Bill, A very thought filled commentary! You have defined me and my procrastination over the last 30+ years to a tee. I have done very well in the planning and purchasing areas, but have not done well in the layout construction for many of the same reasons you imply. At age 71, I guess it's time to kick it in the ass and get something accomplished! Maybe your method of progressive comments online can be an inspiration for getting something done. However, I will have to admit acquiring eleven grandkids in the past twelve years and none of them nearby has played a major role in my lack of progress! It's grandma's fault! :-) Gary Chudzinski
thoughts for this year - do something Posted by: "Bill Lane" [email protected] wdlane Mon Jan 3, 2011 4:16 am (PST) All, This post is not coming from a particularly happy place but it will hopefully stick with you this year and possibly inspire as well. I am not looking to generate a lot of replies. That is not my intent. With Stan passing recently that was the 2nd S Scaler I knew that had brain cancer. The first was someone that was not ever a member here. I had known John for many years. I would only see him a few times a year. Every time would be a similar story to the point that I pretty much stopped asking - how is the layout coming? John was always planning or "about to do" something. There was always some road black in his way. " A relative passed and all of their furniture is in my basement. I am not allowed to throw it out. You get the idea. In his final days the members of the Central Jersey S Scalers had the courage I could not muster. They went to John's house and got track down to some extent so John could see trains run in his house. I can't say I knew Stan very well. I know he was a great modeler in reference to some of the cars he was making. Perhaps it would not be fair to paint Stan in such a broad stroke but I heard from him that he was a "planner" too. In my last conversation with him he wanted to "start" a small layout. I have just the other day learned of someone else that is so far winning his brain cancer fight. This is someone that is a quiet member here and is someone that I like a lot. It is greatly disheartening to me. OK - getting to the point.. If you are looking at the same benchwork for 5+ years now and even your S Scale friends can't notice your "progress" perhaps building that massive layout is not going to happen for you. Not everyone can have the grandiose layouts of Ed L, Dick K and a few others. Cut back, tear down, rebuild or rethink what you are doing. While this is not a recruiting post, join us over at S Mod http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Mod where decidedly simpler plans are being made and modules or layouts hopefully made. Just do it. Get <<something>> started. Don't leave this world after 20 years of PLANNING without seeing your trains run in YOUR HOUSE because of "analysis paralysis". I have already had my "moment" when I saw what would be my basement. I am really very fine with it all now. Let's compare every few months with some hopeful progress. 2 blasts on the whistle. Clear track ahead. Thank You, Bill Lane [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
