I miss the Old Timers

[wewacountryboy]

The older I get, the more I find myself missing the elders in my life that have passed on. I was looking at some of my past conversations and noticed that quite a few have not been on in years. I sure do miss Tom's post and his wonderful advice. I noticed that Thiggy has not been on in years. He was such a nice man. I bought my first mill from him. In today's generation, you just don't find people with the work ethic, knowledge and respect as you use to.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I've lost old timers all my life,  I guess.... but never thought much about it until I started a timeline.

My timeline was the day I got my mill.....boy did my mill draw in the old timers watching me saw logs and the stories the old timers told of circles mills.

In 7 years I have lost about 6 or 7 of those old timers due to their timeline.
I sure miss them.

[Grizzly]

As I've lost old timers in my life I've also had to realize that I am becoming someone elses old timer. Those values and morals and ethics we were taught need to be passed on. But I sure miss being able to run an idea past a friend/mentor with wisdom. Maybe I value them so strong because I've been without Dad for a long time.

[starmac]

Even when I was still in school, the people I hung out with were generally anywhere from 10 to 20 years older than I was, there is not a lot of them left.

[Ed]

Even when I was still in school, the people I hung out with were generally anywhere from 10 to 20 years older than I was, there is not a lot of them left.

Same here, almost all of my friends are older.

Burying your friends hurts.

Ed

[Peter Drouin]

I miss them too. But now I'm the old one, And none of the young care about  the old ways or even a new way to do things.

[thecfarm]

I miss the Old Timers too. My Father waited until he was 40 to have me. I knew alot of old timers.  ;D Those friends of his are gone.
Kinda odd to have an Old Timer come into the store and say,I know you won't know what I am talking about,but I am looking for a ............  ;D I say,yep,we have that,follow me. Comes in handy to have a Father that was born in 1923.  ;D

[Chuck White]

Yup, it really tugs at the heart!

Way back when my boys were small, quite often I'd say to them "respect your elders, they're the only ones you'll ever have"!

[Magicman]

I got a surprise phone call last night from the only other living male that I went the full 12 years of school with.  It's just the two of us left and we talk several times during the year.  We always joke about who will miss remembering the Birthday Call.  (It's my turn next)  I checked my phone after we hung us and we had talked for 58 minutes.   

[WV Sawmiller]

   I well know the feeling. I grew up with an old mentor my grandfather's age. He taught me how to catfish, trap quail, and skin a squirrel the easy way. He sometimes built boats and I regret I never got him to build me one later in life. It would have been a project we could have done together. Every time I tie a string on something using the special knot he taught me to put out a bushhook I think about him. My biggest regret is my son never got to know and spend time with him.

   My son did link up with an old retired railroad worker who bought the place across from us and used to go sit with him and help him with his cattle or projects around the place. I always understood the feelings between the two. We bought our mule and had a set of harness made and had to go get the old man come over and help us put it together and on the mule (not that I ever got him to work with it but that is another story). My son's national guard unit got activated and sent to Iraq and I think my old neighbor worried more about him than we did and nobody was happier to see him return safely.

[petefrom bearswamp]

I R the old timer in my circle of pals
they are all 15 yrs plus younger.
Old timers my age dont do the stuff I do.

[Magicman]

Old timers my age dont do the stuff I do.

Now I like that.   

[Bruno of NH]

I'm glad I found this forum
I now have many older mentors I look up to on this place
I had lost most of my older friends and family and it started to realy bother me.
But now I know I have some folks to run things by when needed:)
Thanks Bruno/Jim

[samandothers]

Like thecfarm and others mention most of the old timers in my life were friends of dads.  He was born in 1920 and he and his friends are gone. Miss them and learn things from them. Do wish I'd paid more attention and retained more.

[Texas Ranger]

We are the old timers, now.  Sure don't know how I got here.

[sandhills]

Maybe because you listened to them TR  ;).  I've lost a lot of good ones as well, don't imagine I'll ever live up to them but still an honor to have known them.  I look at all my neighbor's kids and I suppose I'm well on my way to being the "old timer" in their eyes, I'm probably 15 years older than their parents, hopefully someday they'll think back and remember time when.....

[51cub]

I often think how I should have paid more attention when the old timers talked. I had friends my own age, but still enjoyed listening to my fathers friends more. I guess at a young age I didn't understand how perishable their knowledge and stories were. Now I've been working at the same place since before some of my coworkers were born

[coxy]

I wish I would have paid more attention to the older folks then  now that I'm getting older I want to know more about the things that went on around my county walking through the woods and find an old foundation and sit and wonder what was there and who lived there there is only 2 guys old enough to know about them but if they said it was snowing you better look out the window dad use to say they are as full of crap as a Christmas goose  ;D

[woodmills1]

I have a few that I miss, mom and dad included.  I also see quite a few of the younger ones who don't seem to have it.  But, one of the jobs I finished yesterday was for a company called gate city fence in Nashua, NH.  I have been cutting oak horse fence for them since probably 97 or so.  I watched the first generation make room for their sons and daughters, who worked hard and grew the company, and now am seeing the third generation  work hard and keep the business growing.  So, there are some good stories out there.

[paul case]

We are the old timers, now.  Sure don't know how I got here.

I may not have age that you do but I have passed you in oldness...... I dont know how I got here and I cant remember what I was looking for. :D :D :D ;D

PC

[petefrom bearswamp]

Texas Ranger,
I second your thought
Life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The nearer you get to the end the faster it goes.

[paul case]

Texas Ranger,
I second your thought
Life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The nearer you get to the end the faster it goes.

The best part about getting over the hill is you pick up speed without pedaling.


PC

[WV Sawmiller]

   My wife's 93 y/o snowbird Aunt C just left. Stopped off here last night on her way from Ohio to Fla for the winter. She had a rough summer and said she was in the hospital for some procedures and they put a catheter in her and had it hooked up to a big hose to drain. She was in the hospital bed and the hose was running between her legs and made a bulge under the sheet. A young nurse came in and was talking to her and saw the hose bulge and patted it and asked "What's this?" Aunt C said it just came to her and she replied "Didn't they tell you I came in for a sex change operation?"

   She said the nurse turned several shades of red and left the room. I guess wasn't what she was expecting from a 93 y/o woman. You have to be real careful with these old timers who have a sense of humor. :D

[maple flats]

I remember when...... I guess I forgot already. Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.

[tree-farmer]

Wife says I've been an old geezer for years , but I've finally aged enough to wear it well.
I tell the 30 somthings I work with, "youth and enthusiasm is no match for old age and treachery"  ;D