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The Suppression of an Obsession
By Godfrey King
This is all about a life-long obsession and what to do with it in the twilight years. In 1950 at the age of 21 I was conscripted into the Royal Air Force to do my National service (I subsequently signed on as a regular and served 5 years) as an MT Mechanic having previously served an engineering apprenticeship and the first job I was given was to travel round all the RAF Airfields servicing gliding winches which were loaned out to the Air Cadets for weekend flying training. Now, having serviced my first winch I needed to check it out and really the only suitable method was to hook a glider onto it and pull it up into the air, putting a load on the winch engine. I located a willing pilot and was asked if I would like to accompany him and off we went. WOW !!!! Never having flown before, it was unbelievable! One flight and I was hooked! This was the beginning of my obsession with gliding which to date, has lasted 61 years. The last 12, in my retirement, I got so involved with club affairs I installed a mobile home on the airfield and spent 4 nights a week up at the club and 3 at home, which suited my wife very well, keeps me from getting under her feet, she said.
Two things brought this to an end. last year, at 81 I reluctantly decided that perhaps it was time for me to stop flying solo and fly two-seaters with a safety pilot and secondly, as a pensioner it was becoming too expensive to continue. So last September at the start of the club's financial year I gave up my full-flying membership and became a social member.
As far as I can see, there is very little difference between an obsession and an addiction and the only way to deal with either is to cut it off completely. It is impossible to cut down on any addictive activities and this is what I have done. I have only been to the club once in the last 9 months to deal with the sale of a half-share I have in a glider. I am growing used to being at home, now working my way through all the household jobs that have been neglected during the last 12 years. My keyboard playing has improved. I have taken up photography and walking.
I think it must actually be an addiction because it never leaves you. On a beautiful summer day with the sun shining and fluffy white clouds all with lift under them I look up at the sky and think "If only!" And then photograph it. |
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I find it interesting your phrase, "One flight and I was hooked!" since you became hooked when you became unhooked.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
I thought the whole idea of an intel was to capture peoples interest, seems I have succeeded! Praise for a phrase, so to speak
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If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://godfrey.qondio.com/
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