Old Blog – New Name
Ok so I am renaming my blog. Very simply the blog will be my name. The tag line will tell more about me and the blog. So that’s start with the last part of the tag line. I am a renaissance granddad. What does that mean?
What is a Renaissance Granddad ?
The synonyms for renaissance include: revival, rejuvenation, revitalisation, and resurgence, which are just some of the words that describe the way I have felt and the way I want to be, thanks to my two grandchildren Oliver and Zoe!
My grandchildren were both born at a time in my life when my work career was coming to an end. By 2009 I had worked at the same company for 30 years. It was a small two owner civil engineering firm.
An Ownership Change leads to bad days!
In July of 2009 the owners sold the company. And while they sold it to a single person, the new owner had no concept of what it took to run a small engineering firm. consequently even though it took five more years the firm ultimately went under . Those last few years were the worst. Most days I went to work thinking “will this be the day I’ll be let go?”
Additionally during those years my mother’s health was declining she eventually passed away in 2012. Anyway, by the time 2014 rolled around I had pretty much been a basket case for four years. I was 62 years old and by August I was about to run out of unemployment benefits. My wife and I determined that since we had been getting by with my wife’s salary, unemployment checks and Target pay checks we could do the same with Social Security and extra hours at Target. So I retired!
Grandchildren lead to a Renaissance
In March of 2014, my grandson Oliver was born to my son Andrew and his wife Meaghan. By August , my wife and I were babysitters. In September of the same year granddaughter Zoe was born to my son Peter and his wife Missy. And by February of 2015 , I was a full-time sitter for both grandchildren. For the next two years I spent more time sitting Oliver than Zoe. In June of 2016, Oliver started full-time pre-school. And I started babysitting Zoe more. Which is the way it had been, until this September when Zoe started i pre-school in our town’s pre-school program. Since then I have been babysitting her almost every weekday.
The upshot is that these kids have revitalised and reinvigorated me and saved my sanity! Along with tiring me out! Anyway these two, soon to be three as Zoe is set to be a big sister, have created this Renaissance Granddad! And for that I thank them!!
I am an ameliorating Renaissance Granddad
Now ameliorate means to make better! And one of the things that I have made a goal is to try to become younger and better reach year!! I like to say, I am attempting to turn back the hands of my biological clock or at least slow them down. I do this through diet and both mental and physical exercise
So now I am a Renaissance Granddad, who is trying to ameliorate the effects of old age, mainly through diet and exercise.
On a Perpetual Quest to find New Books and Music
But while staying fit and being healthy are great it also helps if you are also doing things you love, and for me that’s two things reading and listening to music! This is where questing comes in! As I love reading new books, and listening to new music. So I am on a perpetual quest to find both new authors and new musicians.
I also like learn new things. And I have a lot to learn since a lot of new things have happened in the last 40 years since I left school. Consequently, there’s no end to learning new things. Hell there’s no end to learning new things about the past either.
So here I am a granddad, who is feeling renewed and revitalised by his grandchildren, who is striving to ameliorate the effects of old age, while on a quest to discover what’s new in books, music and life!!
Added together they make – E K Karn
Finally, I will say that for many years I’ve read and thought that a blog should focus on one main topic. But I would not feel right leaving out anyone part of the aspects of my life outlined above! They all go into making me who and what I am – E. K Karn!!!! So I hope you join me on my quests as I try to become the best version of me possible. And maybe you will come away with something from this blog. Enjoy! I hope!
