Turning Points (c)
By
Michael Casey
I think Turning Points was the title for George W Bush's book, so this may turn up in a Google search next to his stuff. A turning point just arrives by accident, well this has been the case so often in my life. One such turning point was when I finished one job and had nothing lined up to follow.
My dad was the same age I am now, 56, I can remember him shaving in the kitchen sink and saying all would be well. It may have even been his 57th Birthday. I feel young at 56, in my head I'm 20, though my wife would say I'm 12, sadly my body would say I'm 95. A triple heart bypass does that to you.
Before the operation I was well, but could have just dropped down dead or had a major heart attack. So to save me I had to have the operation. So that has been a major turning point.
Back to when my dad was shaving in the kitchen sink, our bathroom was so cold after all, soon afterwards my eldest brother said "try computers" this was 1977/1978. So I applied for one job and I became a computer operator back in 1978, when I was still a teenager. This was when computers were as big as wardrobes, 37 years ago, and magtapes were still used, as well as punch cards.
I stayed with the same company for 21 years, it paid for my house, I only left when I was made redundant. It was mad and fun, 20 year olds with the keys to a building in central Birmingham, overlooking the Chinese Quarter and a few night clubs. This was before Birmingham's Broad Street was even thought of.
I can see the funny side now, I was overlooking the Chinese Quarter all those years, then finally I meet a Shanghai girl, we now have 2 bilingual daughters, that's them in the Profile pictures, the photos are a few years old.
If we rewind till when I was 8 or 10, 48 or 46 years ago it was around then that me and my brother inherited an old Bush Radio. This radio was a turning point as me and my brother propped it up in bed beside us and we listened to Radio Four. The World Tonight with Douglas Stewart Reporting followed by the Book at Bedtime. It was because I was exposed to all this "cultural" radio that my intellect improved.
I spent 20 years listening to radio, 10 to 20 hours a week. If you work shifts and have days off in the middle of the week what can you do? You listen to radio. Plays and News and Intelligent Conversation. Not Shock Jocks who are in love with themselves.
So when I started to write, in pencil on paper, I had 20 years of Radio listening to help me. It did take me a year to learn how to write but Radio helped me so much. Now its 28years later, I have 8 books on Amazon, I need readers and an agent, not to mention a publishing deal.
Google Plus, which I still don't understand might allow me to meet people who know people so that I'll get more exposure for my words. Then a publishing deal, and radio. But I'm not holding my breath.
You write because it’s part of you, only 0.01% make any money. That figure is probably even smaller. Turning point would be meeting that editor, stuck in a lift together so that, so he'd hear your Elevator Ad literally.
Moving on, kids are turning points, potty training and all that. Our neighbour is having a baby so it got me thinking back to when our girls were born. We have a kitten too, so that's similar to a baby, litter training and so on. You will have 2 or 3 dustbin bags full of nappies, I remember putting the rubbish out every week. It’s such a delight when your girls or boys know how to use a potty.
Our girls were quick, 2 years or so and they were potty trained. Some kids take 4 years before they are trained, compare this to a kitten, 2 weeks. Then the dustmen are so happy too as they don't have smelly sacks to take away. Before I forget, save all your plastic sacks that you get from your shopping, they are perfect for nappy disposal. If you are a cricket fan you can see how they throw the ball and the wicket keeper stumps out the batsman. Taking off a used nappy is a similar action, though with the nappy it is bagged and thrown outside.
So we have turning points in our lives, things that happen that change us, sometimes they are planned, though in my life I've tended to stumble over things. MH once said I was a happy stumbler, and maybe he was right.
I'd say it's always better to make plans, but life really does not have satnav, it’s how you react to things which makes the difference. If you are quick on your feet then you will survive and ultimately thrive.
By
Michael Casey
I think Turning Points was the title for George W Bush's book, so this may turn up in a Google search next to his stuff. A turning point just arrives by accident, well this has been the case so often in my life. One such turning point was when I finished one job and had nothing lined up to follow.
My dad was the same age I am now, 56, I can remember him shaving in the kitchen sink and saying all would be well. It may have even been his 57th Birthday. I feel young at 56, in my head I'm 20, though my wife would say I'm 12, sadly my body would say I'm 95. A triple heart bypass does that to you.
Before the operation I was well, but could have just dropped down dead or had a major heart attack. So to save me I had to have the operation. So that has been a major turning point.
Back to when my dad was shaving in the kitchen sink, our bathroom was so cold after all, soon afterwards my eldest brother said "try computers" this was 1977/1978. So I applied for one job and I became a computer operator back in 1978, when I was still a teenager. This was when computers were as big as wardrobes, 37 years ago, and magtapes were still used, as well as punch cards.
I stayed with the same company for 21 years, it paid for my house, I only left when I was made redundant. It was mad and fun, 20 year olds with the keys to a building in central Birmingham, overlooking the Chinese Quarter and a few night clubs. This was before Birmingham's Broad Street was even thought of.
I can see the funny side now, I was overlooking the Chinese Quarter all those years, then finally I meet a Shanghai girl, we now have 2 bilingual daughters, that's them in the Profile pictures, the photos are a few years old.
If we rewind till when I was 8 or 10, 48 or 46 years ago it was around then that me and my brother inherited an old Bush Radio. This radio was a turning point as me and my brother propped it up in bed beside us and we listened to Radio Four. The World Tonight with Douglas Stewart Reporting followed by the Book at Bedtime. It was because I was exposed to all this "cultural" radio that my intellect improved.
I spent 20 years listening to radio, 10 to 20 hours a week. If you work shifts and have days off in the middle of the week what can you do? You listen to radio. Plays and News and Intelligent Conversation. Not Shock Jocks who are in love with themselves.
So when I started to write, in pencil on paper, I had 20 years of Radio listening to help me. It did take me a year to learn how to write but Radio helped me so much. Now its 28years later, I have 8 books on Amazon, I need readers and an agent, not to mention a publishing deal.
Google Plus, which I still don't understand might allow me to meet people who know people so that I'll get more exposure for my words. Then a publishing deal, and radio. But I'm not holding my breath.
You write because it’s part of you, only 0.01% make any money. That figure is probably even smaller. Turning point would be meeting that editor, stuck in a lift together so that, so he'd hear your Elevator Ad literally.
Moving on, kids are turning points, potty training and all that. Our neighbour is having a baby so it got me thinking back to when our girls were born. We have a kitten too, so that's similar to a baby, litter training and so on. You will have 2 or 3 dustbin bags full of nappies, I remember putting the rubbish out every week. It’s such a delight when your girls or boys know how to use a potty.
Our girls were quick, 2 years or so and they were potty trained. Some kids take 4 years before they are trained, compare this to a kitten, 2 weeks. Then the dustmen are so happy too as they don't have smelly sacks to take away. Before I forget, save all your plastic sacks that you get from your shopping, they are perfect for nappy disposal. If you are a cricket fan you can see how they throw the ball and the wicket keeper stumps out the batsman. Taking off a used nappy is a similar action, though with the nappy it is bagged and thrown outside.
So we have turning points in our lives, things that happen that change us, sometimes they are planned, though in my life I've tended to stumble over things. MH once said I was a happy stumbler, and maybe he was right.
I'd say it's always better to make plans, but life really does not have satnav, it’s how you react to things which makes the difference. If you are quick on your feet then you will survive and ultimately thrive.
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