Hello my friends,
Before narrating today's story, I wish to tell you something.
Today I am posting my 10th story and also the 10th section in the “photo gallery’ about my island Malta. This calls for a little celebration!
What I wish to do is ask you few simple questions and all those of you who answer, I will send them a gift which consists of an e-book or better a PDF file which I wrote a year ago . This e-book is titled........“How To Have A Good Laugh”. Its subtitle is ‘Mediterranean Humor’.
In it there are many story jokes which people here often narrate when they are in a group in a certain atmosphere, such as a wedding or a party or just having a drink.
The first chapter includes jokes which were my own experiences when I was a teacher and which I also will include in my blog some day. Then there are numerous clean jokes and other, not so clean. In the last chapter there are jokes which are a little bit more spicy but there is nothing which in my opinion, has to be censored. As you know I try to be a good Christian so I won’t dare to write anything which is downright vulgar. Besides, having a good laugh is beneficial as they say, “Laughter is the best medicine.”
I am saying this so that if someone does not like such jokes and wishes to answer my questions but does not want the book, all he or she has to do is tell me, OK?
Please send you answers by email on [email protected]
Questions:
1. In your honest opinion, do you like my stories? Or do you think that you just aren’t interested in other people's personal experiences? What type of stories in my blog do you like best? (you can see the different categories at the top right margin in “Today’s Story”).
2. Do you like the Photo Gallery? Are you a Maltese who lives in Malta or are you a Maltese migrant or a foreigner ( if you wish, tell me where you live; just the country) Do you wish to have information with photos about a particular subject?
3. Would you like to suggest anything to me to improve my blog?
That's all. We will have other occasions similar to this every now and then.
Thanks,
Leonardo
Before narrating today's story, I wish to tell you something.
Today I am posting my 10th story and also the 10th section in the “photo gallery’ about my island Malta. This calls for a little celebration!
What I wish to do is ask you few simple questions and all those of you who answer, I will send them a gift which consists of an e-book or better a PDF file which I wrote a year ago . This e-book is titled........“How To Have A Good Laugh”. Its subtitle is ‘Mediterranean Humor’.
In it there are many story jokes which people here often narrate when they are in a group in a certain atmosphere, such as a wedding or a party or just having a drink.
The first chapter includes jokes which were my own experiences when I was a teacher and which I also will include in my blog some day. Then there are numerous clean jokes and other, not so clean. In the last chapter there are jokes which are a little bit more spicy but there is nothing which in my opinion, has to be censored. As you know I try to be a good Christian so I won’t dare to write anything which is downright vulgar. Besides, having a good laugh is beneficial as they say, “Laughter is the best medicine.”
I am saying this so that if someone does not like such jokes and wishes to answer my questions but does not want the book, all he or she has to do is tell me, OK?
Please send you answers by email on [email protected]
Questions:
1. In your honest opinion, do you like my stories? Or do you think that you just aren’t interested in other people's personal experiences? What type of stories in my blog do you like best? (you can see the different categories at the top right margin in “Today’s Story”).
2. Do you like the Photo Gallery? Are you a Maltese who lives in Malta or are you a Maltese migrant or a foreigner ( if you wish, tell me where you live; just the country) Do you wish to have information with photos about a particular subject?
3. Would you like to suggest anything to me to improve my blog?
That's all. We will have other occasions similar to this every now and then.
Thanks,
Leonardo
Those Were The Days!
After several years married and if I am not mistaken, we had our first three children, all my wife’s sisters married and left their mother's home too. Some years later their good old mother died and the house in which my wife spent her childhood was vacant. It is a very small house, just two bedrooms and a kitchen/dining room. No one of her sisters showed any interest in that house, so my wife and I were too willing to use this house as our summer house. So for several years we used that house there from the beginning of June till the end of September. Perhaps it was too small for our ever growing family but in summer it seems that everything goes and we managed somehow. After five or six years the owners of that house wanted it and unwillingly, we had to leave, after a lot of hassle which ended up in court……but that is another story which I will narrate some day.
After leaving that house, we rented several different houses during summer, all in that village and we still do to the present day. This is the only ‘luxury’ we have because both my wife and myself and all our children love the sea and we can’t do without swimming, diving, boating and fishing during the very hot summer months which we have here in Malta. Besides the wonderful memories of our courting days, we feel really at home in this sea side village. If it were for us we would live there all the year round but being a summer resort village, the houses are extremely expensive and we surely can’t afford to buy or rent a house there all the year round. But two of our married children set up their home in this village which is called St Paul’s Bay and which we all love so much.
After several years married and if I am not mistaken, we had our first three children, all my wife’s sisters married and left their mother's home too. Some years later their good old mother died and the house in which my wife spent her childhood was vacant. It is a very small house, just two bedrooms and a kitchen/dining room. No one of her sisters showed any interest in that house, so my wife and I were too willing to use this house as our summer house. So for several years we used that house there from the beginning of June till the end of September. Perhaps it was too small for our ever growing family but in summer it seems that everything goes and we managed somehow. After five or six years the owners of that house wanted it and unwillingly, we had to leave, after a lot of hassle which ended up in court……but that is another story which I will narrate some day.
After leaving that house, we rented several different houses during summer, all in that village and we still do to the present day. This is the only ‘luxury’ we have because both my wife and myself and all our children love the sea and we can’t do without swimming, diving, boating and fishing during the very hot summer months which we have here in Malta. Besides the wonderful memories of our courting days, we feel really at home in this sea side village. If it were for us we would live there all the year round but being a summer resort village, the houses are extremely expensive and we surely can’t afford to buy or rent a house there all the year round. But two of our married children set up their home in this village which is called St Paul’s Bay and which we all love so much.
View of the bay from our present summer house
When I remember how this village was fifty years ago and see how it is today, I hardly believe that it is the same place. Then, it was a small fishing village with just about a hundred families and in summer it perhaps tripled the population with other people who came from other towns and villages for their holidays. Today it is a summer resort with numerous hotels and restaurants. All along the coastline are now blocks of modern and not so modern flats. Even inland this village has grown and one can find many villas, houses and more blocks of flats. In winter the population is a few thousands but in summer it explodes to tens of thousands including people who come from other parts of the island and thousands of tourists who stay in the hotels. During the summer months the bay is crowded with boats of all types and sizes. When I think about it, I am not sure if I like it better how it was then or how it is now. But I think that one has to appreciate every moment of his life and make the most of it.
When I remember how this village was fifty years ago and see how it is today, I hardly believe that it is the same place. Then, it was a small fishing village with just about a hundred families and in summer it perhaps tripled the population with other people who came from other towns and villages for their holidays. Today it is a summer resort with numerous hotels and restaurants. All along the coastline are now blocks of modern and not so modern flats. Even inland this village has grown and one can find many villas, houses and more blocks of flats. In winter the population is a few thousands but in summer it explodes to tens of thousands including people who come from other parts of the island and thousands of tourists who stay in the hotels. During the summer months the bay is crowded with boats of all types and sizes. When I think about it, I am not sure if I like it better how it was then or how it is now. But I think that one has to appreciate every moment of his life and make the most of it.
Dawning over the cove in summer where I kept my boat
The same cove on a fine winter day.......not one boat can be seen
The story which I am going to narrate today happened about forty years ago but it all began last Sunday evening! As summer is nearing, we go to the village every Sunday although we still can’t go to our summer house because as I said, we rent it from June. As we often do, my wife and I go for a walk along the coast road. It so happened that we met an old friend of ours of those wonderful years before we got married. He also had a girlfriend who was a village girl. In those far away days, during the winter months, after meeting with our respective girlfriends for two hours or so, we took the last bus back home and we sat near each other in an almost empty bus and we used to talk. We became quite good friends. Then when we got married we hardly ever met although I do remember seeing him quite some years back. And there he was now…. an old man, walking with a stick. I do not walk with a stick (yet) but he surely must have been amazed how old I look. We were very pleased to meet each other and in fact we found a bench on the waterfront and the three of us sat down to chat about the good and bad times since we last saw each other.
Soon enough we learned one bad news. His wife had died a few years before. He lived alone in the house where they lived because his two children were married and went to live abroad. On our part we told him about our big family and mentioned also some good and bad news we had during the past fifty years.
Soon enough we learned one bad news. His wife had died a few years before. He lived alone in the house where they lived because his two children were married and went to live abroad. On our part we told him about our big family and mentioned also some good and bad news we had during the past fifty years.
"He pointed with his stick to a cove in the bay where we used to moor our boats in summer."
(The cove from another angle)
Then he turned and looked straight at me and said, “Do you know what comes into my mind as I am looking at you?” I wondered and asked him promptly what he was remembering about me because I was getting curious. He pointed with his stick to a cove in the bay where we used to moor our boats in summer. Then he said, “There, I can see you as if it is happening right now. It was late September and there was one of those terrible storms and the sea came from the north east. The waves were three or four meters high and you were there swimming in that rough sea. Dozens of people were watching you from the beach and hoping that you would make it. I was really afraid that day that you were going to drown!”
So now I am going to tell you what really happened that day. As my friend said it was late September and we, that is, my wife and children, had already moved back to our town house.
But as the weather was still fine, I decided to leave my boat in the sea so that perhaps during the weekend we would use it before I store it for the winter. The boat was that fiberglass boat which I had built before we got married. It had a 25hp outboard which I had bought brand new.
On that day at about six in the morning, the telephone rang. We were still in bed and I answered it half asleep. It was one of my neighbors of our summer house. He told me that my boat was struggling against the waves which were so high that every time a wave hit my boat it was covering it completely and it seemed that it was going down soon. I almost did not believe him because from where I was in our town house, there was not the least sign of strong wind or bad weather. But I was not risking because I knew that the sea may be rough in spite of the good weather.
(The cove from another angle)
Then he turned and looked straight at me and said, “Do you know what comes into my mind as I am looking at you?” I wondered and asked him promptly what he was remembering about me because I was getting curious. He pointed with his stick to a cove in the bay where we used to moor our boats in summer. Then he said, “There, I can see you as if it is happening right now. It was late September and there was one of those terrible storms and the sea came from the north east. The waves were three or four meters high and you were there swimming in that rough sea. Dozens of people were watching you from the beach and hoping that you would make it. I was really afraid that day that you were going to drown!”
So now I am going to tell you what really happened that day. As my friend said it was late September and we, that is, my wife and children, had already moved back to our town house.
But as the weather was still fine, I decided to leave my boat in the sea so that perhaps during the weekend we would use it before I store it for the winter. The boat was that fiberglass boat which I had built before we got married. It had a 25hp outboard which I had bought brand new.
On that day at about six in the morning, the telephone rang. We were still in bed and I answered it half asleep. It was one of my neighbors of our summer house. He told me that my boat was struggling against the waves which were so high that every time a wave hit my boat it was covering it completely and it seemed that it was going down soon. I almost did not believe him because from where I was in our town house, there was not the least sign of strong wind or bad weather. But I was not risking because I knew that the sea may be rough in spite of the good weather.
The sea was so angry that it wished to devour the land.
I told my wife about the phone call and left in my car. As it was still early, there was no traffic and in twenty minutes I was there. My first impression as I looked at the sea was as if I was watching one of those films where the sea was so angry that it wished to devour the land. In fact each wave was jumping over the quay and after a tremendous splash it spread inland more than a hundred meters, Then I tried to see my precious boat. Usually, in that small cove there are many boats but all were gone because the people who were there saw the storm coming and pulled them ashore to safety. There were only two boats left, one was a big lifeboat which was still tied steadily to its buoy and the other which could hardly be seen was mine. It stood upright in the water with the front tip just outside the water. I could see that the bollard had just a short piece of rope tied to it which meant the boat was at the mercy of the waves. As it was in that position, the outboard was in the water and probably hitting the bottom of the sea as each wave pushed it further in where it was shallow.
I was desperate. My boat and my outboard were about to be lost. There were several people watching but nobody could do anything. But now I noticed that the waves pushed the boat so much near the shore that I decided to go and pull it further in so that then, with the help of all those people, we would pull it ashore. Without thinking twice I jumped into the sea and in no time I took hold of that piece of rope and tried to pull the boat towards the shore. But it didn’t even move an inch. It must have stuck to the bottom of the sea.
I told my wife about the phone call and left in my car. As it was still early, there was no traffic and in twenty minutes I was there. My first impression as I looked at the sea was as if I was watching one of those films where the sea was so angry that it wished to devour the land. In fact each wave was jumping over the quay and after a tremendous splash it spread inland more than a hundred meters, Then I tried to see my precious boat. Usually, in that small cove there are many boats but all were gone because the people who were there saw the storm coming and pulled them ashore to safety. There were only two boats left, one was a big lifeboat which was still tied steadily to its buoy and the other which could hardly be seen was mine. It stood upright in the water with the front tip just outside the water. I could see that the bollard had just a short piece of rope tied to it which meant the boat was at the mercy of the waves. As it was in that position, the outboard was in the water and probably hitting the bottom of the sea as each wave pushed it further in where it was shallow.
I was desperate. My boat and my outboard were about to be lost. There were several people watching but nobody could do anything. But now I noticed that the waves pushed the boat so much near the shore that I decided to go and pull it further in so that then, with the help of all those people, we would pull it ashore. Without thinking twice I jumped into the sea and in no time I took hold of that piece of rope and tried to pull the boat towards the shore. But it didn’t even move an inch. It must have stuck to the bottom of the sea.
Without thinking twice I jumped into the sea
But then something strange happened. The waves were coming in with such a great force that when they hit the rocks they sort of bounced back. This caused the boat to rock and soon it was free again but this time it was drifting outward. I kept on holding to the rope and instinctively grabbed hold of the stem of the boat so that I won’t be tossed here and there. In a few seconds I noticed that the boat was more than fifty meters away from the shore and it was again drifting inwards. Now the coming waves were so strong that I could not hold too much longer to the boat. In fact I was facing the coming waves and I could see that an extra big wave was coming. I was afraid that if the wave knocked me against the boat, then I would have had it. But there was no time to think, the big wave was all over me. It tossed me away from the boat and I spent several seconds rolling underwater. When I resurface I felt myself being lifted up on a wave and then going down, down again underwater. I struggle hard to resurface and once my head was out of the water, I swam as fast as I could and I was lucky to be carried all the way in by a wave. And there I stood on the shore, still in one piece. People came to see if I was alright, which I was. I heard comments ranging from, ‘lucky’ to ‘mad’ to ‘strong swimmer’……..
But then something strange happened. The waves were coming in with such a great force that when they hit the rocks they sort of bounced back. This caused the boat to rock and soon it was free again but this time it was drifting outward. I kept on holding to the rope and instinctively grabbed hold of the stem of the boat so that I won’t be tossed here and there. In a few seconds I noticed that the boat was more than fifty meters away from the shore and it was again drifting inwards. Now the coming waves were so strong that I could not hold too much longer to the boat. In fact I was facing the coming waves and I could see that an extra big wave was coming. I was afraid that if the wave knocked me against the boat, then I would have had it. But there was no time to think, the big wave was all over me. It tossed me away from the boat and I spent several seconds rolling underwater. When I resurface I felt myself being lifted up on a wave and then going down, down again underwater. I struggle hard to resurface and once my head was out of the water, I swam as fast as I could and I was lucky to be carried all the way in by a wave. And there I stood on the shore, still in one piece. People came to see if I was alright, which I was. I heard comments ranging from, ‘lucky’ to ‘mad’ to ‘strong swimmer’……..
I could see that an extra big wave was coming.
Then we looked again and the boat was again a few meters away from the shore. An old fisherman came over and told me, “Now is the time. Take this rope, tie it to the bollard and bring back the other end to us and we will pull the boat to the shore.” I hesitated for a second but now I had already regained my breath so I took the long rope rolled up in one hand and jumped into the water again. But this time I could not swim because the rope in the water became so heavy that I could hardly keep my head out of the water. I moved my legs with all my might but it was all in vain even because the boat was again on its way out. Now the question was, “Do I let go the rope??” Then just a few feet away there was the lifeboat……if only I could reach it and climb up! I tried hard to swim using my legs and one arm but this time I kept going in circles. I was caught up in a sort of whirlpool which was created by the waves which were coming in and others bouncing back. At that moment I panicked and I was really afraid that I was going to drown. I was dead tired and could not struggle any longer and to make matters worse the rope got tangled around me. I prayed God to have mercy on me and thought of my wife and children. But as I was about to give up I found myself by the side of the lifeboat. I stretched my arm and caught hold of the boat’s edge. With the other hand I managed to untangle the rope and slide it over the edge of the boat little by little. Then I made an extraordinary effort and succeeded to climb in the lifeboat. There I stood face upwards lying in the boat for a minute or two. The first thing I did was to thank God for giving me back my life, my wife and my children. Then I sat up and saw that the people on the shore were concerned about me and so I waved at them. They waved back and I could see that one of them jumped into the sea and was swimming towards me.
Then we looked again and the boat was again a few meters away from the shore. An old fisherman came over and told me, “Now is the time. Take this rope, tie it to the bollard and bring back the other end to us and we will pull the boat to the shore.” I hesitated for a second but now I had already regained my breath so I took the long rope rolled up in one hand and jumped into the water again. But this time I could not swim because the rope in the water became so heavy that I could hardly keep my head out of the water. I moved my legs with all my might but it was all in vain even because the boat was again on its way out. Now the question was, “Do I let go the rope??” Then just a few feet away there was the lifeboat……if only I could reach it and climb up! I tried hard to swim using my legs and one arm but this time I kept going in circles. I was caught up in a sort of whirlpool which was created by the waves which were coming in and others bouncing back. At that moment I panicked and I was really afraid that I was going to drown. I was dead tired and could not struggle any longer and to make matters worse the rope got tangled around me. I prayed God to have mercy on me and thought of my wife and children. But as I was about to give up I found myself by the side of the lifeboat. I stretched my arm and caught hold of the boat’s edge. With the other hand I managed to untangle the rope and slide it over the edge of the boat little by little. Then I made an extraordinary effort and succeeded to climb in the lifeboat. There I stood face upwards lying in the boat for a minute or two. The first thing I did was to thank God for giving me back my life, my wife and my children. Then I sat up and saw that the people on the shore were concerned about me and so I waved at them. They waved back and I could see that one of them jumped into the sea and was swimming towards me.
The big wave was all over me. It tossed me away from the boat and I spent several seconds rolling underwater.
As he approached I recognized him. He was the owner of the lifeboat whom I knew well. But as he approached the boat he arrived at a spot where he could not proceed and began going in circles as I did a few minutes before. So I threw one end of the rope at him and he caught it. I pull him close to the boat and helped him to climb abroad. We were pleased that both of us were still in quite good shape. Then he started the engine of his boat, unhooked it, and we were off. He drove out of the cove into the bay and headed straight for that part of the bay which was sheltered from the north east waves. We anchored the lifeboat in a safe place and swam ashore. Then we took a lift on a truck to go back from where we left. Soon we arrived and to my amazement my boat got stuck in a part of the cove where the sea bed was sandy and quite shallow. Some men were busy emptying the boat from the water and soon they pulled it on the shore.
The outboard was broken from the bracket which clamps it to the boat. Besides, the hood was lost. The boat suffered a large crack along one side. I put the outboard in my car, thanked all those who helped me and returned home. Once there, I carried the outboard in the yard and gave it a thorough wash with a hosepipe. Then I changed the plugs and sprayed some water dispenser all over. After a few tries, it was in good working order. That same day in the afternoon I had the bracket welded. In the weekend I bought some resin and fiber, went to the village and fixed the boat too. On Sunday I spent the morning searching for the hood and after about three hours I found it too. In the afternoon I went on a trial run with my boat and everything was as good as new………..and as they say, ‘All is well that ends well’.
As he approached I recognized him. He was the owner of the lifeboat whom I knew well. But as he approached the boat he arrived at a spot where he could not proceed and began going in circles as I did a few minutes before. So I threw one end of the rope at him and he caught it. I pull him close to the boat and helped him to climb abroad. We were pleased that both of us were still in quite good shape. Then he started the engine of his boat, unhooked it, and we were off. He drove out of the cove into the bay and headed straight for that part of the bay which was sheltered from the north east waves. We anchored the lifeboat in a safe place and swam ashore. Then we took a lift on a truck to go back from where we left. Soon we arrived and to my amazement my boat got stuck in a part of the cove where the sea bed was sandy and quite shallow. Some men were busy emptying the boat from the water and soon they pulled it on the shore.
The outboard was broken from the bracket which clamps it to the boat. Besides, the hood was lost. The boat suffered a large crack along one side. I put the outboard in my car, thanked all those who helped me and returned home. Once there, I carried the outboard in the yard and gave it a thorough wash with a hosepipe. Then I changed the plugs and sprayed some water dispenser all over. After a few tries, it was in good working order. That same day in the afternoon I had the bracket welded. In the weekend I bought some resin and fiber, went to the village and fixed the boat too. On Sunday I spent the morning searching for the hood and after about three hours I found it too. In the afternoon I went on a trial run with my boat and everything was as good as new………..and as they say, ‘All is well that ends well’.
Everything was as good as new………..and as they say, ‘All is well that ends well’.
Epilogue:
Before ending this story I wish to refer to its title, ‘Gone are those days.’ My old friend with the stick surprised me because I saw the big change in him. In his youth he was a very smart man who held a very high social position. He even was a water polo player. And there he was, an old man, walking with a stick, lonely …. wife dead, children abroad…..it really impressed me.
But what about me and my wife? Of course now we are not as beautiful as we were. Although she is still quite young looking and lovely, the years and all that they bring along, had their toil on her too. I am in my late sixties. My thinning hair is grayish white and I have a short beard which is all white. I’ve had several ailments which I already told you about some of them. But what beats me most is the difference from those days to the present days……. not so much as regards appearance but as regards health and strength. Thinking about today’s story, I remember how well I felt. I hardly was afraid of anything and the feats I performed, came naturally. Now I can’t even run twenty meters. When I swim I have to be careful, no more deep diving; I have to pay attention where to put my feet in case I trip or slip which will surely have very unpleasant consequences. I look at my children and see myself when I was their age. Till twenty, thirty years ago I was their hero, when swimming, when diving, when playing football……..they admired me and their dream was to be able to do the things I did. But now, they did not only catch up with me but are a hundred miles ahead……..and I am glad for them………not so much for me. But that’s life…. wanting it or not we have to accept it but it’s nice to think and remember of those good old days…………. which are gone!!!!
Quote of the day:
The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a life well spent is eternal.
Cicero
Epilogue:
Before ending this story I wish to refer to its title, ‘Gone are those days.’ My old friend with the stick surprised me because I saw the big change in him. In his youth he was a very smart man who held a very high social position. He even was a water polo player. And there he was, an old man, walking with a stick, lonely …. wife dead, children abroad…..it really impressed me.
But what about me and my wife? Of course now we are not as beautiful as we were. Although she is still quite young looking and lovely, the years and all that they bring along, had their toil on her too. I am in my late sixties. My thinning hair is grayish white and I have a short beard which is all white. I’ve had several ailments which I already told you about some of them. But what beats me most is the difference from those days to the present days……. not so much as regards appearance but as regards health and strength. Thinking about today’s story, I remember how well I felt. I hardly was afraid of anything and the feats I performed, came naturally. Now I can’t even run twenty meters. When I swim I have to be careful, no more deep diving; I have to pay attention where to put my feet in case I trip or slip which will surely have very unpleasant consequences. I look at my children and see myself when I was their age. Till twenty, thirty years ago I was their hero, when swimming, when diving, when playing football……..they admired me and their dream was to be able to do the things I did. But now, they did not only catch up with me but are a hundred miles ahead……..and I am glad for them………not so much for me. But that’s life…. wanting it or not we have to accept it but it’s nice to think and remember of those good old days…………. which are gone!!!!
Quote of the day:
The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a life well spent is eternal.
Cicero