The best days of your life & why?
Discussion
Pothole said:
TheJimi said:
Pothole said:
TheJimi said:
This is going to sound a bit “woe is me” but that’s totally neither the case, nor the intention.
However, to answer the question - it hasn’t happened for me yet.
There’s always been something in my life that I haven’t been happy about, or some underlying stress that has permeated everything else. I honesty can’t come up with a decent period of time in my life where I have had zero worries and life was genuinely good.
Don’t get me wrong, life has never been bad for me as such, certainly in the scheme of things. Rather, I simply haven’t experienced the stars aligning, as the PH’er above me puts it.
edit:
Perhaps a more appropriate question would be - "Have you experienced true happiness?"
By which I mean, have you experienced a time where you literally had zero stresses, cares or worries?
I mean, even as a kid, in those halcyon days of building dams & dens, I can still remember fretting about stuff.
Have you considered getting professional help? However, to answer the question - it hasn’t happened for me yet.
There’s always been something in my life that I haven’t been happy about, or some underlying stress that has permeated everything else. I honesty can’t come up with a decent period of time in my life where I have had zero worries and life was genuinely good.
Don’t get me wrong, life has never been bad for me as such, certainly in the scheme of things. Rather, I simply haven’t experienced the stars aligning, as the PH’er above me puts it.
edit:
Perhaps a more appropriate question would be - "Have you experienced true happiness?"
By which I mean, have you experienced a time where you literally had zero stresses, cares or worries?
I mean, even as a kid, in those halcyon days of building dams & dens, I can still remember fretting about stuff.
Edited by TheJimi on Thursday 5th October 11:56
Harry Flashman said:
I made some friends for life, and found a resort that I learned backwards, skiied every inch of, and still call my "home mountain" and visit every year.
Which is your home mountain then?I had a similar halcyon moment, sitting in the sun with my wife and best mate, at a top of mountain restaurant in Zermatt, overlooking the Matterhorn. Thought, it doesn't get much better than this.
Like every thread on PH, the Mash has a headline...
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/42-yea...
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/business/42-yea...
Jarcy said:
Harry Flashman said:
I made some friends for life, and found a resort that I learned backwards, skiied every inch of, and still call my "home mountain" and visit every year.
Which is your home mountain then?I had a similar halcyon moment, sitting in the sun with my wife and best mate, at a top of mountain restaurant in Zermatt, overlooking the Matterhorn. Thought, it doesn't get much better than this.
Man, it was good.
Last summer. 3 weeks in Alaska and Canada with my future wife.
My first kayaking experience was in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by puffins, sea lions and, at one point, a humpback whale. That same trip we saw eagles, killer whales, bears and moose, took a 12-hour train ride through the centre of Alaska, hiked up mountains and across a glacier and saw so much beautiful scenery I thought I'd burst.
The whole trip came about because of a '90s FHM issue (can't remember which one, but it had Jenny McCarthy on the cover) that had an article about beach holidays or something, and there was one picture of Long Beach on Vancouver Island that looked so beautiful to me that I told myself that I absolutely had to go there one day.
Some 20 years later, after much travelling, we arrived in Tofino on Vancouver Island and took a taxi (sorry, the taxi) to Long Beach. It was even better than I thought.
Follow your dreams!
My first kayaking experience was in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by puffins, sea lions and, at one point, a humpback whale. That same trip we saw eagles, killer whales, bears and moose, took a 12-hour train ride through the centre of Alaska, hiked up mountains and across a glacier and saw so much beautiful scenery I thought I'd burst.
The whole trip came about because of a '90s FHM issue (can't remember which one, but it had Jenny McCarthy on the cover) that had an article about beach holidays or something, and there was one picture of Long Beach on Vancouver Island that looked so beautiful to me that I told myself that I absolutely had to go there one day.
Some 20 years later, after much travelling, we arrived in Tofino on Vancouver Island and took a taxi (sorry, the taxi) to Long Beach. It was even better than I thought.
Follow your dreams!
TheJimi said:
If that’s what you gleaned from my post, then it’s clear that I’d be wasting my time trying to further spell out to you what I meant.
but you said:
even as a kid, in those halcyon days of building dams & dens, I can still remember fretting about stuff
I'm serious, I'm not taking the piss. 1995-1997 - First two years at Uni. Had always wanted to go and, after going as a mature student at 22, it was every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Not included the final year as it was all coming to an end and it had a lot riding on it so it wasn't as much fun.
1997-1998 - Placement year at Nestlé in York. Great place to live and work. Lots of fun in 'The Gallery'.
2001 - Meeting the future Mrs Bigmon in Gran Canaria.
1997-1998 - Placement year at Nestlé in York. Great place to live and work. Lots of fun in 'The Gallery'.
2001 - Meeting the future Mrs Bigmon in Gran Canaria.
Probably touring the US in the early 1990's it was a different place then before the world went mad,being young it was a tremendous experience and a genuinely exciting time long before the tattooed Vegas and Florida hordes arrived taking selfies.
More than anything though i'm looking forward to taking my two lads around the world,nothing comes close to that.
More than anything though i'm looking forward to taking my two lads around the world,nothing comes close to that.
Nanook said:
TheJimi said:
If that’s what you gleaned from my post, then it’s clear that I’d be wasting my time trying to further spell out to you what I meant.
To be honest, it's what it sounds like to me too. And I've been previously diagnosed with anxiety issues around the time in my life I described on this thread.Wacky Racer said:
1973.
Not a care in the world
Great music, Zeppelin, Purple Wishbone Ash, Floyd, Glam Rock
No faces
te.
Change 73 to 78 and ditto , 17 years old , RD250 and loads of mates , suddenly deciding on Friday night to go to Cornwall Saturday morning with a tent and £50 then deciding riding through the night was a better idea( it wasn't bloody freezing), they guy I was with fell asleep about 4am, clipped one of those 6ft high red mud walls which woke him up pretty quickly so we just flaked out in a field for a couple of hours.Not a care in the world
Great music, Zeppelin, Purple Wishbone Ash, Floyd, Glam Rock
No faces
te.It absolutely lashed it down nearly all the time we were there
98elise said:
Nanook said:
TheJimi said:
If that’s what you gleaned from my post, then it’s clear that I’d be wasting my time trying to further spell out to you what I meant.
To be honest, it's what it sounds like to me too. And I've been previously diagnosed with anxiety issues around the time in my life I described on this thread.I've had plenty of amazing times, and continue to do so, I just can't point to an extended period of time where everything just *clicked* and I had absolutely *zero* stresses, regardless of how large or small.
Definitely 2005-2010 for me. (16-21)
Sixth form days to the end of my first proper job in hospitality, was in my infancy in terms of clubbing then. Had some quality mates and went out 2-3 times a week without fail, with no cares in the world. Copped off with different birds every week and thought it'd never stop.
I know I am relatively young still (29 in January) but I can't help but look fondly on those times and how they seem so distant even though in reality they aren't. Life moves so fast in your twenties.
Sixth form days to the end of my first proper job in hospitality, was in my infancy in terms of clubbing then. Had some quality mates and went out 2-3 times a week without fail, with no cares in the world. Copped off with different birds every week and thought it'd never stop.
I know I am relatively young still (29 in January) but I can't help but look fondly on those times and how they seem so distant even though in reality they aren't. Life moves so fast in your twenties.
1st of May 1997 - Thanksgiving 1998 (whenever that was)
I used to collect tractor sales brochures when I was a littler lad. I had one of the 8050 series John Deeres with lots of pictures of what seemed like huge tractors working in massive fields. I wanted some of that. A couple of years later I watched a documentry about the US wheat harvest where they start in Texas and finish in Canadia. I wanted some of that even more.
After agricultural college I was at a loss what to do, but knew I had to go abroad. I managed to find out how to go on harvest in the US, but go sort of fobbed off about working on a farm in Ohio. I did this for 11 months on a student visa as an intern at OSU. It was OK, but I've never been very out going and was very lonely. While I was there the house I was lodging in burnt down, and I mean to the fking ground, it was a pile of ash. In the process my passport got damaged.
Before I came home I went to OSU and they said to go home and apply to a visa extension and they would get me on the best harvest crew on the road
. This I duly did, but my application was rejected because my passport was damaged. So I applied for a new passort then sent that off for the visa. To my astonishment, they gave me a shiny new Visa 
and off I went to Kansas.
Instead of being a nervous wreck on the way to Heathrow it felt like I should be flying the plane. I strode (sp) up to the check in desk, checked in and waved my parents off. Didn't need them any more.
In Kansas 6 new combines and 4 new Peterbilts were waiting for me. We all did are CDLs (Claas 1) and within days were hauling oversized loads down to Oklahoma. It was bloody hard work. The first month of harvest we didn't start and finish in the same day and cut 10,000 acres. We got right up to the Canadian border and back to NW Kansas for fall harvest.
I was asked by OSU if I wanted to come back next year and if so what I wanted to do over winter. Hell yes I did and wanted to do summat I'd never be able to do again. Ho about a groundsman for the LA Dodgers in Florida? Bring it on.
I cut grass and generall maintained the grounds over winter interspersed with a couple of trips to see a rocket and the shuttle get launched which were out of this world. Then when that was over me and my harvest mate who was working south of Miami drove from east FL, to San Fransisco and back to KS in his 1984 Pontica Parisenne
. 7,500 miles in about 18 days. It was ace. Then back on harvest.
The second harvest wasn't the big adventure, but I learned a lot more. Great times.
It's been a bit bumpy since, but the last few months things are looking up.
I used to collect tractor sales brochures when I was a littler lad. I had one of the 8050 series John Deeres with lots of pictures of what seemed like huge tractors working in massive fields. I wanted some of that. A couple of years later I watched a documentry about the US wheat harvest where they start in Texas and finish in Canadia. I wanted some of that even more.
After agricultural college I was at a loss what to do, but knew I had to go abroad. I managed to find out how to go on harvest in the US, but go sort of fobbed off about working on a farm in Ohio. I did this for 11 months on a student visa as an intern at OSU. It was OK, but I've never been very out going and was very lonely. While I was there the house I was lodging in burnt down, and I mean to the f
king ground, it was a pile of ash. In the process my passport got damaged. Before I came home I went to OSU and they said to go home and apply to a visa extension and they would get me on the best harvest crew on the road
. This I duly did, but my application was rejected because my passport was damaged. So I applied for a new passort then sent that off for the visa. To my astonishment, they gave me a shiny new Visa and off I went to Kansas. Instead of being a nervous wreck on the way to Heathrow it felt like I should be flying the plane. I strode (sp) up to the check in desk, checked in and waved my parents off. Didn't need them any more.
In Kansas 6 new combines and 4 new Peterbilts were waiting for me. We all did are CDLs (Claas 1) and within days were hauling oversized loads down to Oklahoma. It was bloody hard work. The first month of harvest we didn't start and finish in the same day and cut 10,000 acres. We got right up to the Canadian border and back to NW Kansas for fall harvest.
I was asked by OSU if I wanted to come back next year and if so what I wanted to do over winter. Hell yes I did and wanted to do summat I'd never be able to do again. Ho about a groundsman for the LA Dodgers in Florida? Bring it on.
I cut grass and generall maintained the grounds over winter interspersed with a couple of trips to see a rocket and the shuttle get launched which were out of this world. Then when that was over me and my harvest mate who was working south of Miami drove from east FL, to San Fransisco and back to KS in his 1984 Pontica Parisenne
. 7,500 miles in about 18 days. It was ace. Then back on harvest.The second harvest wasn't the big adventure, but I learned a lot more. Great times.
It's been a bit bumpy since, but the last few months things are looking up.
TheJimi said:
...I honesty can’t come up with a decent period of time in my life where I have had zero worries or stresses.
The point is perhaps what good occasion have you had, which made you forget your other worries..? Even for just a short time.I don't think you will ever have zero worries and some people are prone to fret more than others anyway. But you should treasure the moments that at least make it more fun!
This got me thinking, whilst i am not the heavily built company owning beaded globe trotter PH listee, i have has a few that i can smile at when looking back
Roughly in chronological order
1952 Being taken to Heathrow to see the First Jet Airliner take off
1958 passing the then 11+ and going to grammar school
Getting a full split cane fishing rod as a present
1959 Catching a 1lb 2oz Roach at Picketts Lock on the River Lea... see later
1961 17th April at White Hart Lane
1964 passing the driving test first time and saying to Dad, Just off to Petes in the car....... Independence
Off to Clacton and Hastings and Margate in it with the lads.. those of a certain age will know
1964-90 speaking to countless celebs/politicians/sportsmen through the job at BT and being security cleared for very spooky places
1960-67 going to all the concerts in London Stones, Beatles Xmas shows Chuck Berry Everlys Making the Cook Ferry in at Edmonton each week for a top English Group, and this in a pub dance hall. Animals, Who, Rod Stewart......Yep i am old enough to have seen all the good bands!!!!
1961-7 going to Brands Hatch,Snetterton Crystal Palace racetracks Meeting Jim Clark Graham Hill when the F2 races were at the Palace, great track and sadly missed
1965-6 hanging about outside John Lennons House in Weybridge listening to the Beatles rehearse songs and just jamming. Wish i had a tape recorder
1967 .Getting my Daimler Conquest Century for £50.00..loved that car
1968 Turning a hobby into a business by doing wedding photography, licence to print money
1972-4 meeting Glen Campbell, Tommy Cooper, Max Wall, Duane Eddy Morecombe and Wise on different occasions! ( all my show biz heros!)
1974 Going to US for first time Laker Airways and a Visit America airpass , fly anywhere you wanted on the regional airlines £90 ret on Laker and the airpass was about £100 Total spent in three weeks was less than 1K
1977 Getting married
1978 Son born
1986 Meeting Walter Payton and the NFL refs each year for the Wembley games
1991 going to Ann Arbor and calling US high school games
1997 Being asked by the NFL to operate the then experimental coach/QB radio system in Croak Park Dublin and staying up half the night with Jim McElwee and the crew going over anything NFL
1999 getting early retirement from work at 52 on full pension and a wedge of money
buying a 1990 RR ( The proper RR not a BMC off shoot) and shuttling brides about
2001 waking up after the quad bypass op
back in the US mid Sept....a very weird feeling ....not one of the good times
2002 doing Dublin and Paris for the 25yrs with Mrs Fox
2003 still fishing and still looking for second 1lb roach!!, then one evening had three roach in successive casts of 2lb 4, 2lb 8,and 2lb 12, then 20 mins later a 22lb carp. Plus the lake is within spitting distance of a pub that does good beer and food and 5mins from home
2008 taking one of the last QE2 cruises
2009 chatting to Barry Cryer whilst having a pee together!!! and then to Bruce Forsyth who had come to watch his show at Edinburgh Fringe
2012 Grandson arriving
2014 Granddaughter arriving
2015 spending a week in London 5* hotel and taking in a few shows not worrying about the last train home!
2017 Taking the family on a 40th ann cruise and Mrs Fox letting me do 15 days in US getting from San Francisco to New York by car and plane
Watching Grandson start school
nothing spectacular by normal PH standards but looking back so far, it has been interesting and i feel that in some cases being in the right place at the right time.
Roughly in chronological order
1952 Being taken to Heathrow to see the First Jet Airliner take off
1958 passing the then 11+ and going to grammar school
Getting a full split cane fishing rod as a present
1959 Catching a 1lb 2oz Roach at Picketts Lock on the River Lea... see later
1961 17th April at White Hart Lane
1964 passing the driving test first time and saying to Dad, Just off to Petes in the car....... Independence
Off to Clacton and Hastings and Margate in it with the lads.. those of a certain age will know
1964-90 speaking to countless celebs/politicians/sportsmen through the job at BT and being security cleared for very spooky places
1960-67 going to all the concerts in London Stones, Beatles Xmas shows Chuck Berry Everlys Making the Cook Ferry in at Edmonton each week for a top English Group, and this in a pub dance hall. Animals, Who, Rod Stewart......Yep i am old enough to have seen all the good bands!!!!
1961-7 going to Brands Hatch,Snetterton Crystal Palace racetracks Meeting Jim Clark Graham Hill when the F2 races were at the Palace, great track and sadly missed
1965-6 hanging about outside John Lennons House in Weybridge listening to the Beatles rehearse songs and just jamming. Wish i had a tape recorder
1967 .Getting my Daimler Conquest Century for £50.00..loved that car
1968 Turning a hobby into a business by doing wedding photography, licence to print money
1972-4 meeting Glen Campbell, Tommy Cooper, Max Wall, Duane Eddy Morecombe and Wise on different occasions! ( all my show biz heros!)
1974 Going to US for first time Laker Airways and a Visit America airpass , fly anywhere you wanted on the regional airlines £90 ret on Laker and the airpass was about £100 Total spent in three weeks was less than 1K
1977 Getting married
1978 Son born
1986 Meeting Walter Payton and the NFL refs each year for the Wembley games
1991 going to Ann Arbor and calling US high school games
1997 Being asked by the NFL to operate the then experimental coach/QB radio system in Croak Park Dublin and staying up half the night with Jim McElwee and the crew going over anything NFL
1999 getting early retirement from work at 52 on full pension and a wedge of money
buying a 1990 RR ( The proper RR not a BMC off shoot) and shuttling brides about
2001 waking up after the quad bypass op
back in the US mid Sept....a very weird feeling ....not one of the good times
2002 doing Dublin and Paris for the 25yrs with Mrs Fox
2003 still fishing and still looking for second 1lb roach!!, then one evening had three roach in successive casts of 2lb 4, 2lb 8,and 2lb 12, then 20 mins later a 22lb carp. Plus the lake is within spitting distance of a pub that does good beer and food and 5mins from home
2008 taking one of the last QE2 cruises
2009 chatting to Barry Cryer whilst having a pee together!!! and then to Bruce Forsyth who had come to watch his show at Edinburgh Fringe
2012 Grandson arriving
2014 Granddaughter arriving
2015 spending a week in London 5* hotel and taking in a few shows not worrying about the last train home!
2017 Taking the family on a 40th ann cruise and Mrs Fox letting me do 15 days in US getting from San Francisco to New York by car and plane
Watching Grandson start school
nothing spectacular by normal PH standards but looking back so far, it has been interesting and i feel that in some cases being in the right place at the right time.
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