Geezers Talk Engines

     Today I travelled to Syracuse to pick up a chopper-shredder I purchased from my geezer friend Paul Beyer.   He spent many years as a diesel engine technician as well an diesel engine manufacturer's representative for Detroit Diesel and other diesel engine manufacturers.   I was fortunate to get a good deal on the shredder and he has always been meticulous about caring for machinery.   His hobbies include building crystal set radios as well as restoring and maintaining his classic DeSoto sedan.   I saw the DeSoto today in all it's shiny glory, ready to be displayed at an auto show or taken for a drive.

    Not only was it a pleasure to see Paul and to obtain the shredder but we also had a pleasant 45 minutes of coffee, cake and story telling.   He had numerous stories to relate about diesel engine repairs under the most difficult circumstances.   Especially difficult repairs were engines installed in boats where the spaces around the engines below deck are very cramped.   When these boats are built the engines are dropped in first and the the deck is built on top with no expectation of lifting the engines out again.  He also told me that before he retired he was the supplier of diesel engines to his friend who owned Mid-Lakes Navigation.   And last Friday he and his wife Elaine celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary with a dinner cruise on Skaneateles Lake on one of the boats driven by diesel engines his supplier had installed.

     I had a few of my own stories to pass on regarding my repair and engine experiences just to balance the conversation.   When I got home my wife asked me who I heard about among our friends during  my visit.    When I thought about it I said, "Nothing about people,  we just talked about engines."    Yes,  men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

Geezer Skier Tribute

The anniversary of September 11, 2001 reminded me of my deceased skier friend Robert Jenkins.   Bob was one of the finest persons I have ever known.   He was an outstanding skier who had skied many times in Europe and in the U.S. West with enthusiasm unmatched by any of his companions.   His zest for life was remarkable.   Not only was he a consummate professional, he was also an outstanding contributor to his church and community.

My recollection is that he was a disaster coordinator for the Red Cross out of Broome County.   Wherever a disaster occurred in the U.S. he could be counted on to be on site helping out.   I know that he spent many selfless weeks at Ground Zero in New York City,  assisted with the aid to victims of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and also assisted with upstate recovery from the ice storm that hit Northern New York and Vermont.   Although he was mostly a gentle soul, he had enormous backbone if he felt there was injustice.     In his community he was also known to mentor down and out men through a storefront church ministry.

We had many enjoyable days skiing the slopes at Greek Peak with occasional adventures on the steeps of the Olympian.   In his later years artificial knees somewhat restricted his adventurous nature but never hindered his graceful skiing style.

God rest his soul!

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday we had the pleasure of celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary with a wonderful dinner and a day of remembering all the good things of our lives together.   Yes it was September 11, 1982 that we were married.   For the past 10 years we have had to put aside the tragedy of September 11, 2001 for our day.   We do mourn for all the loss of life and the trauma for our nation, but we are not prepared for this event to remove the good things in our lives.   So, I think it should be the same for our nation.   We must move forward continuing  to holding onto what is good and to fully reject evil.

I am old enough to remember Pearl Harbor of December 7, 1941 and the shock to our nation and our people of the unexpected attack and the tragic loss of life.   I wonder if the couples that had been married on December 7 previous to 1941 faced the same challenges of this convergence of dates as present day couples do?   Probably December 7 and September 11 are no longer dates of choice for marriage ceremonies for the future.

It is comforting to know that there are many of us who were married on September 11 and can still hold to the joy of our day.    In fact at our dinner on Saturday night another couple at the next table was celebrating their anniversary.   And at church this morning one of the parishioners confirmed that he to had been married on September 11.

On August 15, 2010 we had a wonderful celebration of the marriage of Michelle and Pedro.  And on September 25, 2010  we will celebrate the wedding of our  youngest daughter to Matt.  We pray these dates will  be free of tragedies in the lives of all peoples not just for the sake of these couples but all for the sake of all humankind.

Hold on to what is good!

Hard of Listening

   Part of the aging process is some loss of hearing.    So probably I have lost some of my hearing ability in the higher frequency ranges.   In a piece on NPR the other day they aired  a tone in the 30,000 Hz range to which I was totally deaf.   Apparently teenagers can hear this frequency very well and shopkeepers have used this noise to disperse rowdies hanging out at their stores.

     I suspect that I have lost some of my hearing from my days driving an old John Deere tractor that cranked out over 100 decibels of sound.  After 8 to 10 hours on the tractor in a day my ears would be ringing and there was at least a temporary loss of some hearing.

     During my "annual" physical my doctor remarked with shock how much wax was built up in my ears.   Probably this reduced hearing ability so thankfully the nurse did a de-wax job and now I supposedly can hear better.   However, perhaps my problem is not one of being hard of hearing but one of being hard of listening.   My wife Nancy has suggested I am hard of hearing, but I suspect that I am also failing to focus as well.   Whatever the case, I am making a resolution to be more focused on listening!

Milking Cows - A Metaphor for Life?

     I don't know why this memory came to me recently but I feel that I have to write about it.   As a youngster I grew up milking cows by hand as they were standing in the barnyard.    Recently I vividly recall how some of the cows would swish a manure laden tail up against the side of my head during the milking.   A decidedly unpleasant event.   At other times the cows would be restless and difficult to keep standing stiill.  Often resulting in a dumped pail of milk and me falling off the milk stool.   Or the worst of all was the cow picking up a foot and standing on the toe of my shoe.   Pure agony as a 1000 pound animal twists its hoof across your mashed toes.   My big toe joint still shows the effects of those injuries.

     However, at times the cows were placid, cooperative and a pleasure to work with.   They all had names and in spite of their erratic behaviors we had an affection for them.   There was always some sadness when they outlived their usefulness and were sent off to slaughter.

     So how is milking cows a metaphor for life?  In life we suffer setbacks and annoyances.  The tail swish in the face or the step on our toes.   Likewise we often go through stages of placid existence with very satisfying relationships among family and friends.    We can enjoy our existence, usefulness and peace.   And we can cope with our grief of loss when the life journey is over for a loved one knowing they have lived a productive  and  meaningful life.   Those good folks that deliver the milk of human kindness.

Life Story

Everyone has a life story.   And I expect each life story is unique.   I  think most of us go through life without truly contemplating the arc of our existence in the universe.   We all struggle with the meaning of our existence and our connection to a higher power.

Recently I read Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray and Love as well as attending the movie of the same title.   I suppose  the label many give to the book is "chick lit" and the the movie "chick flick".    For me it was interesting to read a book telling a life's journey through the feminine lens.   As she went through the year of exploring her life through a stay in Italy, India and Indonesia she was able to probe her psyche far deeper that most of us have ever done.   Her faith journey in the Eastern philosophies and religions are both intriguing and disturbing to me.   I admire the disciplines she acquired in her search for "God" and her place in the universe.   Much of her journey reminds me of the experiences of Job in the book of Job.    She was tested in many ways similar to Job and suffered all kinds of challenging advice from her friends.  She also supposedly lost all of her wealth in her divorce but since has received significant wealth with her book and movie successes.  It is a great story of the survival of a person through destructive events and coming through with a stronger faith and deeper understanding of life.

Perhaps this is the universal story for all of us.   We gain, we lose, and we are restored.   With the help of our Supreme Being, the hope is that we come out a better person with a deeper understanding of our role in this universe.   I think I'll try to keep remembering that it is not what happens to me that is so critical, but it is how well I deal with what happens to me.   And the story keeps unfolding.

Geezer Retirements - Part II

Gerry The Hard Working Farm Boy

Because I have commented on the reluctance of some faculty to retire probably it is necessary for me to explain the rational for my own early retirement.    I retired to have the freedom to do what I wanted to do on my own timetable.   However, one of the major underlying factors that prodded me to early retirement stems from my childhood.   Because I grew up on a farm during WWII, I was required to work on the farm at an early age.   By the time I went to school I already had chores for care of the animals.  From the time I was 9 years old I was required to work in the fields and orchards every day all day for 6 days a week when I wasn't in school.   As a result I never felt like I had the freedom of ball games, biking, and exploring that many other kids had. Therefore, my retirement is my second childhood.   I get to play on my terms.  I get to take the piano lessons that I missed as a child.  And as an avid skier, I get to ski every day of the season on my terms.   Since I am not a complete hedonist, I still have time for community, church and university volunteering which I also enjoy.

At lunch and coffee on Wednesday I explored retirement reasons with several of my colleagues.   The universal conclusion was that everyone has a unique history and story.  Therefore it is a highly individualistic decision influence by personal, professional, social, family and financial circumstances.  However, properly managed, retirement years can be extraordinarily satisfying.