Dear Mr Opinion,

I have more than one degree.

I'd prefer not to elaborate on this forum
for obvious reasons.

As for my writing? I've been doing that from
a very young age. I specialise in children's
stories.

Dear Foxy,

Similar. I have three Arts degrees, each in a different field, two at postgrad level. I also have a vocational degree which I did in order to have a livelihood. I have never had an interest in being in academia but love being a scholar; planning to do another degree in humanities.

Back to the thread. I remember my first Guy Fawkes cracker night in Townsville, in probably 1947. Crackers & sky rockets, now gun powder was available again. Interesting isn't it, that we can't be trusted with such dangerous stuff today.

I remember my first air rifle, at 10, & my first 22 at 12. Again we are no longer mature enough to own such dangerous stuff.

I remember living at Bathurst in a dirt floor tin unlined tin shed, while dad built our house when ever he could get materials, so short in supply after the war.

I remember getting our first post war car, a 1928 Chev in about 1949. Even if you could afford one, cars were still in short supply.

I remember playing football in the snow at Millthorpe in about 1950. More than half the kids were barefoot.

I remember a dozen or so every night, standing outside the appliance store in Randwick, in about 1958, watching the TV the owner left running in the window for those who couldn't afford one. They were about a months salary for most back then.

I remember winning my General motors scholarship to study Engineering at Sydney Uni. It was that or a teachers scholarship to get to uni for most of us.

I remember after 3 years of trying to live on 7 pounds a week alone in Sydney, I chucked it in, joined the navy & learned to fly. God it was great to eat regularly, & I remember the first time I landed on an aircraft carrier was even better.

I also remember having to fund myself, the last year of my BSC, after I left the navy. No HEX back then.

Yes some of it was tough, but I wouldn't want to change a thing, it was great, & the same for everyone.

Foxy Loudmouth Hasbeen, well done, truth is of value so I am going to put that younger me down
I hated School, my brain did not get going till after, leaving home to work saw me hooked on learning to read and still hooked
But that young country kid learned so very much, from new Australians
Italians took me under their arms and I learned more from them than ever at school
My dad, a hardworking man of his time, was just a bit racist,asking brand new arrivals to speak English
I asked him could he speak Greek, not a happy memory
Do we men remember how we desperately wanted to be old enough to wear long pants?
This winter morning as is true of most days, I wear the shorts because I do not like long pants
I do thank that young kid, his interest in reading made me today's man,he even then, wanted to be the best worker his boss had, and still thinks that is worth doing in everything

Dear Hasbeen,

The smartest thing I've heard you say to date is that you dropped out on an engineering degree. I wish I could say the same!

Just the mention of engineers makes my appetite disappear. Don't get me wrong I do fully appreciate a true, competent, not-up-him/herself engineer but the gits they let lose on the unsuspecting public is nothing short of scary. I'm certain that incompetence has literally become a prerequisite for passing the tests !
Many times it was the designing engineer who relied on us crap-kickers to make their designs work. I was convinced that they thought that water runs uphill ! My favourite (not) engineer specialised in complexity because he would design a breadknife with wheels & a bull bar were he asked to design a bread knife !