63 UP

[Jackflash]

I watched the ITV program 63 Up. where they collected a group of 7 year olds in 1963 and followed their lives to date, partially to discover if any of them realised their childhood dreams.
This made me wonder if any of our posters achieved or came close to achieving their boyhood dreams.??

 

[Borini]

To date I still haven't driven a steam train.

 

[CroJack]

I watched the ITV program 63 Up. where they collected a group of 7 year olds in 1963 and followed their lives to date, partially to discover if any of them realised their childhood dreams.
This made me wonder if any of our posters achieved or came close to achieving their boyhood dreams.??

Honestly, I've never had boyhood dreams. I have always been a fisherman like this one in the story written by Heinrich Böll:

"An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

'How long did it take you to catch them?' The American asked.

'Only a little while.' The Mexican replied.

'Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?' The American then asked.

'I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.' The Mexican said.

'But,: The American then asked, 'What do you do with the rest of your time?'

The Mexican fisherman said, 'I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.'

The American scoffed, 'I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.'

'Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.'

The Mexican fisherman asked, 'But senor, how long will this all take?'

To which the American replied, '15-20 years.'

'But what then, senor?'

The American laughed and said, 'That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.'

'Millions, senor? Then what?'

The American said slowly, 'Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…' "

 

[Jackflash]

To date I still haven't driven a steam train.

That was one of my early teenage wants, until I discovered my eyes weren't far enough apart to look through those two little round windows.

 

[Jackflash]

I think it's healthy for children to have asperations, otherwise we'd have no doctors, nurses, etc. providing they set their sights at a sensible level, I would think at present to a lot of boys, football is the get out of jail card, the early millionaire status.
Going back to the program, I was in my early 20's then, and on reflection opportunities are far more available now to possibly realise those dreams, then in 1963 my life was almost programmed for me, I'd just finished my apprenticeship at CEM Days garage.(Opposite the old hospital on St Helens Rd) anyone remember it. So I had my credentials as a mechanic. So that's what life was going to be, repairing cars.
Only then do real aspirations kick in. I have the knowledge that I have so it's now up to me to make it work to it's best advantages. It wasn't until 10 years later that I made that move, I moved to Pembrokeshire and it was there I opened a small garage, very hard work at first, getting established, plus the fact I was an intruder, but it worked and went on to greater things. My love of motorsport also played a big part in my life, and I had a lot of pleasure and rewards from it.