Random reminder

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 32

Random reminder

GENERATION GAME ‘

A certain Christchurch superannuitant still absorbed in his government job, must retire soon at 65 years. Maybe it is rebellion against this restriction that has promoted his interest in rather youthful pursuits lately. Or perhaps it’s just close association with his son, a motor-bike fanatic.

After distressing his wife by trail riding, in the back country, on an old unreliable model, the father has settled down to commuting on a nice, new, quietly purring 250. His anxious spouse feels better, although his colleagues still question her wisdom, letting him risk his life inside a helmet each rush hour. The recent manufacture of a beehive seemed encouraging, though. Hopefully, he was now considering days of peaceful pottering. Obviously, he enjoys drones, be they insects or from engines. However, the young son does not

confine his hobbies completely to motorcycling. It is just the means to an exciting end, in some cases. His leisure is packed, with ski-touring, yachting and canoeing, horse trekking, and plain old fishing in out of the way places. His father has become bemused by the fascinating variety. But it wasn’t until the sky-diving that father really came alive. Descriptions of the training and the first drop really captured him. “Think I’ll buzz along and see if I can get involved,” he ventured. Wife, suitably horrified, reminded him of his heart murmur, and all those brittle, breakable bones. “Yes,” said son, “they’ll insist on a medical, dad!” Much deliberation and several hours of concentration preceded father’s announcement ... “I think eighty dollars is far too much to pay for three minutes fun, anyway.” ■ -