Richard Tool
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2019
- Messages
- 1,647
Perusing my bookshelf I pulled out these volumes which are among my favorites .
They came my way as a gift from an acquaintance who shared my interest in Brit Iron .
As a 20 + something year old I had built a Cafe Racer from a Commando in the early/mid 1970’s .
A local guy chatted me up about it and it was immediately apparent that he was very knowledgeable and we got to know each other through our shared interest .
Turns out he was ex - Navy aviation mechanic and after serving on a carrier in Vietnam he was discharged and used some of his money to purchase a new Lotus Elan . I had seen it around town admired it for a while and now I knew it’s owner.
A beautiful car in red replete with Dunlop spline drive knockoff alloy wheels.
He worked as a carpenter just as I did - I would like to say he was my buddy but truth be told we were simply two people with a common interest in the same town.
I think it accurate to say that we had a mutual respect for each other’s skills.
Years passed and we would see each other occasionally and talk about our interest - our meetings became more and more infrequent but I couldn’t help but notice a downgrade in his demeanor , appearance and intellect each time .
One day there was a knock on my door - I answered and found a barely recognizable guy . Agitated , eyes wide and blank and a grin marred by a mouthful of rotting teeth .
He thrust the books in the photo in my hand and said he thought I would appreciate them . I thanked him and he turned and left with a backhand wave . Within a week or two he would be found dead of an overdose of methamphetamines.
The Lotus was left rotting away in his garage and scooped up by someone for a song .
What a sad waste of so many things - the life of a guy who served his country well during wartime - a family devastated after what was likely a long downward spiral - and to a much lesser extent the waste of material objects . If you are reading this on this site you know what I mean about objects.
Many today have the same story but perhaps the now predominant villain is opiates fostered upon society by “ pain management ” clinics and their ilk .
Time to count my blessings.
They came my way as a gift from an acquaintance who shared my interest in Brit Iron .
As a 20 + something year old I had built a Cafe Racer from a Commando in the early/mid 1970’s .
A local guy chatted me up about it and it was immediately apparent that he was very knowledgeable and we got to know each other through our shared interest .
Turns out he was ex - Navy aviation mechanic and after serving on a carrier in Vietnam he was discharged and used some of his money to purchase a new Lotus Elan . I had seen it around town admired it for a while and now I knew it’s owner.
A beautiful car in red replete with Dunlop spline drive knockoff alloy wheels.
He worked as a carpenter just as I did - I would like to say he was my buddy but truth be told we were simply two people with a common interest in the same town.
I think it accurate to say that we had a mutual respect for each other’s skills.
Years passed and we would see each other occasionally and talk about our interest - our meetings became more and more infrequent but I couldn’t help but notice a downgrade in his demeanor , appearance and intellect each time .
One day there was a knock on my door - I answered and found a barely recognizable guy . Agitated , eyes wide and blank and a grin marred by a mouthful of rotting teeth .
He thrust the books in the photo in my hand and said he thought I would appreciate them . I thanked him and he turned and left with a backhand wave . Within a week or two he would be found dead of an overdose of methamphetamines.
The Lotus was left rotting away in his garage and scooped up by someone for a song .
What a sad waste of so many things - the life of a guy who served his country well during wartime - a family devastated after what was likely a long downward spiral - and to a much lesser extent the waste of material objects . If you are reading this on this site you know what I mean about objects.
Many today have the same story but perhaps the now predominant villain is opiates fostered upon society by “ pain management ” clinics and their ilk .
Time to count my blessings.
Last edited: