
My point is that time is slipping away for all of us no matter what our age. Terry was just 61 and under normal conditions would probably have lived another ten or twenty years. Unfortunately he didn’t get the chance. Two weeks before he died they gave him eleven months to live. It just goes to ahow you can’t count on any given estimate.
So many of us here are thinking that we will get around to this or that at some point down the road. Don’t count on it. If you have a passion for something do something about it now. Make a start at it no matter how insignificant it might be.
I have way more projects than I will ever be able to finish in my lifetime. That doesn’t matter though. What matters is that I am enjoying the experience of working on them. I hope that all of you who read this take a lesson from it and get out there and do your thing. I know I will often be thinking of Terry when I am working in the shop doing the things he wanted to do.
Latter Folks...
Darkside Dave
Last edited by Darkside Dave on Sat May 23, 2009 10:39 am; edited 1 time in total