Old Age

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Wednesday, 20th April, 2021

I did not do much last week, as I was working up a sweat about my eye follow-up at the hospital after the eye surgery in September 2019. They have apparently closed the Preston eye department, so I had to travel miles to Chorley in a taxi in order to get there at 0910. Very pleasant building and friendly staff, and no great waiting time. The repaired right eye is fine, but the left one has a cataract that will need fixing in about six months. This is not something new to me. They told me about it about 15 years ago. I can't say it has affected me much, but it is a bit blurry close-up.

Feeling much livelier now, and returning to work on the tramp steamer model – 😀

I have not been able to build easily at 32 feet to an inch for over a year now, but 25 feet to an inch is OK –

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

This scale, 25 feet to 1 inch, is easy enough – espcially when building sailing ships that are a lot easier than steamers!

[Chris EParticipant @chrise]

You built that with eye problems?

They are way beyond my abilities but I do enjoy seeing models of this quality.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks, but I feel that they are only beyond most peoples abilities because they decide that they are, without even trying. I use special techniques, including rigging with wire that is glued on in short lengths so there are no fiddly knots anywhere. Sailing ships are far easier than powered ships because the deck fittings are fewer and much more basic.

I built this one starting a few days after the major eye surgery in September 2019 and had no problems with it, although my vision had still not cleared properly. Even now, I cannot see as well as I would like, but model shipbuilding has been so much a part of my life for well over half a century that I am loath to give it up.

I have virtually quit displaying my models either at the local ship model club (monthly) or internet forums. My policy being "Speak only when spoken to!" And as very little interest is shown, I rarely have much to say, I quickly lose interest myself. My main venue is either my own Facebook group "Merchant Ships in Miniature," or Civilian Ship Models, also on Facebook, both being very active. It is a closed group, and a lot of people do not like Facebook. But I have revived my website **LINK** that is open for all to view, and as it is not interactive in any way, as there are no conversations in it and and no need for anyone to comment or click "like" buttons. I do not take private commissions, so I am not "pushing" my models either.

Bob

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Life at best is but an enigma, and like children pursuing a "Will O' The Wisp,"so do we all pursue the illusive beacon light of a brighter and happier to-morrow – always hoping, never attaining, though striving ever until, wearied of the vain pursuit, at last we fall by the wayside and are forgotten.

Charles Clark Munn (1847 – 1917)

**LINK**

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Bob,

He wasn't a very cheerful Charlie was he ??

Regards Ray

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Ray Wood 2 on 29/07/2022 07:55:08:

Hi Bob,

He wasn't a very cheerful Charlie was he ??

Regards Ray

reminds me of a good few people lol.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

It was the last paragraph of his novel "Pocket Island" that I enjoyed greatly, and it definitely struck a chord with me. Having not made much of my life, never having been cursed with ambition, and have always been content to follow the easiest path with everything. At sea, I regarded each promotion as having just one less person that could tell me what to do, and when I quit the "rat race" in late 1992 at the age of 48, it was like a breath of fresh air. Now, at the age of 78, I am winding back even more, and concentrating on a stress-free life. We have just got a ten-year-old cat who has the same attitude as us – enjoy the simple life!

[Author]

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