As a youngster did you ever think of the future ?

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

there is no future when young only the “now”. getting yourself “set” is all. only once I had five years training / experience & business degree / professional qual / starter apartment and first overseas job ( aged 23) was there any “ future” too consider.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

As the title implies, as a young child, maybe 8 years old back in the late 50's I would often lie in bed at night and dream of the future, or rather my future

At the age of eight the only thing I thought about was if it was going to pee down with rain while walking to school in the morning.

[Golden Triangle]

Like a lot of commentators on here I wondered if I would make it to the year 2000, at that age about 8, I also wondered what sort of woman I would marry, if I would have children, what would they be like, what sort of job would I have, my life in general really, now retired and living here for 10 years I can look back on my life with a lot of those questions and wondering's answered. And no, painful knees & an iffy lower back didn't come into the equation back then ????

[Citzofwrld2]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

When I was a youngster I started to know what I wanted my future

to be, I was not reading comics , but atlases and adventure magazines

like Wide World Magazine, etc..

 

I wanted to travel the World, see exciting things, retire early, so I knew

I would have to start saving money , at about 12 was out selling eggs,

potatoes, and firewood (sticks), around the houses with a barrow, fast forward,

through hard work and luck in business , retired at 42 , I was in a business 

that enabled me to travel to many countries around the World ,

 

I have had a good life, so far, at 76 must be nearing the end, but looking

back don't regret a thing, it's worked out just about the way I wanted it

too all those years ago, only 3 places I would like to visit before I pop off,

but this covid thing has screwed things up, so Madagascar, Machu Picchu,

and Easter Island  may not get done, but if you do everything,nothing to

look forward to.

regards Worgeordie

 

 

As a American youngster I dreamed of leaving the U.S. one day. Country, people never really impressed me for numerous reasons. So I dreamed of exotic places like Aftica, etc. All my dreams came true. Been to over thirty countries, lived in six, now retired, so permanently, and very happily settled in the Balkans. Life couldn't have worked out better for me. Planning way ahead was the trick!

On 9/30/2021 at 3:13 PM, Gold Star said:

'Thailand has it all'

We just won't allow you to see it, smell it, or do it.

 

A more honest slogan would be:

'Bring your money, don't move, touch, drink, or do anything, now leave.' 

 

 

 

[Citzofwrld2]

Yes, very much so! 

As a 10yr old American the U.S., it's people didn't impress me much. I felt the country was a plastic, fake illusion that wouldn't last. So started planning my escape in my latter teens. Since 1977 I've been to over thirty countries, lived in six, including Thailand. Felt the Balkans fit me best. After retiring, moved here permanently 12yrs ago. Couldn't be happier. 

[BumGun]

What ever thought's I had at 8 were probably not worth remembering :)  When I got my first actual job, at 17 (am now 54), I had just started my first real job (part time jobs before that as a kid from 15) I realised I didn't want to do that for next 50 years. I dreamed of retiring at 30 !!! So I worked my ass off and invested and started my own business because I was lazy and didn't want to keep working.  Took me until about 38 before I could quit work and have been retired ever since. I was super focused until then then saving, investing and working . 

 

Lucky for me I think the greatest joy in the world is sitting on my condo balcony high in the sky and reading a book, letting my mind travel the universe.

 

Like many I assumed I would never even make it to the year 2000 and here i am ....

[Thingamabob]

18 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

You need to chill out a bit mate. 

He's right though.

[federico]

I was 16 in 1976 ; was already playing the bass in a few bands and at that time the rock leitmotiv was « no future », so we didn’t think about future. The only thing important was the next girl to bang after the gig or rehersal. 

[PoorSucker]

Never thought I live to see year 2000

[NoshowJones]

On 10/18/2021 at 7:13 AM, BritManToo said:

I thought and planned for my future all the time,

When I got there my wife promptly divorced me (if I wasn't earning, she didn't want me) and got most of my assets. So much for carpet slippers and grandkids!

Wish I'd just spent all I made and lived in a rented house.

"and got most of my assets.".  I don't understand that.

Did you have kids by her?

Did she work and contribute towards household expenses?

 

I was married for 12 years, 

No kids.

She did very little towards contributing to household expenses, never had a fulltime job, only the very odd part time job.

 

When divorced and house sold, I got everything except for £500 which was agreed between our lawyers.

[NoshowJones]

13 hours ago, federico said:

I was 16 in 1976 ; was already playing the bass in a few bands and at that time the rock leitmotiv was « no future », so we didn’t think about future. The only thing important was the next girl to bang after the gig or rehersal. 

That was me as well playing in bands both full time and part time, had so many girls and dates, started finding it harder with a lot less young females chasing me as I got older. I played in bands right up till I came to live here in Thailand, then had so many younger girls to choose from again, then I met my wife, now happily married for last 15 years.

Never thought about the future when I was young, just kept on enjoying life the biggest majority of the time.

 

[siftasam]

Many people, I'm sure, might think my life very boring. 

 

My life long passions have remained the same since I was a kid, so I can't complain, can I? I've been lucky and, because they are simple passions I've always been able to feel that I can fulfil them, and I have.

 

They are reading, writing, movies, theatre, comedy, drama, history, sport and music.

 

By the time I was 13 (in 1959) I was hooked on great novels, genius comedy shows like 'Hancock', the 'Goons' and 'Bilko'; and on Jazz. I still am. Every day! (Oh, and on girls! - but not, sadly, every day, even in Thailand!)

 

The only thing I ever wanted to be was a writer like Galton and Simpson or Spike Milligna ('the well-known typing error'). My wonderful and learned English teacher wrote stories for 'Adventure' and the 'Rover' - I loved him!

 

I was possibly the best kid at English in my school at 'O' Level. In the exam I wrote my first long 'humorous' essay - I only just scraped a Pass! 

 

After 39 years of full-time work, now I can fulfil my ambition. I've written 3 'funny' (?) novels (including ones on cricket and soccer) and 2 plays. No publisher wants to even look at them, much less read them. Even my own brother doesn't think they're funny!

 

BUT I don't care! I'm happy. Because the wheel has turned full circle.  At 75 years of age I'm a kid again!

 

 

[RafPinto]

I was always dreaming about being retired.

I think my first word was "retirement".

[thaibeachlovers]

I loved horses as a child so I wanted to be a shepherd on a large sheep farm. Sadly I never managed to achieve that as I was led into a different branch of farming. Took me 2 years to realise that is a dead end unless owning the farm, so joined up and had a great life seeing the world, till I went bonkers and thought being a nurse was a good idea. I certainly never dreamed of being a nurse as a child, as that was a female occupation till many years later. Even then, the numbers of male nurses in the largest hospital in NZ were less than the fingers of 2 hands.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

I also wondered what sort of woman I would marry, if I would have children,

I was pretty conventional as a youth and assumed I'd get married and have kids- fait accompli. Luckily for me I joined up and was saved from that fate for many years. Still didn't escape in the end though.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:46 AM, talahtnut said:

From 8 years old to forty, I had always wondered what

women looked like without their clothes on.

 

LOL. At age 11 I had erotic day dreams caused by a magazine advertisement of a woman in a bath. Could only see her head, but imagination is powerful.

 

In my experience, women do better leaving something to the imagination, rather than getting naked straight off.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/18/2021 at 1:13 PM, BritManToo said:

I thought and planned for my future all the time,

When I got there my wife promptly divorced me (if I wasn't earning, she didn't want me) and got most of my assets. So much for carpet slippers and grandkids!

Wish I'd just spent all I made and lived in a rented house.

When it happened to me I was just happy I hadn't put all my money into the house she got.

[KhunLA]

Answer to the title ... Nope, as didn't think I'd live past 30 or 40, so lived in the moment.  Now 67 and I'll probably be around for another 10, possibly 20 more years.  Go figure.

 

Still live for the moment, day to day, and don't plan for the future.  Financially, that's secure, so that aspect of planning is mute.   Just plan my next out & about, and when don't need to be here ... I'm out the door ... gone.  Car is packed in less than 30 minute, sort of have that down to a science.  Big decision that needs to be made is, take the coffee machine or not.

Edited October 19, 2021 by KhunLA

[EVENKEEL]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:22 AM, gk10012001 said:

Hey, I'm bored to tears now, waiting for Thailand to finally sort out their COVID and travel policies.  It looks like I will work 7 more months to wrap up medical and switch to Medicare in May at age 65.  And I will have some tax things I have to be in the States for in February so its not worth traveling and punching out to Thailand just yet.  I'll bear down and take the money on this new Gig for now starting next week.  Killing me not to be hanging out and walking about Pattaya, or touring other parts of Thailand.  But Thailand still needs to open up some more before my trip # 16

You actually have a tally of your trips.

[gk10012001]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

You actually have a tally of your trips.

Yes.  I have a complete tally.  I had to report all foreign travel to the security folks as part of my job.  And I kept my two previous passports with all the stamps, border crossing visa runs to Cambodia, etc.  Those Cambodia visa stickers are quite impressive.  I just got my brand new shiny passport this year with the extra pages, and am hoping to use it soon.  Still waiting for Thailand entry to make sense.  The lates Thailand Pass, is better, but requiring another PCR test upon arrival at the airport is ridiculous.  I am vaccinated and will have a negative PCR test in order to even be on the plane flying to Thailand.  Now another PCR test (who pays and how and when?) and still having to prepay for some SHA hotel for supposedly one night while waiting for test results.  Do you trust their scheduling and reporting of results?  Do you trust the accuracy of their testing?  A person flies half way around the world, with everything in order, and then runs into possible road blocks.  Just not acceptable

[gk10012001]

7 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Answer to the title ... Nope, as didn't think I'd live past 30 or 40, so lived in the moment.  Now 67 and I'll probably be around for another 10, possibly 20 more years.  Go figure.

 

Still live for the moment, day to day, and don't plan for the future.  Financially, that's secure, so that aspect of planning is mute.   Just plan my next out & about, and when don't need to be here ... I'm out the door ... gone.  Car is packed in less than 30 minute, sort of have that down to a science.  Big decision that needs to be made is, take the coffee machine or not.

I am just about there also.   Medicare next May locks up the health care cost planning, finances all secure.  No debts, no loans.   having the material things and finances taken care of is a huge load off the back.  I watched so many neighbors and relatives be broke in "retirement" and I don't want that.  So my only dreaming now is 8 months of well paying contract work starting Monday, then final wrap up for next year travel.  Still hoping for 6 months of each year in Thailand...

[The Hammer2021]

On 10/18/2021 at 1:13 AM, gk10012001 said:

sure.  book coming out next year right after I no longer need my security clearance.  A lot of casinos will be offering me jobs in their theft and loss prevention department

I'm sure your book will be fascinating as you obviously have a fascinating sense of humour. The words will just jump out of the pages and then who knows? A Hollywood Blockbuster!? My favorite bit will be the Northrop years. What an Odyssey! What an epic! A scintillating narrative that will wrack the full gamut of emotions from A to B..!

[The Hammer2021]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I loved horses as a child so I wanted to be a shepherd on a large sheep farm. Sadly I never managed to achieve that as I was led into a different branch of farming. Took me 2 years to realise that is a dead end unless owning the farm, so joined up and had a great life seeing the world, till I went bonkers and thought being a nurse was a good idea. I certainly never dreamed of being a nurse as a child, as that was a female occupation till many years later. Even then, the numbers of male nurses in the largest hospital in NZ were less than the fingers of 2 hands.

 

"I loved horses as a child so I wanted to be a shepherd"

You mean you loved sheep....?

OR..You wanted to be a rancher!lol

[gk10012001]

14 hours ago, RafPinto said:

I was always dreaming about being retired.

I think my first word was "retirement".

I remember reading a Sports Ilustrated article featuring Cassius Clay at the time.  I distinctly remember him saying he wanted to get one million dollars in the bank so he could then live off the interest.  I did not really know what that meant but it sounded pretty good.  My Dad could not explain it or the math to me.   Dream now accomplished via dividends and interest investments, and not even counting Social Security yet.

 

   I remember I liked the idea of being a light house keeper, living on an island, being self sufficient with a few critters, a garden, doing some fishing etc.  Growing up in New England on the coast, stories about light houses were around.  Then when my childhood friend invited me up to his summer house in New Hampshire, by a lake and on 3 acres of land, my dream changed to living on a place such as that, a wooden almost log cabin home type of place.   Now able to buy my retirement home in Florida and be near warm ocean water or a piece of land somewhere else if I feel like doing all that work, so part of dream  is possible.  Doubt I will spring for all of that as the simpler warm weather appeals to me now at my age, and I will part time visit seasonal places most likely. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/20/2021 at 6:41 AM, The Hammer2021 said:

"I loved horses as a child so I wanted to be a shepherd"

You mean you loved sheep....?

OR..You wanted to be a rancher!lol

Don't have ranches in NZ, and how do you make out that "horses" means "sheep"?

On the big sheep stations they used horses to round up the woolly things you have affection for, but I suspect it's helicopters now. Choppers just don't do it for me though.