# 67 years ago today **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 20, 2008, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053 "2008-12-20T08:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/1 "2008-12-20T08:21:45Z")
December 20th 1941. Yours truly was unceremoniously thrust into a cold grey world. a world bristling with bombs, bullets, barrage balloons, bombers , bayonets and all the other instruments of war. The midwife slapped me on the arse and if my dad had been around instead of loafing around the Western Desert she would have punched him smack in the kisser. So today I’m 67 years of age, not as sprite as I was once but still in fairly good shape for and old 'un…not as good as I once was but good once as I ever was. Been married but my wife passed on some years ago and I never found anyone good enough to take her place. I have a son who has his own company, making soft furnishings. He’s doing OK thanks very much. I’m rather proud of the young sprog even though he supports bloody Leeds United. I have a granddaughter living in Australia, not heard from her in heaven knows how long, I guess she’s just forgot about me:( All considered I’v had a good life thus far, never really wanted for much so I guess I’ve also been lucky. I live alone, well not really, I have Eccles my cat but he’s getting on a bit now and I dread the day when he decides he’s had enough. So that’s moi in a nutshell. You may all sing “Happy Birthday” to me and a few ecards would be nice:p ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/2 "2008-12-20T08:31:41Z")
Happy Birthday, chowder!! Hope you have a great birthday day. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/3 "2008-12-20T08:34:58Z")
Have a good one Chowder. A very close friend of mine celebrates her birthday today- she is in Perth (West Australia). ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/4 "2008-12-20T08:39:46Z")
Happy Birthday to toi! Doesn’t it suck having a birthday so near Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/5 "2008-12-20T08:50:53Z")
Happy birthday! How much do you remember about the 40’s when you were just a tad? Your granddaughter hasn’t forgotten about you. She’s just busy living her life. Call her up, write, or whatever you like. She’ll probably be happy to hear from you. I would sing, but that would frighten my dog and the Christmas tree would drop all of it’s needles in horror. It’s not even a real tree, either. Happy birthday to youuuuu… Happy birthday to youuuuu… Happy birthday dear chowder Haaappy birthday to youuuuu… That _was_ pretty bad. I warned you it would be! ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/6 "2008-12-20T09:02:06Z")
It’s not so bad having a birthday near to Christmas altho’ some people tend to just send one card and give one present, but hey that’s no problem at all, I’m just glad to be alive to get them. I don’t remember much about the 40s but I do recall when the war ended, the parties in the streets with food we hadn’t known existed much less seen. I also 'member clambering over bomb sites looking for bits of shrapnel (found a belt of bullets one time, nearly crapped myself) You can say what you want about Adolf but he had at least one redeeming feature, he bombed Old Trafford 😃 I’d write to my granddaughter but she went to Oz never telling me or her dad where she was going. She went off with a bloke 22 years older than her, neither my son or myself have heard from her since she buggered off. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/7 "2008-12-20T09:15:52Z")
“Sgt. Chowder taught the band to play…” Happy birthday, Dude! I thought I was the “old man” around here! May you have many more! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/8 "2008-12-20T09:51:25Z")
Happy Birthday Chowder. And just for you, here’s some Leeds United smileys 😉 ;):(;)☹ ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/9 "2008-12-20T10:07:24Z")
A very Happy Birthday to you, **chowder**. (You know what they say…67 is the new 47.) 😉 P.S. - I agree that your granddaughter is probably just busy with her own life and it’s easy to let time slip by whilst planning to write/call ol’ granddad tomorrow, next week, whatever. When I was her age I’d let four or five months go by without any contact even with my parents. So unless there’s some difficulty between the two of you, I’d imagine she’d love to hear from you. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/10 "2008-12-20T10:14:19Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > A very Happy Birthday to you, **chowder**. > > (You know what they say…67 is the new 47.) 😉 > > P.S. - I agree that your granddaughter is probably just busy with her own life and it’s easy to let time slip by whilst planning to write/call ol’ granddad tomorrow, next week, whatever. When I was her age I’d let four or five months go by without any contact even with my parents. So unless there’s some difficulty between the two of you, I’d imagine she’d love to hear from you. See post 6. It’s been 4 years since she went, the same year I took her to Turkey for a holiday, all paid for. Never a bad word between us or her dad, I just don’t understand it:confused: Thanks for all good wishes people 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/11 "2008-12-20T10:32:58Z")
Happy Birthday, **chowder** , from one of us colonials! ---
**Author:** ![lynxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@lynxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynxie)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/12 "2008-12-20T10:43:22Z")
Happy Birthday! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/13 "2008-12-20T10:45:06Z")
Happy Birthday **chowder** , ya Blue Moaner! Hope you don’t mind me lumping my Merry Xmas in here too? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/14 "2008-12-20T10:46:52Z")
Happy Birthday! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/15 "2008-12-20T10:47:54Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > See post 6. > > It’s been 4 years since she went, the same year I took her to Turkey for a holiday, all paid for. > > Never a bad word between us or her dad, I just don’t understand it:confused: > > Thanks for all good wishes people 🙂 Sorry, **chowder**. Obviously I missed what you had to say in post 6. But don’t give up hope. People mature and she may yet come back into your life at some point. Here’s hoping she does. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/16 "2008-12-20T10:48:25Z")
If you took me to Turkey I wouldn’t talk to you again either! I know about Gallipoli! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/17 "2008-12-20T10:49:48Z")
67 years ago! So that makes you, what… 21? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/18 "2008-12-20T11:10:25Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > 67 years ago! So that makes you, what… 21? I think he’ll approve of those math skills. 😃 Happy birthday, **chowder**! Dig out some old “teddy boy” days pics and show them to us. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/19 "2008-12-20T11:29:38Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I think he’ll approve of those math skills. 😃 Happy birthday, **chowder**! Dig out some old “teddy boy” days pics and show them to us. If only Lord, if only. I had a whole bunch at one time, B&W obviously, but somewhere down the line and during the passage of years they got mislaid or turfed out. However: You have my word as an Englishman, I looked as smooth as a pickle in my Teddy boy gear. As for handsome, well that goes without saying;) ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053/20 "2008-12-20T11:53:16Z")
Happy birthday 🙂 And I hear you re the granddaughter, I have the same situation only with my older son. I’d take it personally but he doesn’t even call his father who lives in the same town. Sigh. Whenever I get too down about that, I remember my younger son with whom I have a solid relationship. And if I get too puffed up about that, I just remember the older son. Kids! Have a beer for your birthday. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/67-years-ago-today/478053.md?page=2)