Mr Opinion, did you miss I went back & finished at my own expense.

Not your type of engineer individual, I was lucky enough to get involved in the plastic industry in the 60s. We were still only coming to understand what we had, & what they could do.

It was an incredibly exciting time, as we learned what wonderful new products we could make using the properties of the different materials.

We could pump out electronic components for cents, that had cost tens of dollars previously. Our new components were a number of orders of magnitude smaller & lighter, enabling so much development of products. The old heavy easily broken phone became strong & light, as did so many things.

Much of what we did was hidden, componentry in larger products, only possible because of light strong dimensionally accurate plastics. Very little of todays world could exist, without the development we started in the 60s.

Then of course I read Chichester's book, Along the Clipper Way. Big mistake. As soon as I had put a few thousand together, I bought an old yacht, & sailed off to see all the wondrous things & places in that book. Never did get back to the real world, thank god.

Dear Belly,

What an uplifting discussion.

So good to get away from the usual political stuff.

It's wonderful to read about people's lives and
experiences. Actually brings a lump to my
throat.

I remember how hard it hit me when my dad died suddenly
of a massive coronary at the age of 52 in Sydney.
We were overseas at the time and I wasn't able to make
it home in time for his funeral. I was devastated and as
always put my feelings down in writing:

"The pain we feel for familiar things
That all too often in a flash bring back
glimpses of days past.
And then I remember him.
But with difficulty for he has not been gone long

The memory is clear and always sweet
The grey at his temples
That turned white so quickly people said

His joy at his privacy
Able to forget briefly his daily bread

Giving
Above all else I remember the giving
The smile, the talk, the laugh
Are all things that linger with moments shared
now rembered

But the giving will be his epitaph
Give and you shall receive
Words etched in sweat on my father's grave
His legacy lives on.

Dear Hasbeen,

So what are you telling us, that you're just an engineer?

So what are you telling us, that you're just an engineer?
Mr Opinion,
What he's telling us is that he is an Engineer who designs things that are of use to the rest of us. Unlike social engineers who keep throwing spanners into the works ;-)

Thanks Foxy, my much loved dad died at age 54 and at a time the family had just returned from Queensland after failing a new start project, [we failed because only some could find work in rural town]
Hard times and it had impact on the rest of my life as I took his role
Hasbeen not sure if engineers are trained in management maybe you can tell me
But in at least the roads in my state 80 percent of and engineers job was management
Now maybe many just never had greatness in them, but they more often than not failed in that area
Honest true story, *I team leader/union delegate, asked our headman, on behalf of the whole crew, to sack a drunk*! who was drunk all day everyday, AND to do the same with a drugo [same story]
He informed me UNION DELEGATE he could not, as the union would be on his back
35 years ago things got better when workers got to sit down and talk with the boss

Dear Belly,

We have a great deal in common.

I also had to step in caring for the family and helping
out after dad died. And later caring for my mum as
you know. It's only been a short time she passed away.

Still I think it's made us who we are today. And I count
my blessings as I'm sure you do too.

I respect you so much.