more pos...#11

more pos..#11                                

                                                       

  When I think of retired folks, I am inclined to defer to those pretty much like myself....people who worked for decades and stepped down at their discretion.  

   I haven't dwelled on those with disabilities and sometimes overlook those who retired out of necessity.

  John Wells, 77, is a Vietnam Veteran who has had his share of health issues all related to his time in the service.

  I have Parkinson's Disease, he told me.  It is associated with Camp Lejeune when I was going through school down there for field medical training.  Then, I spent a year in Vietnam and was in contact with Agent Orange.  

  Are you physically limited as to what you can do?

  Well, it is very difficult to do almost anything, he stated.  It's a challenge, let's put it that way, but, it is what it is..  

  What kind of work did you do when you got out of the military?

  I traveled around Kentucky and some in Tennessee installing stadium bleachers at high schools and colleges, he answered.  I did that for 40 years.  I did some construction along the way too.

  Did Parkinson's affect your work?

  At first, it didn't bother me, but, as I aged, I was somewhat limited, let's put it that way, he responded.  Certain things I couldn't do, but, I was always with someone who could help me.  

  What branch of the service did you serve?

  I was in the navy and they sent me to the Great Lakes and then Camp LeJeune, he recalled.  I went into the navy in '66 and got out four years later. 

  You must have gone in right out of high school.

  I did, he affirmed, about a week after I graduated.  I had it planned my senior year and told my dad.  He was good with it.

  What is something you would like to do?  Do you have anything special?

  I would like to go fishing in Minnesota one more time, he smiled.  My dad started going up there in 1937 and I used to go with him all the time.  My kids love to go, but, they are all busy with whatnot and can't seem to find the time.  

  What is so special about going up there?

  I love waking up to the sound of the loons and the overall peace on a lake, he said wistfully.  There's just nothing like it.

  John, I hope you make it to Minnesota and have many good days ahead.

  Thanks, that's a nice thought, he replied.

   Ed Hacker retired from his career in a normal fashion.  Regina and I met him while riding a Maker's Mark Distillery tour bus in Loretto, Kentucky. 

  I retired from the Kentucky State Troopers in 1993, he said. That was a lifetime ago. 

  You must have been young.  That was over 30 years ago.

  I was young, he agreed.  I put in my 20 and got out. 

  What has kept you busy since then?

  Well, I had a couple odd jobs for several years and then I spent 10 years with an insurance company in the fraud unit, he proclaimed.

  And now, you drive a tour bus for Maker's Mark Distillery.

  Yes, he allowed.  Pointing to his head, he added:  I look at it like if you don't use it, you lose it.  I never want to sit around and do nothing until the time comes I don't have a choice.

  Do you enjoy your job? 

  Yes, he shook his head. It's fun and I have met people from all over the world. It's really amazing who I have met including some celebrities.  Also, there isn't any pressure.  There are five of us who drive and we cover for each other.  I work three days a week and it is perfect for me.

  Do you have a significant other in your life?

  I do, he smiled.  I have a wife and four grown kids and 11 grandchildren.   

  What do you do for entertainment?  Do you and your bride travel?

  Not really, he said.  We put in an in-ground pool and they all come over and swim and we cook out a lot.  My wife and I love being with our family.

  What is something you would like to do?  Something that might be a challenge.

  I want to jump out of an airplane, he professed.  It is something I have always wanted to do and just haven't done it yet.

  Why haven't you?

  Well, if I do it, then I won't have it to look forward to.

  I see your point.  Thanks for talking to me, Ed.

  Anytime.

  Coming up:  an oddities, observations, & ?'s; more POS (People Over Sixty); a conversation with a retired UPS pilot, and; another job$ somebody's gotta do.

  And, finally.  Talk about an engineering feat!  A 672 ton church is being moved in a small town in Sweden.  The church, called, Kiruna Kyrka, was built in 1912 for the Lutheran community of Kiruna.  The move was necessary to prevent the church from falling into a sinkhole.

   In a world of AI, this one is all about wheels, gears, and man's ingenuity.  Over 260 wheels are underneath the building as it moves 0.02 miles per hour down the road.

  How is that even possible?

  HUH?  What's up with that?