Lifestyle, Time, Money, the Southern, and Parker shotguns

[MrBojangles]

Okay, I’m jealous…

https://www.southernsidebyside.com/

How do you all do this? It’s a lifestyle, for sure.

The comraderie, meet good folks, hang out with old friends, handle nice shotguns, perhaps buy one or a few.

And it’s not just this event, but several throughout the year.

It seems to me it’s conducive to being retired after having a well above average income throughout one’s career.

The problems I have are good luck getting any appreciable time off from work these days, when you do, the wife won’t have fun at something like the southern, not to mention the costs of getting and staying there, and, being I’m still working, I’m probably younger than many on this forum and never experienced the appreciable wage growth of some of our older members.

Which means attending several events of the year is out of the question as is purchasing a handful of fine Parkers at these events.

[Clark McCombe]

My first time. A few years ago it would have been unimaginable to take the better part of a week for something like the Southern.
But I reached a point with health and other obligations that I thought it was about time to do something I really had interest in before it’s too late.
You’ll wake up one day with your decision made and will join us in Sanford.
Until then enjoy the weekend vicariously - there will be plenty of updates here

[Double Lab]

I've been going to these events long before I retired. I started when I was in my 50's, self employed and when I didn't work I didn't get paid. But the lifelong friends I made are worth it. YMMV.

[Bill Murphy]

Many of our members, like myself, were raised in an atmosphere of outdoor sports, and fun with guns, regardless of our financial lot in life. We started low on the totem pole, progressing to a better position, but at all points, having an interest in blood sports and guns. Interest in Parker shotguns is a natural high point of such a lifestyle. By the way, The Lovely Linda has attended the Southern with me every time I have attended after the first year. On our last visit, she even purchased a shotgun.

[Mike of the Mountain]

I started attending when I was 49 or 50 and self-employed, such as Daryl. The only Southern I missed was because it was canceled by the Plandemic. Sammy was with me there the second year I attended. She’s been back home since because someone has to run the desk. She’s been to the Fall Southern twice. She will be attending the Spring Southern when we have operational changes here at The Rock.

It’s amazing how when you see the various events you can compete in just how quickly your double gun collection grows!

[MrBojangles]

Well, now I don’t feel so bad.

It seems like many of you ARE in your 50s, or nearly so, or were at least that old before attending.

I’m in my mid 50s. Events such as these will have to wait until I retire. Hopefully within a few years. Let’s say I look forward to meeting you there and making new friends circa 2030.

I bring up the lifestyle thing, as it’s a way of life. One I don’t have, at least yet.

When I was younger, I stupidly and very naively believed I was attending college to get a job that probably doesn’t exist anymore, and maybe never did. To support a lifestyle of events such as these, flyfishing, time outdoors, etc, and somehow you do all that, which takes up most of your time, and surrounding that you have a job that supports all that and then some.

I never envisioned working so much and having so little time for other pursuits, not to mention a salary, which in my case, is okay, but not over the top.

I did work for a family while in college doing landscaping and the son seemed to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Grouse hunting in Scotland, etc, every year. Didn’t really seem to ever work. Sadly, I think he may not have anywhere the funds he once did.

[GH-16]

The southern has always been on my want list of things to do, but it seems there is always some sort of priority conflict with making it happen.

Back when I was working. I only had a few weeks of vacation time and had to make the decisions between taking a week to travel to Sanford or spend that money & time to have a week with my dogs & buddies chasing upland birds in the Dakotas or Montana. Then for years I was in group who shared a block of tables at the spring Tulsa show & it was to close in schedule to the spring southern that attending it fell down the priority list between the two passions.

The trade-off was, I still walked & talked the Parker life and have no regrets about the decisions I made.

Now that I'm retired, there is always something that prevents me from dedicating the time & money to justify making the trip from Denver to the east coast due to some family issues with taking care of my 95yr old mother.

Who knows--Maybe someday you'll see my ugly mug in Sanford. I know I'd sure like to shake some hands and put some faces to names in this great group of Parker people!

[MrBojangles]

Originally Posted by Paul Ehlers

The southern has always been on my want list of things to do, but it seems there is always some sort of priority conflict with making it happen.

Back when I was working. I only had a few weeks of vacation time and had to make the decisions between taking a week to travel to Sanford or spend that money & time to have a week with my dogs & buddies chasing upland birds in the Dakotas or Montana. Then for years I was in group who shared a block of tables at the spring Tulsa show & it was to close in schedule to the spring southern that attending it fell down the priority list between the two passions.

The trade-off was, I still walked & talked the Parker life and have no regrets about the decisions I made.

Now that I'm retired, there is always something that prevents me from dedicating the time & money to justify making the trip from Denver to the east coast due to some family issues with taking care of my 95yr old mother.

Who knows--Maybe someday you'll see my ugly mug in Sanford. I know I'd sure like to shake some hands and put some faces to names in this great group of Parker people!

You mention when you were working you only had a few weeks off. My dilemma as well. My wife and I only get three weeks off a year. Of course, I could make one of those weeks the Southern. Except my wife wouldn’t go for it, as she would be bored there plus that leaves less time off to do other things that both of us enjoy.

Retirement can’t come soon enough!

I should state that I don’t know why I would somehow miraculously have this career that would allow me to do whatever I wanted to when I wanted to as everyone in my family sure worked long hours for many years. For me, the concept of a second home for vacations and the time to do all that is a most foreign concept, among other things.

[Hammer Gun]

Well I have missed the Southern the last three years, moving and the sell of the mountain house still unpacking here in Mt Airy, Issues with my wifes health so I will not be there this year either, maybe next year? The computor helps keep me in the loop so to speak about what is happening. The Southern is by far the best venue in the southeast if you like side by sides this is the one to be at Gary

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Gary Carmichael Sr

Well I have missed the Southern the last three years, moving and the sell of the mountain house still unpacking here in Mt Airy, Issues with my wifes health so I will not be there this year either, maybe next year? The computor helps keep me in the loop so to speak about what is happening. The Southern is by far the best venue in the southeast if you like side by sides this is the one to be at Gary

I can certainly relate to all of that Gary. I’m 77 and I know you and several others have me beat by a score of years but the desire is always there. I started going to the southern with Kathy back in about 2007 and she liked it almost as much as I did. Wonderful new friendships were made - the education I received - the associations we were introduced to - everything was exceptional and I would never trade these experiences for anything.
Then I lost my job (downsized) and at 66 I decided I was now retired and still had a mortgage over our heads. So what did I do?… I sold my two best Parkers to pay it off. Then Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and suffered with it for close to 7 years before she passed in 2022.
Many unexpected things in our lives put a halt to the good times so we can’t wait for opportunities to present themselves - we need to actually MAKE the time for the things we want to do. CARPE DIEM my friends!!
Dorothy, my new love, and I went to the Southern two years ago but we need to make decisions these days based on budgetary constraints. Dorothy loved the Southern and truly wants to go again but for this year we will focus on enjoying some time with friends at Hausmann’s.





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