Things that have changed your world (1 Viewer)

[GWAYGWAY]

The people that belong to this site are PROBABLY very independent and self reliant types who just got on with life taking the blows as they passed. We are all a similar type of character and that is why we do what we do and not sit around on our arses waiting for the Grim Reaper to catch up with, which he WILL sooner or later.. I am having my ME TIME now whilst I can and fit enough to do it.

 

[lorger]

Its hard to say if the following changed my life or not as I was pretty young when it happened and who knows how i'd have turned out.

Walking home from School one day when I was around 11 a car mounted the pavement at high speed hitting me in the process, they then drove off leaving me i a bad state. Thankfully for me it was just outside some shops near our house and someone witnessed it and came to my help, the guy sat with me while waiting for an ambulance.

I was rushed to hospital with some serious injuries and stayed there for the next 2 years, I was told at one point I'd be lucky to walk again and certainly never be able to do sports. I had to do school work while in hospital and really hated it and felt sorry for myself, my parents did everything to make me feel better with my mum never missing a visit through out my stay.

After a while my attitude changed and with the help of my mum and some wonderful nurses I put all my efforts into getting fit again and getting home, once home and back at school i slowly got my self fitter and stronger mentally more than physically. The worse part of this time was my education as I just switched off and lost interest, on the other hand it turned me into a very strong minded and determined person. It also taught me life is precious and could be cut short in a second

This determination has stood me in good steed through out my life, its came in handy in my personal life and my work life. When I met and married Lorraine I was determined we would have a good work life balance even if we didn't have the money others had, this has been the case for most of our married life especially since our daughter was born. We've still worked hard but not to the detriment of our family life, fortunately this had work has also made us reasonably secure financially and will hopefully retire at 55.

Who knows if i hadn't been knocked down I may have excelled at school and went on to have a better life but we'll never know, one thing I do know for sure is I wouldn't be the same person i am today if my accident hadn't happened.

BTW the driver was never found.

 

[Snowbird]

Fred Parker, my old headmaster, told me in 1964 after giving me another 6 of the best that I would never amount to anything and that no one would ever employ me. I have to say he was right, I never worked for another man in my life, but managed to retire on my 50th birthday. Thanks for the inspiration Fred .

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[nicholsong]

"has anyone’s life been changed for better or worse by what someone else has said or done ?"

Yes, I was told in 1972 that I would never make an auctioneer as I stammered and was very shy. I was an auctioneer for over 30 years, started my own auction charity, and was awarded the MBE in 2008 for raising over £350,000 at Balls, events etc. Never listen to negatives, never give up and always encourage young people to dream big ideas.

Foxy

You might be interested to know that I had two professional pilot colleagues who stammered. Our medicals tested for a lot of things including hearing, but not for speech - strange really since that is the main communication with Air Traffic Control. However, they managed OK - like you.

Geoff

 

[nicholsong]

Fred Parker, my old headmaster, told me in 1964 after giving me another 6 of the best that I would never amount to anything and that no one would ever employ me. I have to say he was right, I never worked for another man in my life, but managed to retire on my 50th birthday. Thanks for the inspiration Fred .

Mr. Parker obviously applied the 6 'inspirations' where he knew they would be most effective.

 

[Snowbird]

Mr. Parker obviously applied the 6 'inspirations' where he knew they would be most effective.

My mate Dino Harris and I held the school record for disciplinary action. He went on to buy his first Rolls Royce at age 25 and became a very wealthy general dealer and exporter of government surplus vehicles. We both left school with no qualifications, but of course that was a completely different era than now. We both left school unofficially at age 14 and went back for the leaving do a year later. The school had not missed us and I was asked by one of the teachers why I was there as she thought I had left the year before .

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[stewartwebr]

Looking back on my life trying to find a "things that's changes your world" I guess we should all start with when we met our wives, husbands, partners. I met mine at the age of 15 so cannot really say how much it changed my world. I know however how much it would change without him. Looking back and as cliché as this may sound it was motorhomes that have made the biggest impact on my life, in fact both our lives. I was around 16 years old and walking down the street with my Grandmother, we walked passed a bright orange VW Camper (Type 2). I said to my Grandmother, "look at that, I would love one of those, imagine the fun" She told me if I passed all my exams and was successful in being accepted at Uni to study medicine she would buy me one. I looked her in the eye and I knew she was deadly serious. Two years later I was the proud owner of my very own VW Westphalia Type 2 in dark blue. The incentive to study and the lure of the camper not only set me up for life, it did the same for my relationship. The other half had no idea what he wanted to do on leaving school. He had the grades and being honest had his choice of where and what he wanted, he was very gifted as a teenager. He thought about Engineering, then Law, but eventually settled on medicine purely so we could be together. We both studied together and graduated together. Thankfully, we did not work together. So all down to a VW Camper and a Grandmother who never judged me and supported and encourage me in all the choices I made, even at a young age when people could have said I was only a kid. She let me decide and put incentives in my path to drive to success. She is no longer with us, but not a day goes past I do not think of the how she treated both of us and set us both up for success. If only the world had more people like her

 

[DL42846]

There is an another thread running at the moment about an inspirational video and it has just caused me to do something that will change my life hopefully for the better,has anyone’s life been changed for better or worse by what someone else has said or done ?

Yes, my life changed when the wife said " I do" At the wedding ceremony.

 

[Howard H]

Yes, my life changed when the wife said " I do" At the wedding ceremony.

For the better I presume

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[JJ]

Discovering that is a living to be made out there on the streets...


JJ

 

[Gromett]

When I was 14 my Dad told me to stop messing around with computers I will never earn a living at them. Get a proper trade he said. I got a job at a transformer factory, then Rampton where I did my electricians apprenticeship. Electricians became two a penny when the collieries shut down so went into electronics (my hobby) and that died a few years later as things became replace not repair. Went back to computers and in the first year was on a higher wage than my dad ...

5 or so years later I was forced to go self employed which was a massive change for me but life changing. I no longer relied on others for my income... But the best thing that happened to me was when I sold the company and went fulltiming. Out of the rat race finally. Earning my living on the road and needing less led to wanting less... Never been happier..

 

[ianthebuilder]

What a great thread! Couple of sad stories, but all in all a pleasure to read!!

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[maison]

How about something that didn’t change my life..............,but might well have done?

In 1981, working in the Fire Service, I suffered a severe spinal injury. Taken to hospital, examined and placed into a spinal splint and in traction, that was how my wife found me when she came rushing through to see me.

Semi conscious for a few days I had no real idea of what was going on but my wife, being an SRN and knowing the surgeon dealing with me, was told it was quite likely that I would never recover spinal connection and never walk again.

She made the decision not to tell me that, and instead encouraged, cajoled and bullied me into trying my hardest to recover. Two years later following tremendous assistance from the Fire Service’s rehabilitation service I returned to full active duty after almost one year too disabled to work and a long period of “light duties”. I went on to complete 34 years service.

I have always wondered if, if she had told me the prognosis, I might not have been so determined to make a full recovery.

So, that injury might well have changed my life, but didn’t.

 

[dna]

So many people with big changes in their lives.

When I was in the 6th form at school (a comprehensive in Bradford in the 1970s) I sat the Oxford entrance exam. I did well enough to get an interview at one of the colleges in Oxford. When I got there (one of my first trips away on my own), I was summoned to the interview in the late evening. a) I thought the student that collected me was having a joke and b) I (and my school) didn't know that a major part of the interview was discussing the exam paper and what questions I'd got wrong. Not having looked at the paper (And not being coached by the school as others had) since the exam a couple of months previously I didn't do well and wasn't offered a place. Occasionally I wonder what would have happened if my life had gone in that direction.

Now, many years, two kids and two step kids later, I've been told by the medics to change my career so I've resigned from my IT project manager jpb, my better half has resigned from her teaching job and we are purchasing a bed and breakfast business on the sea front in Llandudno. Big change! The downside is the motorhome will have to go, at least for a while until we get established and I hope you'll allow me to stay on Fun to see how you are all doing?

 

[Janine]

I've always 're-invented' myself every 10 years or so and always embraced change.

Buying a campervan on a whim 30 years ago to be able to take my son and dogs on holidays was the start of another 'phase'. This led to me joining 'Fun' 10 years ago, taking my guitar to the Malvern show meet and starting the Funster band with Chrisboyo (and a fireman with a pink guitar - I wonder who that was???)

This rekindled my love of making music, taking up the ukulele after Stuart aka Capn Pugwash put his little instrument in my hand .

I started a uke club, met Barrie and together we have taught many hundreds of people and have taken them onto big stages at festivals.

We, in turn, have changed many lives by giving others the chance get out, make friends and to shine.

(Please - don't spoil it by being horrible about ukes just because you might not like them. Many people do )

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[Feltwell]

My better half being told that she had breast cancer at age 29, not long after we got married, ranks pretty highly on what *could* have changed our world. It was caught fairly early but we were told the chemo would make her infertile. That was 17 years and 3 kids ago!! After an initial mix-up with diagnosis I have to say the NHS were brilliant, and happily for us making babies proved to be no problem!

I'm a bit younger than many of you lot so maybe I should say what will hopefully be life changing. The Government changed the rules on child benefit a few years ago to what is a patently unfair scheme, however it prompted me, in my early 40's, to properly sort out my pension arrangements to avoid their changes and gain a decent tax benefit. I'd been paying into company schemes for years but only at the default rate. Since making these changes I've been putting more in, and whilst it's meant a bit of belt-tightening has been required we're still doing what we want to do and our beloved government can stick the idea of me working until I'm 68 where the sun don't shine...... Would be great to go at 55, but 60 is a more realistic target.

Having seen my father-in-law keel over at 65 after only 6 months of retirement and with my mother-in-law now starting to suffer from dementia in her early 70's, the idea of working until I'm 68 does not appeal. With the frequency of redundancies in the corporate world these days (I've just survived another round.....) I also want to make sure that if I'm shown the door near the age of 55 I can go and do what I want to do and, even if I still need to work, comfortably earn less.

It's not good really - I know I'll be breathing a sigh of relief when I do reach 55, as jobs are so insecure these days it will be great to have a secure fall back option, even if full retirement has to wait a little longer as a result.

 

[DL42846]

Of course

 

[DL42846]

For the better I presume

Of course.

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[DL42846]

How about something that didn’t change my life..............,but might well have done?

1972 whilst walking along the pavement a MGB sports car lost control and mounted the pavement sending me through a brick wall and a shop front window to the local fish and chip shop. Severe broken leg Compound fracture, on crutches and walking sticks for 10 months.
1973 Head on crash on a duel carriageway in my car. The other vehicle lost control and crossed onto my lane. Unfortunately the other person died from there injuries. Car's were a complete write off, caused a 15 mile traffic jam. I had to walk home, the police offered to flag a car down for me if I wished. I told them don't bother I will thumb a lift.
1975. I was working at the Hilton hotel when the IRA blew the hotel lobby up. I was in the lobby trying to sort out a guest reservation. I just left to go into the back office to type up his details on a old IBM golf ball typewriter. I hit the first key of the typewrite when there was this almighty explosion, I thought to myself what the f--k have I done now.
1979. Whilst scuba diving off the coast of Chichester out at sea. We were attached to a blob buoy so the surface boat could see where we were. Unfortunately the line broke. The boat followed the buoy which was being carried by the wind whilst we were being carried in the opposite direct by the current. When we surfaced we were right out at sea. Couldn't see land anywhere. I knew England was to the north so we started swimming. I say we, that was my diving buddy and I. We were swimming at sea for five hours and forty minutes before we thumbed a lift from a passing fishing boat. The air sea rescue had been called out but they were searching where they found the diving buoy several miles away.
I remember the 70's well.

 

[Howard H]

How about something that didn’t change my life..............,but might well have done?

1972 whilst walking along the pavement a MGB sports car lost control and mounted the pavement sending me through a brick wall and a shop front window to the local fish and chip shop. Severe broken leg Compound fracture, on crutches and walking sticks for 10 months.
1973 Head on crash on a duel carriageway in my car. The other vehicle lost control and crossed onto my lane. Unfortunately the other person died from there injuries. Car's were a complete write off, caused a 15 mile traffic jam. I had to walk home, the police offered to flag a car down for me if I wished. I told them don't bother I will thumb a lift.
1975. I was working at the Hilton hotel when the IRA blew the hotel lobby up. I was in the lobby trying to sort out a guest reservation. I just left to go into the back office to type up his details on a old IBM golf ball typewriter. I hit the first key of the typewrite when there was this almighty explosion, I thought to myself what the f--k have I done now.
1979. Whilst scuba diving off the coast of Chichester out at sea. We were attached to a blob buoy so the surface boat could see where we were. Unfortunately the line broke. The boat followed the buoy which was being carried by the wind whilst we were being carried in the opposite direct by the current. When we surfaced we were right out at sea. Couldn't see land anywhere. I knew England was to the north so we started swimming. I say we, that was my diving buddy and I. We were swimming at sea for five hours and forty minutes before we thumbed a lift from a passing fishing boat. The air sea rescue had been called out but they were searching where they found the diving buoy several miles away.
I remember the 70's well.

Blooming heck Mike I guess your middle name isn’t Lucky

 

[Head Gardener]

How about something that didn’t change my life..............,but might well have done?

1972 . . . The air sea rescue had been called out but they were searching where they found the diving buoy several miles away.
I remember the 70's well.

Holy Cr*p on a Cracker (as Penny would say on Big Bang Theory . . .)

If you were a cat all your lives would have been used up years ago. Please tell me you are not planning on going anywhere near an aeroplane

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[Cat53]

Blooming heck Mike I guess your middle name isn’t Lucky

I think it is!!!!

 

[buttons]

Do you take this women to be your............"I do"

 

[DL42846]

Holy Cr*p on a Cracker (as Penny would say on Big Bang Theory . . .)

If you were a cat all your lives would have been used up years ago. Please tell me you are not planning on going anywhere near an aeroplane

That was just the seventies, Airplane incidents were the late 90's when I was doing a lot of traveling as a consultant.

1) Aborted landing flying into Addis Ababa. A pack of Hyena's on the runway.
2) Aborted landing flying into Malpensa airport Italy. Good old Italian air traffic controllers. We were flying in from one end of the runway and a Lufthansa flight was flying in from the other side.
3) Emergency landing on a flight from Durban to Frankfurt . Had to land in Johannesburg. The 747 lost all hydraulics. No avionics, steering or brakes. All the emergency vehicles lined the sides of the runway and followed the plane in just like some American movie.
4) Flight from Lyon to Charles De Gaulle Approx 15/20 minutes into the flight the stewards just started to serve the drinks trolley when the plane did a vertical dived from 36,000ft. I don't know how low we went but I could make out the makes of the cars on the road. We climbed back and went into another dive, it happen three times. The drinks trolley flew through the air to the back of the aircraft together with all the coffee cups etc. People were screaming. Four ambulances met the aircraft at the gate when we landed. One guy had had a heart attack, he was about three or four rows behind me. I don't know what the others were for but people went off in them. That one did leave me shaken. I was supposed to catch a connection flight to Budapest, I ended up in the departure lounge for Bucharest.
5) Flight back from Barbados. Some very large guy started freaking out at 36,000ft. He started fighting with other passengers. He then decided he wanted to get off the plane and tried to open the exit doors. Several passengers including me then jumped on him and held him down. The plane returned to Barbados, we had to circle Barbados whilst the plane dumped 80 tons of fuel before it could go into land. He was removed from the aircraft.
6) Flew through a hurricane on a flight from India to Japan. We were warned and offered a later flight but I was working to a tight schedule so I took the flight. We had a 747 for about ten passengers. Everyone was strapped in including all the cabin staff. No service was provided. You couldn't walk even to the toilets. The plane was being bumped around. I sat a couple of seats behind the toilets. You could feel the plane twisting as it was going through very bad turbulence. I could see the toilet partition coming away from the outer hull of the aircraft by about 6 inches. Not to mention the air pockets where the plane kept falling a few hundred feet. It was like this for the whole 6 hours of the flight.
I am pleased to report my flying days are over. I travel by Motor Home.

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[Sue]

Realising that , sadly, after 24 years, it really was time to end my marriage.
Now he has met someone much more suited to him, and I have met someone much more suited to me. So good call really.