Art & Inspiration Reality Check

But........ if it was not for the cars I wouldn't have met all you hoodlums.

 

Many years ago I met a guy that had a similar vehicle as me (50 F1). I had some parts that he needed for his build that I wasn't going to need. I gave him the parts. He was a Michigan State Trooper. He was a clean cut guy, liked by anyone that had the privilege to meet him. For some reason he looked past my long hair and beard and took a liking to me. Over the years we became good friends. This past Saturday he died of a massive heart attack. His daughter called us from Tennessee and told my wife and I how much he talked about us and how much he liked us. This really made us feel good. We will miss him.

Once in the fall I got home from work. There was a business card stuck in the door from the State Police. He wrote on the back of the card. Please clean leaves off drive way so I can do a proper burn out. He was a good guy.

Yes I like my stuff, but friends are very important.

Mike

 

I had completely forget what we said PFC meant. Thanks for reminding me!!

 

It's funny this thread came up as I was thinking about as much as we all have our hobbies and interests in this world something like this tends to put things into perspective. I found myself a bit angry watching those spring breakers on the beaches last week disregarding warnings of the virus only to find out some of them tested positive now. But to be honest I remember a time when I was that age thinking I was ten foot tall, invisible, and bulletproof too. I hope all of you are safe and stay out of harm's way.

 

I'm just a 'cruit compared to many of you, only been a proud f'n civilian for 33 years. The plan ride back to the world was great, but what really felt good was watching the wall come down on live tv. Made all the wet, cold, mud and snow seem worth while. Helped me appreciate my time guarding the Fulda Gap as well as all the time we spent training to light up anyone who came across.

Now it looks like a new war is upon us and we can't let is virus bastard win. Stay strong and healthy, please. Each and everyone.
-Dave

 

My reality call came to me the day I turned 50.

All my life I was told that I would never live to be 50 years old by everyone that ever met me. I lived hard with a bad attitude, a hot temper that ignited at the drop of a hat, and a really don't give a crap life style.

Since I really never expected to live until my 50th birthday, when that day came, it challenged everything I ever knew or thought about. That 50th anniversary date of my birth was really a life changing day in my life. Nothing in my life would be or look the same again.

Since that day, all those years ago (I turned 63 last Sept), there have been many times I've been reminded of what is important and what is not. This current virus has just been another reminder to keep what is important at the top of the list of stuff we treasure.

I believe that during the course of our days, we get distracted by so many little unimportant details that we tend to forget the actual things we treasure. We loose site of the big picture, and we let circumstances rule our lives. Then some big event happens that jolts us back into reality and reminds us about the important things again. What is unfortunate is that often times, those big events that jolt us back into that reality are often disastrous for others, some of those others may even being really close to us. Ultimately, its the caring about other people that really make us complete. The sooner we understand that, the better is the place we are in when the next reality check comes. Gene

 

I turn 65 in a few days, it occurred to me a couple months ago that I had not done some things I intended to do over my lifetime, so, I gave notice that I'd no longer work on others cars, got one more special car to wire, then, its my time. Unfortunately, this damned virus is getting in the way, and I may not get some goals done. I'm gonna charge along like there's no tomorrow, had two bad scares already, the third one will probably be my last, hopefully it'll be in the cab of my 36. LeRoy.

 

I thought I was invisible once too. Ended up getting arrested by campus police, drunk and naked in the women's locker room. It wasn't much of a reality call as it was a restraining order.

 

Yep....but sad for one of my buddies that's a prostate survivor that looks so much towards the Pate Swap Meet and his birthday - that usually falls on those dates - think he's 74 this year and he's a people person with friends that only see him that time of year from out of state. Anyways we all have to put it in the hands of a higher power and there will be another time to gather here or up there. Hang tough youse guys....and keep a little distance !

 

Great, and important, post ct1932ford. I lost my two very best friends to cancer, one of them only 41 years old over 25 years ago. The other was 59. Damn, I miss these guys. I'll be 68 this year and hope to see many more as we all do. You said it so well. Keep in touch with family and friends. I always try to keep a positive outlook but........................
you just never know when that time is gonna' be. Especially in these times.
Hang in there and take care buddy.

 

My son is a New Orleans Police officer. 15 years on the job. He told me he fully expects at some point he will test positive. All the officers have been told by rank to
expect this. Every day he goes in to the city and does his job along with the rest of the first respondors.
I am frightened for him more than I can express. The
strain of being a Sargent trying to instill confidence,
guidance, along with morale and keep his officers
as safe as possible, is exacting a harsh toll on him
I see the strain in him increasing every day. He has a
family to be concerned with as well. Of course his
situation is not unique. All respond personnel including
medical are facing the same challenge. For that matter we all are. It makes me sad and frightened for all peoples.

 

Happy birthday!

Sent from my LM-V405 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Quit bragging!

 

Thank him for me!

 

Thank you Sir for the supportive thoughts, I will tell
him.

 

And I know you kept pointing down "there" saying "really, I am a man", even though they couldn't see it...oh sigh

 

It's times like this that serve as a reminder that life is not about ourselves, it's about each other.

 

Please thank your son for me as well. He is a very brave person to be in that position. God bless him, and watch over him.

 

True, so true. Also good Ryan and the Mods gives us some leeway here as well.

 

Hello,

Points well written and noted… Every so often we all come up against something we have never experienced or had the pleasure to be part of while growing up. Earthquakes, floods, storms are all things we have experienced. But, with our minds and much family support, we have all come out of it fairly well. This time, it is really big and gives us all time to reflect about what is happening to our future or the future for our kids and grandkids.

Reading about the CV 19 stories is a little depressing. So, it was a good idea to use your/my/our time off to think about what is important. We have been spending the last couple of years getting our last residence in order for the final quarter of our history. It has paid off immensely. The paperwork is all finished and locked in place, with specific instructions. Despite the circumstances, it is enjoyable to relax in our own surroundings. The backyard scene on warm sunny days is pure So Cal. So, for us, it is just weathering the crisis as best as we can at this time. We do keep in contact with our extended family and friends.

Jnaki

In this day and age, one can only hope for the best for everyone. As old as we are, there are points in our history that make being together for so long all worthwhile. We are all important to someone and that should keep the events in place for the future history of the family files. Start writing down some history and you will know how that will affect the future generations, when they become adults with their own families.

As crazy as it sounds and circumstances provide, we actually saw our son driving in his car. It was a total surprise, as he was frantically waving to us with a big smile on his face. We kept wondering who that person was in front frantically waving and smiling at us... We had just come back from the early morning "senior" grocery store run at 7:30 am. He had been working from his home and had to grab a software add on for his computer from his old, empty job site. It was a moment in time that we will remember, as a little tear rolled down my wife's cheek.

A real "Reality Check" in place...

 

{ JNAKI } Here's one similar to the one you had. I was out of state, and following up the rear of our little group of hoodlums in our old cars. We were returning from a Rod Run. My oldest daugther, husband, and my two grandkids were traveling in the opposite direction. As they passed our little group. My daughter commented, { hay look at the old cars } and wouldn't Poppy like to see them. I was in our Nomad following up the rear of the pack. Then my grandson spoke up quickly. LOOK that is Poppy! lol They called my cell phone to say, that they had just passed me. Yeah a cool moment in time. We all like our old cars. But family and friends are what's really the most important! { Reality Check }

 

We were supposed to pick up our daughter and 4 grandsons today at the airport, it would have been the first time that we met face to face with our youngest grandson who was born in Japan 3 years ago. It all had to be canceled because of this. They were worried about passing this onto the grandparents, after flying cross country. They're stationed in San Diego the son in law is a CPO on the Roosevelt and the casses of the virus go up every day on it. The Navy thought they were safe with the port call in Vietnam, guess not. Car shows don't seem to important now. I'm glad that I have old stuff in the garage, it keeps my mind off of all this.
Stay safe, call your family and friends.

 

Stuff is worth what someone will pay for it. Have to have cool stuff may or may not be that important now just as a lot of other things may or may not be that important.
I don't have any grand kids at least yet so that isn't an issue. No car shows just saves money even though I miss seeing friends I only get to see once or twice a year.
I have a shirt tail relation in his 20's who is recovering from the virus now and his FB post about it should be on the front page of every paper in the country. This is a young normally extremely very healthy native American guy who the last time I saw him was in fantastic shape physically. It took him down hard.
I'm rather enjoying not having my wife drag me out to go shopping and eat out somewhere and the meatloaf she made last night was world class and the sandwiches are fantastic.
My big issue right now is convincing my 93 year old mother that she doesn't need to go to the store for something every other day. This is a woman who often didn't go to town for three or four weeks at a shot as I take her paper and mail in every day and sometimes run her errands for her what little they are. All the sudden she is "out of" something that she didn't worry about before. She still drives so she isn't getting me to take her to town.
In other news, I was looking at one project thinking that If I sold it and maybe some of the pieces I have for it I could make a lot faster progress on the 48. At 73 it may be time to concentrate on one rather than ah hell I don't want to even count projects.

 

I said it before...May You All get through this with your Health and Keep on Rolling down the highway in your Hotrods, Customs hitting whatever Swapmeet and Venue you please...When it's over...

Fingers Crossed...

Glad There's Missus Stogy, The Hamb, the Hotrod and the Garage...

 

I have a daughter, Sacramento County Sheriff, due with our first grandchild on April 4th. I feel fortunate she and her husband, also a Sac. Co. Sheriff, are home and not on street patrol. Having the baby during these times is something none of us could have ever imagined. Hopefully she will have it while she can still have her husband in the delivery room with her and there are no complications.
We are resilient as a people and as long as we keep the I out of the equation we'll make our way through it.
Also those of you who talked of coming back from 'Nam, I don't know if it was mentioned or not but yesterday, March 29th, was National Vietnam Veterans Day. So all you warriors who have been forgotten for so long, thank you for having served and served proudly. As we well know there was no I in the equation while over there.
Also on a side note, these "stimulus checks" that will be coming out in the next few weeks. If you don't need the money I encourage you to give it to some family that does or give it to a food bank organization or an organization the represents the free lunch program at your local schools. Some of these kids are dependent on those meals and if they aren't in school they don't get them. The different organizations are still putting them out, bag lunches, some home delivered and some in the parking lot of the schools. They all need funding to continue with the program.

 

I got my wake up call three years ago when they hacked open my chest and rearranged the plumbing. Suddenly the car was less important than making planter boxes for the wife, visiting grand kids or welding up a weight bench for the son.
No you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd but you can have fun if you've a a mind to.

 

Knuckle down buckle down put your mind to it ....

Now thatll be in my head all day , r.I.p. roger miller

 

Hello,
We have had our share of good times over the years of being together. As much as we like to be with friends, being together was where it started and where it has been all of these years. We are lucky that there was someone for each of us in our 20’s and the calamity that we went through all of these years. For the times, we did get married fairly early. But, what else was there other than being with someone you fell in love with and want to spend the rest of our lives together. Hot rods, no hot rods, it was all part of being together through thick and thin.

Our 20 something lives were the most active for us. It was the most turbulent times of our USA recent history with the war, draft, riots, SDS, MLK, Kennedys, impeachment, gas crisis, etc. But, as our own history of good times goes, we were mobile with our possessions fitting in the back of the red 1965 El Camino for moves that jobs would take us.

Leaving So Cal was not in the picture, but a 5 acre forested, hilltop in Soquel, CA with a 360 degree view of the ocean, hills, city, mountains all made it possible for the future lives, if we wanted it. The two of us and our dog inside of our house on the hill. That was what we pictured back then as traveling 20 somethings. The two of us versus the rest of society was fine with us. People thought we were strange…they probably still think the same.

Like most people, our lives were shaped by others and of our own choosing. Rock concerts, isolated home living with the two of us and a dog, family close by, hit the spot. But, being with each other made the rest of it, a simple lifestyle. Sure, we went to the local parties with friends, massive gathering in LA, cool early hot rod events before they got too big, and hung around the local beaches with our group.

Those were the confusing times and we got through that part of history. On to the next…

Jnaki

“If I Leave Here Tomorrow, Would You Still Remember Me?”
Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973)

Double Exposure 35mm Ektachrome film