You never know what the future holds
Grandad March 15th, 2008
I used to live in Head Rambles Manor when I was a nipper. But then I moved out. I flew the nest.
I moved back again nine years ago, on the 15th of March, 1999. Nine years ago today.
I was thinking about those nine years this morning. It has been a very strange time.
In 1999, I was an ordinary employee. I was doing work that I liked in a place I hated. Life was dull and routine.
Since I moved here, life has taken so many strange twists and turns that I am utterly bewildered.
It started when I quit work. I couldn’t take the commuting any more. I couldn’t take the office politics any more. I wanted a bit of peace and quiet. I wanted to relax at home with Herself and enjoy the countryside. I took early retirement.
I was worried that I might get bored, so I started a little business, to keep me out of mischief, to pass the time, and with a bit of luck, to bring in a few extra bob.
I knew nothing about running businesses. I did get some crap advice which I promptly ignored. I just did it.
It got out of hand. The fucking thing was a roaring success. Now I’m trying to kill the business, or at least tame it a bit, because it takes up too much of my time.
I was also talked into becoming a teacher. Me? A teacher? It was great fun, and I enjoyed it. It paid extremely well, but again, it took up too much of my time. I quit that.
Then I started blogging. That introduced me to another strange world that I didn’t know existed.
I had no idea on this day in 1999 that I was going to
- Become a teacher.
- Start a very successful business.
- Make friends all over the world.
- Win two major awards.
- Appear on television.
- Do live radio interviews.
- Be interviewed by several newspapers.
- Be commissioned to write for the Irish Times.
- Be commissioned to write a book, for fuck’s sake.
As I said - it has been a very strange nine years.
So much for retirement.
Now I’m a little scared as to what the next nine are going to throw up….
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