Ben Bragg wrote:
Never shared this with anyone before.
Sometimes you all are more connected than my actual friends I see regularly . I suspect a lot are my own age I guess
When I first moved to Dayton oh for work 22 years ago ,
I was in a bar , new in town , honestly seeing what the opposite sex was up to .
Sat down next to a guy. Bout my age. We started shooting the bull.
He owned a local tool shop business and I was an engineer / welder.
He said. Hey, I have an opportunity to buy a design for a excercise bike deal exclusively for use in parapalegic patients.
Well we looked at phone pics and decided , yes , I can reverse engineer the design easy enough and could help him tool up.
He ended up buying the rights and hit technical help with controls from another buddy.
No idea what he paid. But he bought the tube fab equipment and welder and farmed out the other components.
We spent a couple days a week in his shop after hours , drinking beer , making components , teaching me to throw darts and welding prototypes.
Unit number 3 went to actor Christopher Reeves
Well Christopher was so impressed with his excercize unit, he gave an astounding endorsement of my friends product.
Months later my friend built a small metal building to produce the order demand. Tool shop shrank and started making excercise machine tooling . He bought another press and added a robot welder. Which I helped him program.
I’d stop and see him and drink a beer every now and then.
We were both busy.
He got diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer.
Before he died, he bought me a magnum of Johnny Walker Blue.
Appreciation he said.
I’ve kept that bottle in my basement ever since.
I have a shot every year on anniversary of his death .
I also have a shot anytime I have a harrowing experience in my life. Death of a family member , someone getting killed in a helicopter crash because of a part my department made.
Proving my business partner stole 1.26 M from our business and accepting a check in lieu of pressing charges. That kinda harrowing experience that when it’s over , I’m physically and mentally drained.
My wife knows when I’m gonna hit the blue, leave me alone.
I pour the shot, light a cigarette, sip half , reflect on what the hell just happened and allow myself to cry for five minutes. No more no less. Then slam the rest .
Then I’m done with that particular drama.
I put it away and move on .
My last work incident caused me to hit the blue last night .
I realized I only have maybe three shots left.
I’m sad because of that.
This is a delima I need to ponder on .
Never shared this with anyone before. br Sometime... (
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A very interesting recital of what goes on in lives of honest and sincere people. It seems that you have many, many, opportunities to be thankful as well as grateful for these experiences. You have been able to survive the ravages of sadness and dishonesty and still able to see the life lessons therein. It takes a special sort to be able to glean the good from those darker places and continue to grow towards the light. I was compelled to comment. Since it is sometimes hard for anyone to make sense of what is done with intent or by circumstances it is that strength of character that lets one see through it and move on. Good luck.