DT's update

Some weeks ago, after an illness, my Grandad passed away.

The funeral was on Friday, my Dad stepped aside from the coffin when taking Grandad out from the church service to the place of rest, I was one of those pushing Grandad out the church. Lots of family politics and history that all disappeared for a few hours as the family actually felt like family. I was so stressed out though about there being an argument I’m not really sure I was all there on the day. I had jobs to do, things to arrange and it felt odd.

Then we got home on Saturday (day after), stuck on a random Spotify playlist and the song Grandad chose (although a different artist) “Old Shep” came on. Everything hit home then, I’ve not slept properly since. Grandad chose the Elvis version, the Jonny Cash version came on Spotify :smiley:

The oddest thing I’ve ever been asked to do - the memorial service was recorded, I had my camera pointing at the church cross and saints on the wall to not capture faces but record the service for friends of the family in America. The evening was fun, sat outside with a burny bin, few beers and memories flooding back. You really don’t know what you’ve got until it has gone, I didn’t realise until we got home, far too busy making sure my Dad was coping and so was personally hiding under that.

So, why I’ve not been here much - there a some points in life that make you stop, take stock and make plans for what’s next. Business is good, family are all in good health, but what is it I really want. I provide so much and have ticked off all items you could have said were on my “bucket list” at 25 years old. Time for a new list :slight_smile:

I can feel it, a few more tough days, I know I shouldn’t beat myself up - but when you sit listening to people taking about people who have left, the brain plays odd tricks. I met and started talking to relatives I simply lost touch with but spent most of your childhood with. In truth, I probably won’t speak to them again until … well you know :frowning:

TPR was a much larger part of life than it is now, I’ve looked after the site for a few years now, in tech terms more than “mod” terms. Crunching numbers doesn’t quite have the same appeal as it once did. The site isn’t any trouble now, but that’s because there about a dozen hardcore non-Facebook users still here :lol:

Perhaps the geeks event in London next weekend will be the turning point, people at these events still, after all these years know me as DT :smiley:

There’s no ask in this post, it’s just helped me typing it - TPR is still part of the family.

DT.

Thanks for sharing DT. Blessings to you and your whole family! You are a great and special M8 and from the across the Pond buddies we say keep that head down - full speed ahead!

I know how you feel DT. It was the same when my mum passed away. Family is important and I know there are rifts, but at times like this, it’s important that people get together and rebuild bridges. It takes a while as you are still in a shocked state and at some time in the near future you will have a moment of clarity when everything that has passed will come to the fore and you will see things that you missed, words that you wished you’d said and people who you wished you’d…just talked to. You will be sad and there will be an upwelling of emotion that you will find hard to control, but you must let it out. It is important that you do.

You can’t go back but at least you can make peace with yourself and others. Thanks for sharing.

Sorry to hear about your loss DT… Condolences to you and your family.

I know exactly what you mean about family politics and rifts, I have experienced it myself with my dads side of the family. Also, my brother had a falling out with me a couple of years ago but he has since made peace.

Both my parents are now in their 80’s and as I am the only living relative living close by the responsibility for sorting things out when the time comes will be down to me, something I am dreading.

My condolences DT. It’s kind of a shame that it takes something like this to remind us of what’s important in life, but it sounds like you came out of it with your head on straight and a renewed sense of where family matters. I should take from your example and call my family a little more often. I’m glad you shared with us, and I hope it helped to talk about it with your friends here.

Just found out today my brother is awaiting test results for prostrate cancer… :xfinger:

Furtling around the net, after pleasant dinner celebrating my older sister’s 62nd, I find myself here in the Cantina :wave:
Staggering to see a Mojo’s thread in the list of new posts.

Condolences to you DT but good to hear that life’s rich pattern is generally unfolding to plan.
Nice to see Step, Droid, Fiend, Egad, et al still around. - and count me in on the non facebook users. Hope your bro’s tests come out clear Fiend.

Me - well thinking about slowing down now with less aggressive objectives and, together with Fran, starting to plan the end game. Sadly, Fran’s dad died last year, we’re rentinig out his house which will be useful income when I stop work.
I just need to finish our house :wink: , sell it and move into something a bit smaller before retiring.
Still taking the MGF on Track half a dozen times a year and enjoying scuba hols. We’re also now back doing some sailing - all be it in a racing dinghy that, frankly, we’re a bit too inflexible to manage in stronger winds. Still, we’re back on the water in preparation for bu99ering off across the atlantic (in something a bit bigger :lol:) when all the plans come together.

I’m pleased with our son Chris’ progress. He is now fully launched at 31, married to Shell (a marine biologist would you believe :chuckle:), BEng, MEng, a Chartered Engineer, a European Engineer and going for Chartered Manager at the end of this year. He is working as the Engineering Manager with a staff of 40 odd for a key design supplier to RR Aero Engines. Still based in Poole but has just bought a second home in Derby to live in during the week. I’m not sure that it’s doing his marriage that much good but confident that they’ll come through it fine.
He’s given up diving; suffered a pretty serious anomalous IPE (immersion pulmonary edema) whilst rebreather diving in Oban. Fortunately he was with the right people (his old Uni BSAC dive club) and got good immediate treatment and support in the boat with ambulance waiting at the dock. Whilst now pronounced fit to dive, the indecent was inexplicable and therefore there’s no assurance it wont happen again. He unfortunately hasn’t found the confidence to get back into the water, even to instruct in the pool, and has recently made the tough decision to sell all his kit.

So what news from all of you.

Tim.