Monday, May 9, 2011

Words to Live By



To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.- Sterling Hayden

Why? Because money in the bank is safe. You learn to play life safe. When you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. You can no longer play it safe and so you take your chances.

Is there an equilibrium? Having it all, yet still being able to break free?

I believe there is.

Stay chill.

10 comments:

  1. Hiya, Mike.

    Despite having a supposed 'decent job', I'm skint. So I guess that's the right place to be according to Mr Hayden... hungry for success.

    Regards,
    Col

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  2. Col, buddy, I'm right there with you. All I ever thought for years, was that the only thing I needed was a job which paid well. I was soooo fucking wrong!

    And...any word on the book and all that goes with it? I gotta know, man!

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  3. I'm working on it, mate... now! All is not yet lost, we've just had a big re-think. I'll blog about it when the time's right. Thanks for asking, mate.

    How are things with you?

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  4. I too am part of the skint brigade. I'll let you be part of my gang when it gets to the 12-bore and balaclava stage.

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  5. Col- But you're still in there swingin' and that's what counts. I'm very interested and excited to hear how things progress for you.

    Things are pretty good, if not a little slow on my end. I'm kind of where you were a couple of years ago.

    Lee! The Skint Brigage...I'm liking that. I've been at the 12-gauge stage for awhile now, so consider me a charter member.

    So, how are things going for you, man? Haven't heard from you in awhile and we need your ass back in our little world! Keep in touch.

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  6. Mike,
    Stick at it, bud. You have the talent - keep honing it.
    Cheers,
    Col
    Ps. If yer join Lee's brigade, you'll defo have summat to write about... in the slammer! :-)

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  7. Here's a look into my life, Mike. We had 18 months left on our mortgage when we suddenly (crazily) decided to buy this house in Scotland 3 years ago. We now have 22 years left on a huge mortgage. We moved up here with no jobs a few grand in the bank and 2 daughters under the age of 5. Thinking back, that was fucking crazy!

    It's working out for us at the minute but if work ever got tight, who knows what the fuck will happen. The annoying thing is, is that people think we've got money 'cos we still own our home in Manchester. We get rent from that one, which we get taxed on, and it doesn't cover the mortgage on it. Yeah, we're fucking rolling in it!!

    I've already got my balaclava, just n case! We will have money one day when our mortgages are paid off, but then again, I could drop dead tomorrow. Fuck it! Live for today!

    The thing is, I couldn't be happier. Money means fuck all! As long as my bills are paid and we have food and clothes, happy days.

    I'm still up for a bank job if things get tough though.

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  8. David, same here. We'd gotten down to a point where we were living in a 30 year old single-wide trailer in a cow pasture. Something had to give.

    Money means fuck all...well put. I've always been a hard worker, so I'll always make out. Still, to quote an old Charlie Rich song, "You can't take it with you when you're gone, but I want enough to get there on."

    That makes four for the Skint Brigade!

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  9. Amen to Sterling Hayden. I read his book called WANDERER a few years ago. Helluva guy and terrific novel.

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  10. Yeah, David, looking forward to reading his autobiography and his novel, Voyage...thinking Haslem's here in St. Pete has a used copy of the latter. I'll have to check it out.

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