JUST AVERAGELY SUCCESSFUL

I think I am average, or maybe I have just had to admit that I am not anything else.Not a failure not a great success, just middling. 

In the AR (after retirement) period of life things change but I have actually been able to fulfill some ambitions that had eluded me in my working life.

I have become firstly the Director for Human Resources and now as well as that, the Chair of the Board .with Nottingham Credit Union (www.nottinghamcu.co.uk)........... in fact I understand that I am strictly speaking The President, .......well now President Pattman does sound quite nice............ though perhaps a bit grand, or just a little bit grand, or actually quite OK. You dear reader may choose.

 But these titles have been achieved in voluntary work, so whilst I may be a Director and in the Financial world, I have and never will get a high salary and lots of bonuses.....no share options or company cars or private jets, I still really fancy a private jet though !

This thread of thought was kick started, as I in a moment of pessimism and melancholy, thats getting older for you, you can think too much......... was writing a letter to my daughter ......... but only to be opened when I am dead, so she will have to wait. It did however cause reflections on what is success.

I made what is called Senior Management, I owned my own home,building up and taking advantage of the housing price increases, ah what happy days when you bought a house and sold it in a few years and made 30% + profits. I married and was pretty happy most of the time and had a child, I was in work most of the time in interesting organisations and I learnt a lot, some of which is still useful.

I travelled a bit but not as far as I would have liked, I never got to live abroad and its too late now..........

Of course money and possessions are important to many, the few self contented individuals, these living in harmony with nature and perhaps those with deep religious .......(we won’t go there though) .........convictions or values appreciate more abstract pleasures  and achievements.......I however like things as my previous blog entries will testify.

Others value friendships, family etc and I find myself lacking rather on both counts. Friends drift away when the bond of common workplaces is removed, families break up, people die or just move elsewhere. I used to have friends, I think but no more, not in the sense that the relationship would survive change in jobs, status, home etc

One bright spot is my daughter is getting married so I will become a Father in Law and acquire a Son in Law so you that’s something I haven’t done before !

I think my trouble is that I don’t like being ordinary, I don’t want to drive the same car as many, so avoid Ford, Vauxhall and other high volume manufacturers, I like having titles........... they may not define your inner self or others may not be impressed but without our labels what are we ?

As you get older your status in Society changes, I still don’t like having to tick the box that says “Widower” on forms. I quite like my free bus pass, but still think the bus is full of old people and I don’t see myself like them. My delusion I know. 

I dread the day when I am no longer active mentally or physically, but especially mentally, enough to have positions of influence, that’s when I will know its time to go..........but maybe not just yet .............but its still good to think about these things and prepare. 

I have time and freedom, sufficient money not to worry too much about spending it...the old saying is right you can’t take it with you, as is the one that says, its what you do with it that matters, in the bank its just numbers on a spreadsheet, but as I don’t know how long I have then planning becomes more difficult .........

So may questions, so few answers, the world is unpredictable, it always has been, so I will settle for being average, but continue to seek for success, however it is measured.

MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANIES

I was conscious that I had not posted a new blog for sometime.........I have had ideas, but age intervenes and unless I write it down or do it, sometimes the thought for an article just vanishes.

So I though just a short series of comments....at this point I have no more idea than you dear reader have, of what’s coming next. So lets travel into the uncharted territory that is Malcolm’s mind, with hope and best wishes or sceptism or boredom.... your choice.

VEHICLES

I have swapped the Volvo for a Saab convertible, bright red. The reasoning was an unfortunate experience with the Volvo, which was compounded by it being out of warranty.

A mechanic was resetting the car;s computer, all modern cars are packed to the gunwales with tech stuff, and somehow the drivers door disappeared ............well virtually disappeared, physically it was still there, I could open and close it .....but all the buttons that controlled the windows, mirrors, central locking on the drivers door didn’t work, the computer said it didn’t have a door and that was that. Two days in the main dealership, lots of expensive labour and expensive parts it was restored to health, but don’t you always feel a sense of loss of confidence, when what was done was essentially throw away a box of electronics and fit a new one. I am not convinced that the Volvo mechanics have any idea of why and what was the problem.

I therefore decided on a new(ish) car with warranty and after many happy hours looking at models and specifications, I decided that I must stick with a convertible for those days of English Summer sunshine that appear between the thunderstorms and hurricanes. Hence the SAAB 9-3 which has two and a half years of warranty..........assuming that SAAB doesn’t go bankrupt in the meantime........it really does prove that you can’t know the future. 

Just to make the story a bit longer, I have also bought a New Jeep, the old one seems to like overheating and cost of fixing it again, three previous attempts having not solved, is more that the car is worth. So now I have to get offroading bits transferred over, change insurance,etc etc..............and then selling the old Jeep for spares or repairs, good deal to anyone interested.

NEW CHAIR FOR NOTTINGHAM CREDIT UNION

Yes thats me............................I stood for election at a Board meeting I couldn’t attend and got voted in.......

Interesting new perspective, I now have to pay more attention to the accountants and all their figures, but I do hope to take a more holistic and inclusive view in the changing financial world. 

As no one else wanted it, I still remain as Director for Human Resources, so I can talk to myself about people things, at least there are no difficulties in having meetings..........unless half of me is somehow unavailable !

RETIRED ROBOT

The Robomow lawn robot has been sold on. Not a case of losing faith in technology but because of some landscaping I now don't have a lawn, but paving and pebbles, artistically arranged to my design.

The motivation was to due to my increasing difficulty in bending and walking very far ...........what I really need is to be robotised myself, anyone remember the $6m dollar man ? I am ready for some bionic bits, but don't think the NHS has a budget for that.

EYES

A fascinating experience at the optometrist, this was paid for by the NHS, lots of clever machines to tell me that my blind spot was outside the norm, that I had thick optic nerves fibres but that I was OK, so not going blind just yet.

So another day, small victories, setbacks overcome and still got most of my marbles...........see you soon, I shall write down my inspirations as they occur.