I’ll be brief, but complete.
Ok. The ones who are filling as much of the net as you can with bad blood, you are being effective. Let me know if it makes your life any more complete. I don’t read it, sorry, but people tell me that they see it. I don’t ask what it said. I just hear the words “poison” repeated. But, that’s from people who know darned well that I never set out to wrong anybody. And they know that I’m one guy in a simple manual shop. Tools from the 60’s thru 90’s, and homemade tools.
Yes, I can still work. And can still do darned nice stuff. THEN YOU CAN DO MINE!!!!!!!!! There. Got that out for you. Yes. I could do one. Then I’d be in the dark, with no living expenses. And I know that would please some. Cause I know you hold the absolute worst kind of grudge against me for getting broken and living with various types of chronic pain. Now if that had happened to me while I was doing something risky instead of working... well then I might see the hate. But it happened to me FROM working and WHILE working. No foolishness. No abuse. Just lousy luck I guess.
So why didn’t I QUIT????? Because in the beginning, I had health insurance. $325/mo. I got treatments. I got injections. I got surgeries. I had hope I’d heal. Recover. But instead, I’d get another layer. Chronic Migraines. Eye issues. And stuff I haven’t even shared. And I’ve kept doing my best. Good work, but just not fast enough to make a nickel. You guys that like to talk, you’ve only kept me from making the expense money that might have let me make somebody’s gun. Takes me several times as long to make things, with the chronic pain. I don’t work on important stuff when I don’t feel able to do Barnes quality work. I work thru all kinds of pain. But some are stoppers.
Brings me to my last point. Certain people just sit at night and fester and fume. Guess they are sure I’m living it up on the $75/ month they sent me fifteen years ago. And they can’t believe I don’t have backup insurance for all manner of situations. Try this. Call your insurance carrier. Tell him you “make guns”. See what he says.
Oh, my health insurance went to owner $2,000 per month when the AFFORDABLE CARE insurance came thru. I couldn’t keep my plan. I couldn’t keep my Dr. I couldn’t pay for crap. You do know that all kinds of people lost their homes over that. Guess they got blamed too. Well, Icouldnt pay $2,000 per month for insurance PLUS pay for my meds. So I had to bail out. Nothing. No insurance. That will thrill some too. You may think I’m kidding. I’m not. The only disabled craftsmen people like are the ones fighting pain who are NOT GLBarnes.
I got sidetracked. Sorry.
I got a communication today. Fellow wants me to SEND HIM all the parts I’ve made for his incomplete magnum 58 rifle. HE HAS ACCESS TO A MANUAL MACHINE SHOP.
I end with my answer back to him.
I hope you are doing well Xxxxx
Once you assemble a bunch of HPA components that I have made, and didn’t know that you didn’t know something ... and blow your face off ... then who is to blame.
I know that it just eats you alive that my health hasn’t allowed me to complete this project to date. And you hold me responsible for the state of my health ... but that doesn’t mean I can participate in you harming yourself or someone else. I’m sorry. I’ll do it as soon as I’m able to safely complete it. I don’t work on it when I feel I’m not able to do a professional job. So I’d be a fool to just send it out in parts.
Best. And I’d rather be Well
Gary
I’m sorry to keep going over this. But some just hold me to blame. Chew on it. Their family teases them about the big gun that hasn’t arrived. They write every now and again. “you better yet?” “when will it be done.” “It’s been forever.” “I’m older now, I have health issues, I don’t even want it now.” “Send me the parts”. “Sent me your wife’s gun.” (Btw she doesn’t have one but he asked). Usually these are Christmas or Holiday notes when they have time to stew. The ones that I owe the most, they ask how I’m doing. They never ask about their guns I owe them. They know darned well I’m not THE source of evil in the world today.
Ok. Make what you will. I’m not going to participate in someone assembling my components in error. I don’t have a pile of coffee cans with names and stuffed with the twenty dollar bills that came in, no interest, on a digital handshake, before I got sick, and during the ten years of my treatments and surgeries. Now I’m living “what’s left of Gary” of what I make and sell. Keep trying to build bridges over the deep pain areas.
Again, I’m sorry to repeat the depressing stuff. But a few just won’t be happy until they are standing on the pier withholding the life preserver. You’d think I stole their kidney, instead of lost my health.
For the ones who look around the younger strong as a bull image that you were introduced to in the late 90’s, and see the older guy using his 45 years of pro skills to support himself and his wife, perhaps you can find a story of perseverance in the details. Maybe even find something admirable
Thanks for the Slog
Gary
