Who am I?

My photo
An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

Followers

Monday 4 April 2016

When the fun stops - stop!

A catchy little phrase which the gambling industry has come up with, to ease its' conscience, whilst fleecing the punters! I am quite fortunate, in as much, that I have managed to get through life without ever smoking or setting foot inside a bookies! Of course I've played the Lottery, I have had some fantastic nights out at Henlow Greyhound Track - using the Tote system to pick three dogs, but I have never been excited by the thrill of winning, it was the atmosphere and spectacle that drew me back for more; and the fact that my best mate's mum had greyhounds racing there! Don't smoke, don't gamble but I am rather partial to a small "light ale" - I'm no saint - can't live a full life without some vices?
Benno and I had an afternoon/evening carp session on The Royal Military Canal and it was a complete blank, although a nice social. We fished blind, fishing to features and not located fish - there was a raw Easterly blowing straight off the sea and it was raining! We'd planned to fish through till 22.00 hrs; by 20.45 hrs we'd had enough. "When the fun stops - stop!" and so we packed up. It was the 2nd April, quite why we expected anything different is all about enthusiasm over common sense. The RMC does hold a good head of carp, including some very big individuals, and is one of the venues which I am hoping to spend some time at during the next six months. We both agreed that a program of pre-baiting will be our best option, we'll just have to see how things progress.
There's so much stuff going on in the background, my life, at present, is a whirlwind of "what if's?" and "can we really do that?" In the next two weeks my world will be changed forever - in three weeks time there's another adventure planned. For a simple soul these are, indeed, exciting times and, as I've mentioned previously, "Easy Street" beckons! All of a sudden I will be able to experience the benefits of a substantial amount of money and how it will impact on my day to day life. It's a bit of a weird one, for me. I have never been driven by money - I know how to earn it and, in a similar vein, know how to spend it. It doesn't mean anything - I work hard and I play hard. To, suddenly, find myself in a situation where I don't have to think about "Direct Debits" or bank charges is a very strange concept. I detest what money can do. The greed and unethical practices of the banks is the most obvious yet, I have experienced, first hand, how this commodity can rip families apart. I hate the bloody stuff, not because of what it is, but what it does to rational thinking! Greed; we live in a world driven by the greed culture - "greed is good"  a quote from Danny Fairbrass, in an angling context, (I'd change that to "Greed is God!" in modern society)
An adventure on the horizon and a "mammoth" pay day looming - there's plenty to be positive about in Dumpton Manor at present. Conditions look good for firing up the garden moth trap tonight - I added my fourth, trapped, species on 29th March with a single example of  E. monodactylla.


5 comments:

  1. Well Dyl, there is much there that I agree with. I, too, despise money. Trouble is, it does have its uses! When the time comes for payday and feet up, I know that you will enjoy yourself. I found it hard to come to terms with when I semi-retired. Maybe I think too much... but hey, good luck me old mate!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Steve - mortgage free and no intentions of giving up work; just yet. Everything that I earn will now be ours, and that will be a novelty! The ability to be able to pretty much do as we please - eat out, travel and help the kids out, I am really looking forward to this part of my life. - Dyl

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tap, Tap , Boom!!! 'Best odds'.. Dyl, don't get me started on what I think of all those gambling adverts. Hate the way they portray their product as 'winning something' when really all they are doing is offering odds on 'losing'.
    Money for me was a means to an end, and the end was a version of what Ray Webb was about.
    However, simply for the sake of my sanity, I continue to engage in work.
    I quite like the idea of living in a caravan though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rich - to me; money is a tool which allows me to live. It pays my bills, buys my food and provides the opportunities to discover new experiences - holidays! I acknowledge the fact that life is very difficult without it - my gripe is with the mass perception that money, or the accumulation of wealth, is an end in itself. Money is only good for spending - not collecting!
      Not too sure I get the Ray Webb link - didn't he lose the plot in Ireland? Caravans are for people who can't buy bungalows, or hippies dodging the tax man! - Stay safe - Dyl

      Delete
  4. It was the idea of an early retirement Dyl. The caravan was a reference towards simplifying life as much as possible.

    ReplyDelete