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A Pirate Looks at Sixty

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  • A Pirate Looks at Sixty

    Carroll Shelby's passing is upon us, but..

    Jimmy Buffett wrote a great song, "A Pirate Looks at Forty." Like at 30-something, he thought 40 was going to be a real real big deal. No, Jimmy, what do you think NOW?

    My daddy got old and died, as all of us will someday, but in his later years his only complaint was he couldn't remember anything. It frustrated him that he couldn't remember names, dates, events. That's the only thing in this world he ever complained about, and the complaint was about himself. He couldn't remember anything.

    Even in the hospital, on his dying bed, the nurse would come and take blood samples (none of us even now know why), and Daddy would say, "Thank you," to the nurse as she was leaving the room.

    So, I can't remember the point I was trying to make with this.
    Last edited by pdub; May 12, 2012, 05:27 AM.
    Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

  • #2
    I think the point is that there is no justice in the world because Jimmy Buffet still lives and Shelby is dead.
    Last edited by Brian Lohnes; May 12, 2012, 06:31 AM.
    That which you manifest is before you.

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    • #3
      Hell, Son. Wait 'till you get to MY age - however old that is......

      But seriously. I do forget a lot more than I used to. One of the hard parts is deciding how much to work on to try to remember and thereby keep the brain sharp, and how much to just let slide. I never could remember numbers so I don't worry about that too much but it really bugs me when I can't pull up names, which I used to be pretty good at.

      But I'm still breathing, I have lots of folks who love me, Mary Ellen and I are solvent (not rich but we keep the bills paid), and I still get to go to the track - so all must be pretty good.

      Dan

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      • #4
        I turned a young 44 yesterday. Mentally I still feel like that 18 year old punk kid out raising hell in a care free world (and Momma reminds me that I still act that way every day). My only complaints are that at one point in my life I allowed my body to be battered, injured and abused. Yes it was a choice i consciously made by choosing the career I did. Now I have aches and pains that are related to the days gone by, and most if not all require some sort of "procedure" to correct. When I retired, they guaranteed a retirement check every 2 weeks, but they can't guarantee that undergoing the procedures will produce favorable results.

        J/B "a pirate looks at 40" .... yea I'm a parrot head .....
        Whiskey for my men ... and beer for their horses!

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Bamfster View Post
          I turned a young 44 yesterday. Mentally I still feel like that 18 year old punk kid out raising hell in a care free world (and Momma reminds me that I still act that way every day). My only complaints are that at one point in my life I allowed my body to be battered, injured and abused. Yes it was a choice i consciously made by choosing the career I did. Now I have aches and pains that are related to the days gone by, and most if not all require some sort of "procedure" to correct. When I retired, they guaranteed a retirement check every 2 weeks, but they can't guarantee that undergoing the procedures will produce favorable results.

          J/B "a pirate looks at 40" .... yea I'm a parrot head .....
          Add 10 Dan, there's a huge difference. It's much like a bell curve. But it doesn't mean that it can't be fun. Look at Mr. Stokes as an example. Let's all live it, because if we don't we won't.
          Last edited by pdub; May 12, 2012, 08:40 AM.
          Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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          • #6
            I have been thinking of 40. battered 20 years before I get to it.

            always analogy thinking of it.

            40 is fixing a a half short circuit...to find you lived with it your whole life anyway.

            the power steering stops leaking because of it, gets a little stiffer...no way to explain how.
            Previously boxer3main
            the death rate and fairy tales cannot kill the nature left behind.

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            • #7
              I don't know, at 54 I tend to think more about getting old, we are refinancing our house down to fifteen years, and it forces me to think into the future. In fifteen years I'll be 69 years old, that doesn't seem possible. There is still a lot to do, the last five years have been nose to the grindstone keeping our store open, haven't done much else lately. The eighteen years since I moved from Aspen and got married went by in a flash, that's the scary thing, how fast it goes. But I prefer to continue to breathe, my mother died at 43, my father at 63, my brother at 50, way too early. I hope I'm gummin' my peas at 99.
              Busted down to regular Bangshifter

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              • #8
                Originally posted by 455 LeMans View Post
                I don't know, at 54 I tend to think more about getting old, we are refinancing our house down to fifteen years, and it forces me to think into the future. In fifteen years I'll be 69 years old, that doesn't seem possible. There is still a lot to do, the last five years have been nose to the grindstone keeping our store open, haven't done much else lately. The eighteen years since I moved from Aspen and got married went by in a flash, that's the scary thing, how fast it goes. But I prefer to continue to breathe, my mother died at 43, my father at 63, my brother at 50, way too early. I hope I'm gummin' my peas at 99.
                There ya go. Well said.

                I honestly believe that the whole thing is structured. That is, people die so that the rest of us will realize and think about why we're still alive.
                Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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                • #9
                  "When I'm sixty-foooour..... "
                  Got me 3 weeks plus 6 years to be thaaat!
                  As crappy as I feel right now...

                  Like Dan says.. i'm also paying my bills and get to the arena watching the young-uns mix it up... I'm the tow rig driver while the youngsters rest up.. (average drive is anywhere from 3-6 hours one way) I DO NOT pull all nighters any more.. Just can't weld, grind nor drill too long..
                  This site brings back stuff I have forgotten.. It's scary!
                  Gotta use the noggin to keep it aworkin! Same with the body...
                  Last edited by Deaf Bob; May 12, 2012, 11:21 AM.

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                  • #10
                    I think life is what you make of it. I'm 51. A few years ago ( about 4 ) a friends husband died of cancer. At his funeral they talked about doing things they had always wanted to. They found a way and did their bucket list before he passed. I went home and told my wife to plan the cruise she wanted to take. Life is too short. We went on a cruise in March of 08. We found a way to save and pay for it. So my advice is, to quote a country song, LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DIEING. Do what you can to live your bucket list.
                    OH YEAH
                    Long haul 07. 08. 10, 11, and 13. Looking forward to 2014

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                    • #11
                      Yep, that's what I think I meant Jim. Good for you and yours. And everybody else who knows we won't get out of this alive. There's nothing like a funeral to make us think like we should be thinking all the time. It's so easy to forget, our own mortality.
                      Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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                      • #12
                        I'll be 60 this June 15th..... Life is to be lived.... When I look at pictures of me in Vietnam, so young and was I really there.... Having my 2 boys was worth all the hard work on the docks..... I lost my first wife Josie, 15 years ago this June 20th..... my second Debbie, 3 years ago this September 15th.... Why are we here? who knows..... I just thank God every day I awake to be part of my boys life's.... Who will both be with me on Power Tour this year..... Life is precious, enjoy it while you are here......

                        Ed & Jane Tampa, FL
                        1966 Plymouth Fury III
                        2014 Dodge Ram 1500
                        Long Hauler - 2009,2010,2012,2013,2014
                        Cocoa Beach & Valdosta - 2011

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                        • #13
                          Well, I'm 54, going 139+ in a red Mustang .... Doctor Phil would say that it's a midlife crisis. I wouldn't argue that, it sure is.

                          But what's wrong with that? I say it's living. If you're not living, you can't do that.
                          Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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                          • #14
                            I'm 48 and I have to keep reminding myself because in my mind I'm half that. I work with senior citizens all day and the difference between some of them is mind blowing. I see 65 year olds that look and act like 90 and 90 year olds that get around like their 50. I had one of them tell me that people "get old" because they choose to. I can't remember where I heard this but living long or not boils down to heredity, luck and personal choices.
                            Just groovin' to my own tune.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Gary 351C View Post
                              I'm 48 and I have to keep reminding myself because in my mind I'm half that. I work with senior citizens all day and the difference between some of them is mind blowing. I see 65 year olds that look and act like 90 and 90 year olds that get around like their 50. I had one of them tell me that people "get old" because they choose to. I can't remember where I heard this but living long or not boils down to heredity, luck and personal choices.
                              My daddy died when he was 75, did all he could. Quit smoking and drinking when he was 50 because that was the right thing to do, but guess what? He died anyhow when his time was up.

                              My mom is now 84 and doesn't know who anybody is. She keeps trying to introduce my sister to her husband (they've been married for 36 years).

                              I don't have a death wish, but I just don't want to be old and feeble and a burden to anyone else.
                              Charter member of the Turd Nuggets

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