MAY 12, 17 .. ONCE UPON A TIME ..

This Post is about Gratitude. This Post is about me being thankful for the life that I have lived and hope to continue to live.

This Post is about A. J. Foyt.

ONCE UPON A TIME, it was back during the 1970 automobile racing season, when I was a full-time professional racing engine builder, I built a racing engine for A. J. Foyt, one of the most famous of all racing car drivers. After the race, up in the Montreal Canada area, Ol’ A. J. said in a rant about his car after the race, that the only good thing about his car that far-away day was the engine. I took that as a compliment.

Below is a link about A. J. Foyt that I found interesting and encouraging. You can read it or not.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2017/05/10/j-foyt/316428001/

A.J. Foyt on fear, his stem cell therapy and more ..

I ‘ quote ‘ the above article in part as follows ..

“I had a lot of fun,” the 82-year-old racing legend told IndyStar on Wednesday at his racing garage in Speedway. “If I passed out talking to you right now and fell on the floor, at least I made good money, had a happy life and what else can you ask for? So many people are so miserable with their jobs and that. I had a wonderful job doing what was fun.”

Me too A. J. .. Me too .. / sign me as  /  Cap

But giving Foyt an edge in his fight against injury, ailment and Father Time is a competitive fire that has burned within him his whole life.

A little more than a month ago, Foyt and fellow driving legend Dan Gurney were honored in Long Beach, Calif., for the 50th anniversary of their all-American victory at 24 Hours of Le Mans. Many racing greats attended the event, and Foyt was happy to see them, but he couldn’t help but stack himself up one more time against his old rivals.

“I guess I’m doing better than them,” Foyt said with a smile. “Poor Parnelli (Jones)** has a lot of back trouble. Dan was in a wheelchair. Last three or four years I’ve been going in and out of them, but I’m still going pretty strong. So far I’m hanging in there pretty good. … Every day’s a good day. And I guess that’s good when you’re getting ready to kick.”

**I worked full time during that 1970 automobile racing season building racing engines for (we called him P. J.), Parnelli Jones.

We are age-wise peers.

So it props-me-up more than a little to read about A. J., Dan Gurney, and P. J.

What is it they say ?

“Misery loves company!”

Am I miserable? No! Far from it.

I am just thankful for the life that I have lived. I hope to live some more life ‘way out there on the very edge’.

Am I 100%? No way.

Am I 85%? No, I thought so yesterday but no, I don’t think I am 85%.

I am now grateful to be a roaring 80%.

I will sign-off GRATEFUL to you A. J. and for sharing what you are going-through along with Dan Gurney and P. J. and all of us senior citizens.

And now?

And now I am going to drive from Santa Fe, New Mexico, over to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and have a little-look-see at Los Alamos.

Cap

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