[extropy-chat] Transhumanism and non-gender roles

MB mbb386 at main.nc.us
Wed Dec 3 04:11:04 UTC 2003



On Wed, 3 Dec 2003, Dirk Bruere wrote:


>
> I've been an engineer for 25years and I'm *bored* by it
now.
> That includes nanotech, after the first few 'gee whizz'
minutes of reading
> about some new innovation.



Ah! My brother, who is now in his mid 70s, told me something
very like this when he was not yet quite 50. He said he'd
done all the things he had set out as goals, and was
currently looking at the wide open space of "now what?"

He took early retirement when it was offered (he was an
engineer also, mechanical) and then he began to *play* with
various things he'd not really had time for during his
working life.

He built a machine shop for himself - so he could make
things. He made some knives - by hand. That was quite a
challenge. He learned to make Damascus steel knife blades.

Some of the furniture from our parents' home was in bad
shape and he began to repair it. He repaired our old square
piano which was coming to pieces inside and out.  Then he
began to make some furniture, a grandfather (tallcase)
clock. He made the clockworks as well as the case. He
learned to carve the lovely shell patterns that show up on
18th century Chippendale style furniture. He made a chest of
drawers. He made a sideboard for his younger daughter. And
then another clock.

He decided it might be fun to build an electric car.  I
think he's on car #2 now.

He took up playing the bagpipe because he thought it might
be easy. Wrong. He found it was quite hard. But he also
found it relieved his headaches after his aneurism surgery.
:?

He began working on the genealogy our grandfather had been
collecting, putting it in order, making copies of old
documents, visiting places mentioned in them.

He found that he couldn't buy some of the tools he needed,
so he began to make his tools.

It's quite an experience to visit him. He has so many
interests now he hardly ever leaves his house unless his
wife insists.  He hardly ever does anything that was related
to his job. It's all play, and it runs free.

There's stuff out there. You can find it. It may not be what
you expect. It may be sort of out of your field, but nothing
wrong with that.

:)

Regards,
MB






More information about the extropy-chat mailing list