TBT…

Or how you KNOW you’re old…

Sigh…

On the road for a couple of days, happen to be in a meeting with a couple of old friends, as we’re chatting, and old fart (White hair, white moustache), comes up and asked if I remembered him. I ‘kinda’ recognized him, it finally came to me that we’d worked together 25 years ago…

And then he reminded me that I’d been his instructor 36 years ago…

So the conversation continues, and finally the ‘young’ guy in the group asked plaintively, when what we were talking about happened…

We all thought for a minute and came up with the Early 80’s. The young guy said, well no wonder, I was ONLY 7 years old…

Sheesh… It’s time to retire. Actually all three of us old farts in the initial conversation ARE retiring in the next year. I’m not sure who will replace us, and we kinda agreed that it really won’t be our problem. They’ve rode us hard and put us up wet for many years…

Good luck to them finding suckers that will put up with what we did…

I’m gonna go get a beer.

Comments

TBT… — 16 Comments

  1. Do tell. I used to tell war stories. Now I teach history.

  2. Based on experience at an advanced bureaucracy with massively bloated staffing levels to ensure constant funding, they will replace each of you with six more a-piece, in order to keep the budget expanding and the managers’ empires growing.

  3. Early 80s….I wasn’t born yet, my older sister was born in 84.

    If it makes you feel any better, the guy who was my platoon sergeant when I was a 2nd Lt had been in Gulf War I with Pops and his wife taught me high school geometry.

  4. ‘Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt, wore it out, threw it in the rag pile, cut it up for gun cleaning “borepatches.”
    You know you’re and old:
    Aviator, Pilot, Sailor, Skydiver, etc, (When) Pick one and start writin’!!
    Old Skydiver when:
    1. You made your first jump on an old 1951 “Fashion Frocks” (mfgr) 28′ “C-9” Orange and white (candy Stripe) Canopy with a “Double L” Mod cut in it.
    2. You bought the bought the B-4 Rig with that chute in it at the local Army Surplus store for $10.00.
    2a. You and your instructor cut the mod in the canopy and taped the edges with his wife’s sewing machine!!
    3. Your Instructor only had 5 more jumps than you!!
    4. …….Next!
    Play on Gypsey’s, Play on!!

    BSBD,
    III%,
    skybill-out

  5. Haha!Sorry. Had to laugh…only because I am younger than you. (rubbing salt in your wounds). I need a beer, too.

  6. Hey Old NFO;

    I keep thinking that I am a young whippersnapper then I keep running into people that are much younger than I am. i am fortunate, where I work at..we all are close to the same age…so it ain’t apparent. until I talk to people that are much younger..then the age gap is apparent.

  7. Oh, man, how I know the feeling!

    One more to add to the list….

    Younger people come up to and ask “What was it like back when….”.

  8. RHT- So you’re STILL telling war stories… 🙂 Just with books to back them up! Good on ya sir!

    NC- Probably…

    SPE- Shaddap… 🙂 And that IS funny! I’m betting your folks knew as SOON as you pulled something…

    Skybill- OH yeah!!! 😀

    Fargo- Thank you… thank you… 😛

    Paw- My back is giving out. That’s the big driver for me.

    Dammit- Heh, you’re probably right.

    Bob- Yeah, there IS a difference isn’t there!

    Ed- Congrats! You’re one of the few!!!

  9. Life is too damned short to work yourself to death anyway.

  10. In the early 80s I’d been in and out of the Army, on my second wife, and my third career.

    And the fun was just beginning…

  11. I was explaining to a young guy the other day that old Caterpillars had a small gas engine that started the main diesel engine. And that you had to use a CRANK to start the pony motor.

    And that I started running equipment 50(!) years ago……

  12. Walked into a government office as a new hire and was greeted by a CW4 who thanked me for being his instructor at AIT. He retired from the Army a month later.

  13. Heath- Yeah… true!

    Tim- LOL, yeah life experience!

    Rick R- Heh, interesting! You’re an old fart too!

    Kirk- Yep, interesting how that works out sometimes…