People and Patience

Donnie,

When was the last time you did you, as the kids say? A time out, a chance to take a breath, to actually relax undisturbed doing whatever pleases you
and doesnt get you carted off by Johnnie Lawman. From your earlier post you seem like a man who is just overwhelmed and overstressed. We all need
a few moments peace in our lives now and then, I usually get mine having a small fire in the backyard. I sit and watch the flames dance and contemplate,
reflect, and dream a little bit. Sometimes a few glasses of Absethe is involved but usually just coffee. There is nothing wrong with you, it's just part of
the human condition.
 
When I was forced to telework at home, I moved into my RV to set up a separate office out of the house.

I went out in the AM to work, wife brought me lunch and I came back into the house in the evening when work was done.

It helped me keep home and work separate and peaceful.

And surfed the SoS forums in spare time like I still do now at work on breaks.
 

I used to go hiking a lot - I am going to start doing that again. Got a big trip planned to Colorado - so maybe that will get me a reset.

It's those changes in latitudes,
changes in attitudes nothing remains quite the same.
With all of our running and all of our cunning,
If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes,
Nothing remains quite the same.
Through all of the islands and all of the highlands,
If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane
 
"I just can deal with it seeing our technical department dissolve right before my eyes. We went from 36 transmitter Engineers down to 3 !!!!!! In 4 to 5 years, all of our tech staff will be gone (retiring) and no one is making any plans to replace. "

I went through the same thing 24 years ago. I was a transmitter technician for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and I remember the minute I knew I had to get out of there. I was working on a G.E. 10kW tube FM transmitter at a VERY remote site at 3:00am, all by myself! For those who don't know, such a transmitter is a refrigerator-sized box with a 7,000 volt power supply inside and a big red sign on the door that says "DO NOT work on this thing if you are TIRED or ALONE!!!" When they stopped sending out two technicians for routine service, yet they still required work to be done after sign-off I knew I had to get out.

That job really did force you to be a good technician so the experience was excellent. You were alone, in the middle of nowhere with a complex system and you had to get it fixed with what you carried with you in a truck (or baggage compartment, or backpack...). If you didn't do a good job then it's off the air again and back in the truck for 4 hours on a gravel or ice road to do it again the next day.

I did love the work though. We were responsible for EVERYTHING at a site, from changing the oil (or water-pump) in the generator to mopping the floors to routine and emergency repairs to the building, TV, radio or satellite equipment. If there were antenna problems we were supposed to call a tower-rigger to come out and repair it, but we often just went up ourselves if it was a matter of repairing strobes or something like that. Tower riggers are good for patching transmission line but they are not trained in electronics so many things were beyond them. Once we flagged down a passing truck to get help replacing a 100Kg plate-transformer that got shot-up by the locals. The CBC symbol looks very much like a bulls-eye and quickly started collecting bullet holes that, of course, went through the wall and into the equipment. The logos were removed from the transmitter buildings and the doors of our service trucks before the glue was even dry. Name ways to get to work and I did it with that job (helicopter, float-plane, Ice-road, fishing boat, etc...). The locations were remote and often there weren't even roads to get there. One exception was dog-sled. I never went to work that way.

I don't have a solution for the disrespect age and experience receives from the younger generation, but one day they will be in the same boat we are and probably be typing the same complaints that we are now. So we can take comfort in that :-)
 
Donnie said:
For what ever reason, it seems my patience with people is getting less each day. I feel like all I do is watch after a kindergarten of grown adults. It seems my professional life has taken a turn as well. I am a professional engineer in broadcasting. The operators of equipment do not come and get me anymore to fix things. They try to figure it out all on their own and when they do, it is so screwed up, then it takes forever to back track what they have done. Its a mess. Seems for some reason that I do not have the respect like I used to at work. Not sure what brought this about. This also seems to carry over to other things as well. Maybe as I am getting older, my perception of things are changing. The so called millenial crowd has no concept of respect of grownups at all. This also causes conflicts at work. I am wondering do any of you experience the same thing?
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Donnie
I’m 76 and see the same stuff but as my Chinese wife always says “it’s a small thing in the scheme of life let it pass and relax. You can’t change anybody else’s thoughts or opinions “
She’s kept me sane for many years
Relax sounds like you need another hobby to take your mind off of things. I’ve decided this year to start my kit model and starting to play my keyboard again for relaxation
 
Had one of use experiences yesterday. Old vs. young.

Once a week or so I take my to - go coffee and sit down by the boat launch and watch the fun. A couple of youngsters were backing their "rental boat" down into the water, I rolled my window down and advised them that there were a couple of things they ought to do, like put in the drain plug and take the rear holding straps off. I got a " what's it to you old man""mind your own business". Well all us old f***'s watched as they struggled with their "launch". We took their advice and minded our own business and enjoyed the show. Made my day.

Jan
 
Clair G said:
Jan, I sure wish you had recorded that for Youtube.. I mean prosperity!!! lol

Clair

Edit: I still cant speel sometimes....
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The classic of the summer so far. Jeep with temporary plate, trailer with temporary plate, two brand new sea-doos on trailer being launched with an out going tide by a young couple. She gets machines of trailer, he pulls trailer out and heads to parking lot. She tries to hold machines by handlebars standing almost hip deep in the water. Both watch as she looses her grip and machines float down the river because of the strong tide outflow.

Dragger coming home corralled the machines at mouth of the river.

Jan
 
Donnie, I empathize with you. I used to build computers for people. Something would “go wrong” in the software, basically they didn’t understand something, so would then take it to the ‘rip off’ merchant down the road, he would reinstall the OS and charge them more than what I charged them to build the system. They would then phone me and complain and then want me to fix it, I told them to take it back to the rip offs because I would now be voiding their warranty not to mention that the customer has already voided my warranty. Weeks to months later I would get a call from the customer asking me to fix or change something and I would tell that I don’t do computers anymore and to take it to the other guys.

It didn’t take me long to realize that I was just being used (sob!, I felt so cheap!) so now it’s only MY family that gets my expertise.
 
HI to all, I have read all of your comments and hear of your pain and frustration, this transition from young to old, from work to retirement, from analog to digital, is a journey that we all have to take and it is not always easy. I have been self employed as an industrial designer for some 40 years and retired when I was 76, not because I wanted to but because all of my clients either died, sold their business and retired or just went fishing. Very frustrating ! however messing about with model boats and sharing and learning so much from others is and has been rewarding and it is this ‘having a challenge’ is what enhances my day. Just think for a moment that all of those annoying/know it all/want it now social media butterfly’s who are giving you a pain right now are also going to have to get old someday and get cranky with the next load of upstarts. It is a journey that we are all on, try to enjoy the ride while it lasts.. Tony
 
THIS REMINDS ME OF TWO THINGS THAT MY LATE BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, LATE WIFE WHO WAS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE ALWAYS SAID, WAS THIS AND SHE WAS A MASTER AT IT,,, IT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY BUT HOW YOU SAY IT,,,, SHE COULD CALL SOMEONE A F,,,, SOB A ND THEY WOULD WALK AWAY THINKING SHE WAS THERE BEST FRIEND,,,,, JUST AWFUL HARD TO DO ALL, THE OTHER THING WAS HER TERRIFIC SENSE OF HUMOR, AS SHE HAD DEMENTIA ( HORRIBLE) BUT THE EXPERTS SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF HER HUMOR THAT KEPT HER GOING FOR A VERY LONG TIME, JUST A QUICK EXAMPLE IN THE MIDDEL STAGES OF THE DISEASE WE WERE AT MY DAUGHTERS HOUSE AND SHE WAS HELPING WITH THE IRONING, MY DAUGHTER SAYS TO ME DAD YOU HAVE A LOT OF BOOKS WHY NOT SELL SOME ON EBAY,,,MY ANSWER TO HER WAS I RE READ THEM ALL THE TIME SOMETHING NEW IS ALWAYS THERE, MY WONDERFUL WIFE WITH OUT SKIPPING A BEAT SAY HE IS JUST SLOW. GOD BLESS ALL STAY SAFE ALL DON
 
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