Old Money.

So yesterday I awoke early (as usual) to have a lazy day, I had some breakfast, played some music (actually played tons of music)I read some emails and then decided to see how the great unwashed were doing, imagine my surprise when I clicked on Farcebook to see a number of birthday greetings……for me …WTF, I’m not against people enjoying their birthdays, it’s just that I don’t celebrate the day, if I am at work I always take the day off so I don’t growl at people wishing the best wishes for the day, since the age of eight I have probably celebrated it maybe five times, its complicated but for good reason, not that it happens often, as its meant to be a closely guarded secret, if you know, you are supposed to sign the official secrets act, the penalty is instant death for the well-wishers, Farcebook strikes again, I will have to double check my settings (again) to be honest I wasn’t too bothered and after reading the messages from all of the lovely people,actually made me happy……ish. So, I will let you all off this time, any more of these shenanigans and there will be some severe punishment for all of the repeat offenders.

So its official I can be classed as “Old Money” and yes the name game is in play, what has come to mind is how tired and wiped out that my body feels like, my knees are shot, I have a hip that’s playing up, and generally my diabetes is still kicking my arse on a daily basis, not to mention the gut and arse issue that has been plaguing me for over seven years and then the aches and pains from my fall earlier in the year not to mention the other falls that I have had in the last eight weeks, damn I must be old as I keep falling over, it’s not all assassination attempts by the wife and family, as I was contemplating my naval yesterday I realised that I had been working in some way or another for nearly 50 years (damn I feel so old).

My father left the family home when I was seven nearly eight, my brother three years older than me got a paper round and gave all the money to our mother to help out the household, not that she wanted to take it, as he proved his worth he took over more of the rounds and made more and helped more, aware that I was a drain I went to the same shop and asked for a paper round, Alan Wilkinson took pity on me and said no, but if I was interested I could help the ladies in the shop humping and dumping, little tasks that I got 50 pence for the Saturday he soon realised that me and my brother were good workers, we went from there, I was soon organizing the cellar storeroom to be honest it was a tiny space and I loved it I sorted out all of the stock, doing it by Best before dates, even by the age of the ten I was organized, as I got to eleven I started doing afternoon papers, again doing more than one round, I know my mother hated taking money from her children, but we had to help, there was very little help for single mothers in that day and age,.

My brother and I soon cornered the market for all of the Sunday papers in our village and then helping a family friend with minor building works, small demolition works and the such like, we were  quite industrious, maybe it also caused me to have a small (cough splutter) chip on my shoulder that I didn’t notice at the time, but looking back, damn I was so annoying, I discovered music and girls and so the shop  work and paper rounds came to a crashing finish, me petulant, damn right I was, I figured I was been taking for a mug, in reality I wasn’t I was simply approaching burn out and something had to give and it wasn’t going to be either music or the girls! So, I then left school on the Thursday and went in the army on the Friday, I had my placement from the age of thirteen (I was keen) well that went belly up, they got me a job with a local firm which didn’t last more than a couple of months as they really were taking the piss, I got a great job with the National Coal Board in their Forestry department, which I loved but again shenanigans ended that job, nothing to do with me, simply budgets and skull doggery on the managers part, he simply wasn’t honest, I wish he had been as I prefer that, it’s a theme that runs through my life, funny that!

I then did a number of jobs some declared, some not, and in-between I started my short but illustrious career as a songwriter, well ok lyricist, well ok wordsmith at a push, but I had some fun made some money, saw tons of bands and generally was in a better place than I realised, considering all of the shit that had gone on before, I then met my first wife and I got a job working with my future father in law who was gobsmacked when I told him I had taken a significant pay cut to work with him, that shut him up, and then the “plagiarism” raised its ugly head, I was twenty one and dumb I have told the story before so won’t rehash the story, go find it in the old blogs, I soon had no income and had bought a house, so I jumped at the first job I could, I was there for 35 years and went from being a grunt at the very bottom to nearly making it to the top of the tree(well top five and then I hit the glass ceiling). I also had some part time work if there was no overtime, and I roadied for a couple of local bands, mates and the such like, at my main place of employment I worked hard over seventy hours a week, again I have told the tale, read the old blogs, I simply wanted to do my best, I was then discarded as I was costly, they got rid of all the old timers as our T&C’s were too good for the administrators, cue panic, three interviews later I got a new job and I know simply go with the flow, I don’t love it like my last job but that’s the way life goes, as always the world keeps spinning.

So, now I have been in my new position for nearly two years, I realise that my body probably wont last into retirement , that is the main reason I simply do my hours and no more, well that and the fact that the wife isn’t too well, her mother is in a worse condition and the grandson has issues, there is only so much I can do to help, I wish I could do more but those days are done, I really am old money, at least my mental health is a damn sight better than it was, I miss my friends and yesterday made me realise I actually do have friends, I don’t ride the wings of solitude, I probably don’t help myself as I am terrible at keeping in touch, I feel as though I will just be a burden, people have enough issues without my (perceived) issues being added to them, as I alluded to earlier in this blog we have some issues ongoing so its best that we keep to ourselves, it wont last forever, but family must come first.

As a treat for my special day me and the wife were going to go to a record fair, however it got cancelled for the bloody world cup, I have no idea when it will be rescheduled, more than likely we will be in our own insular bubble, as it happens we did some food shopping, did a care visit to the mother in law, then came home and chilled, more music, some tv and a late night, we climbed the wooden hill, as usual I was asleep before the wife even got sorted out, and as usual I was up with the larks yet again, I think the longest night sleep I have had this year is about seven hours as I usually average between four and a half to five hours , even when I am not at work, I tend to keep the wife company as she is a night owl and suffers with sleeplessness, anyway this isn’t me bitching this is simply my observations from an unusual weekend, a friends band was playing and we really wanted to go and see them but as always family has to come first as we have the grandson staying with us.

So, the world keeps turning, we are alive and well and I have partaken in my fifty eighth journey around the sun, who knows I might even celebrate the next one, it was a lovely warm feeling for so many people to take time out of their busy days to wish me the original grumpster a hiccy burpday, thank you one and all, I don’t think I will get another 58, but here’s hoping though, and there you have it a slight detour from the blog I was thinking about, well only slightly, so watch the skies for incoming, keep spreading the disease numbers are consistent so we are doing something right, until the next time, stay safe and stay alive, until then Toodles!