It's been 40 years since I became a free man again. After almost 4 years of servitude at slave wages (this was before they eliminated the draft and starting pay in the military was less than $100 a month), I was out of bondage. At least that's what it felt like at the time. Tricky Dicky cut the budget and they couldn't afford to pay me, so they kicked me out early. Still didn't vote for the crook. Hadn't been for him, it's possible they could have ended the war earlier and I might have gotten out even sooner.
I had carried a few check stubs in my wallet from when I had been a free man before the military. I had 3 jobs from the beginning of the year until I enlisted and in approximately one month I had earned more than I did in the first 5 months in the military. So I was looking forward to earning a living wage. Was I ever naive. But first I was going to draw unemployment, I figured Uncle Sugar owed me a nice long vacation (when I got out, I was entitled to 26 weeks of benefits at $45 a week). I had to wait the same number of days as the number of days leave that I sold back to Uncle Sugar before I could sign up for unemployment. I took my time going home and signed up exactly x number of days after my discharge.
Those were simpler times. The electronics in my house were a black & white TV, a clock radio and a portable Hi-Fi record player. It had a flip down turntable and speakers that swung out or you could detach them and get a little separation. My car had an AM radio and I added an 8-track player. Still have a few 8-track tapes somewhere, don't know if any are from that time, would have to carbon date them!!
Hells bells, how about we trade some 8 tracks. Crap, no, wait...no way to play them any more.
ReplyDeleteI had that same "hi fi" arrangement. Flip down, detactable (tiny ass) speakers.
Yeah and happy anniversary!
As I recall, my first player wuz a four track.
ReplyDeleteDon't recall what I made in the Navy in the years of 1961 to 1965, but whatever they wuz, I seemed to get by just fine on them. Even got married my last year in the Navy.
But I've always gotten by just fine on whatever I was making, be it the years I made a lot or the years I made little.
I just live with what I have at hand and that works for me. A hell of a lot of monkeys would whine if they had to live on my $938.00 a month retirement but I seem to do just fine on that and have extra left over each month.
When the stash gets very big I piss some of it away.
The car I owned when I moved here in 98 had an eight track in it, ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteBoy, that wuz one sweet little car.
i loved my 8 track..i was looking at some of my daddys check stubbs from the air force in the 50's..oh my goddess..think they were for about 300 or something..
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI've been longing for something simple lately.
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ReplyDeleteHa ha ha ha ha
Once read it can't be unread.