OT: Honest Question for the Old Farts

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

I have now been on this planet for 50 years. As I have approached this age the last few weeks it has caused some serious thinking on my part. I know I won't see 100 so I've already lived the majority of my life. Did that hit home for the rest of you when you realized that fact? I'm not sure I would characterize this as a midlife crisis as I have no desire to buy a sports car and go try to have an affair with somebody half my age. But it has gotten me to wondering have I made a difference. Have I done anything to make this world a better place than when I entered it? Have I done anything to cause anybody to remember when I'm nothing but a memory? I'm not sure that I have and that bothers me. I think we were all put on this planet to make a difference.

I know what I want to do to make a difference and that is that tower cam project my team is working on. I know if we can make that a reality it will end up saving lives. I have busted my *** for several months now trying to get it going and every time I think I make a step forward it always seems to end in another road block and it's frustrating as hell but I refuse to give up. This is not another post for me asking for donations for our non-profit. This is a post asking if any of you have any connections to somebody down in Jackson or with CSpire, tell them I would badly like to request 10 minutes of their time. If any of you have any experience in applying for grants let me know. If we can't get anything done legislatively, we will try to fund this privately through our non-profit by a hopeful combination of grants and corporate sponsorship with individual donations funding our smaller programs we're doing like our weather radio giveaway and disaster relief supplies.

I know lately I've bugged the hell out of everybody with my posts on this, and I hate doing it, but the events of March 24, 2023 changed me forever. Thinking back to what I saw that night still sometimes causes me to break down. I know there is nothing I can do to prevent tornadoes from happening and hitting communities. But I can try everything in my power to keep as many people safe when they do happen and try to help them recover after it's over. So if any of you have any kind of connections you'd be willing to use for the crazy storm chaser you've never met, I would be appreciative to levels beyond your comprehension. Sixpack and Elite came through unbelievably last year when I asked for medical supplies. Those now go out with me and another chaser every time we go out.

 

[leeinator]

I have now been on this planet for 50 years. As I have approached this age the last few weeks it has caused some serious thinking on my part. I know I won't see 100 so I've already lived the majority of my life. Did that hit home for the rest of you when you realized that fact? I'm not sure I would characterize this as a midlife crisis as I have no desire to buy a sports car and go try to have an affair with somebody half my age. But it has gotten me to wondering have I made a difference. Have I done anything to make this world a better place than when I entered it? Have I done anything to cause anybody to remember when I'm nothing but a memory? I'm not sure that I have and that bothers me. I think we were all put on this planet to make a difference.

I know what I want to do to make a difference and that is that tower cam project my team is working on. I know if we can make that a reality it will end up saving lives. I have busted my *** for several months now trying to get it going and every time I think I make a step forward it always seems to end in another road block and it's frustrating as hell but I refuse to give up. This is not another post for me asking for donations for our non-profit. This is a post asking if any of you have any connections to somebody down in Jackson or with CSpire, tell them I would badly like to request 10 minutes of their time. If any of you have any experience in applying for grants let me know. If we can't get anything done legislatively, we will try to fund this privately through our non-profit by a hopeful combination of grants and corporate sponsorship with individual donations funding our smaller programs we're doing like our weather radio giveaway and disaster relief supplies.

I know lately I've bugged the hell out of everybody with my posts on this, and I hate doing it, but the events of March 24, 2023 changed me forever. Thinking back to what I saw that night still sometimes causes me to break down. I know there is nothing I can do to prevent tornadoes from happening and hitting communities. But I can try everything in my power to keep as many people safe when they do happen and try to help them recover after it's over. So if any of you have any kind of connections you'd be willing to use for the crazy storm chaser you've never met, I would be appreciative to levels beyond your comprehension. Sixpack and Elite came through unbelievably last year when I asked for medical supplies. Those now go out with me and another chaser every time we go out.

This life is equivalent to One grain of sand. Eternal life after we pass on is equivalent to all the sand on all the beaches on this earth. Basically forever. We can choose to live in a really good place or a really bad place for that eternity. My recommendation to all is to pick up the "handbook of life" (The Bible), and find a good Bible believing church where one can have fellowship with other believers to study and learn about the Creator of this Earth and EVERYTHING in it. Do that and you'll find a peace and contentment that no horrific event can shake or cause doubt about the real truth. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I wouldn't have said this if it weren't true. This life on earth is a practice round of how we will spend our lives in eternity.

 

[dudehead]

… have I made a difference?

Let go of whether you have and keep following your bliss in your effort to make a difference.

 

[Bulldog45]

Yes, there was a point not too long ago where the fact that I have more behind me than in front hit me. And by hit I don’t mean was any sort of a shock, but just became a firm realization. And with that came a realization that while you can’t add back in terms of years, you can in fact add quality, so I have made a bit of a conscience effort to make an impact on the younger generation when opportunities arise and hopefully leave them with some non-material things of value.

edited to add I am in 100% with what leeinator said.

 

[thatsbaseball]

Child please . You're a good man and the fact that you're worried about it validates that but always remember the good that you do doesn't always come with lots of recognition and accolades. The fact is nobody will know about 99% of the good things you do in life but you and God. Get comfortable in your own skin, do what you think is right and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[msstatelp1]

Honestly most times you'll never know how much of a difference you made because it could have been a brief moment of kindness to someone that could push them to be better. Just remember that you do influence those around you and try to do it in a positive way.

One of my favorite sayings is "Everyone brightens a room, some when they enter, some when they leave.". Strive to be the former.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Child please . You're a good man and the fact that you're worried about it validates that but always remember the good that you do doesn't always come with lots of recognition and accolades. The fact is nobody will know about 99% of the good things you do in life but you and God. Get comfortable in your own skin, do what you think is right and the rest will take care of itself.

Oh I don't give a rip about accolades. If/when we make this happen I don't care if my name ever gets mentioned.

 

[GloryDawg]

I am a Marine. I served and I went to war.
I have been married for 33 years with two kids.
I saw the Saints Win a Super Bowl.
I lived to see Miss State win a NC.

I am good with my life.

 

[Pilgrimdawg]

I will turn 70 in a few short months so I have some of these thoughts pretty often now. I have a pretty simple view of things. When I look in the mirror I can say that I was a good Dad to my kids and a good husband to my wife. I did everything I was supposed to do in my parents final years on earth. In the working world I treated people honestly and respectfully. The rest of it really doesn’t matter. I sleep well at night.

as many of you have figured out, I am very passionate about my outdoor hunting and fishing activities. Every year on the opening morning of deer season I sit in a tree somewhere and be thankful for all of the years I have spent in the woods and wonder about how many more opening days I have left. I did a horse back elk hunt in the Teton Wilderness in 22. On the long ride out of the mountains I knew that I had reached the age where that was my last wilderness horse back hunt. Just too old to physically handle it any more. That realization made me want to just stop and throw up. It is one of life’s greatest experiences and it hurt to realize that it was over, but that’s part of life. As Jack Cristil once said it’s in the fourth quarter and I am just hoping for overtime. No matter how long it last it has been what Captain Augustus McCrae said in “Lonesome Dove” just before he died, “it’s been quite a party”. I am at peace with everything and content to just try to enjoy whatever time I have left here on planet Earth. If you have deeds from your past that you are not comfortable with, make peace with your deeds and make peace with those you may have wronged. Saying that I am sorry is not that hard when you know that it is the right thing to do. As we get older this stuff just slaps you in the face occasionally. I think it’s healthy to have these thoughts and then try to use them to make yourself a better, happier person.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Don't sweat the petty stuff—don't pet the sweaty stuff. I had my midlife crisis much earlier in life when I was divorced and younger. It doesn't bother me to get old. I've done a lot, and I'm happy with what I've done and my overall happiness. I've done some fun things, and I still have more to do.

Please don't get sidetracked in your project. It's worth it. If you need a speech, give me a holler. You be feeling something about last year's March 4-24 Tornado similar to what I did on the Smithville Tornado anniversary.

 

[Mobile Bay]

I am 46. Just recently buried my momma. Buried dad a long time ago. Never married, no kids. Never had a relationship last more than a year or so. I never made a career move except out of desperation or fear. I don't like what I do. I don't really even like the field I am in.

I have only checked one thing of my bucket list so far. Number 2 coming up in May when I go fishing in Alaska. If I don't get busy on some of this, I never will get it done. After I clear up mom's estate, I will be heading south to Pensacola because Montgomery sucks and is getting worse.