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Thread: American Detectorist Contest Giveaway Starts NOW!!!

  1. #21
    Full Member Robbie's Avatar
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    Well ,I live a simply life as a carpenter,I don`t make a lot of money but I do get a lot of satisfaction.Here`s a good story which happened to me a few years ago.I decided to take my two boys snow tubing at ski liberty.At that time my kids were 5 & 10yrs old.When we were done and the sun was starting to set, we piled into my 91 Chevy blazer,it wouldn't start.A young man saw that I was having trouble and he offerded his help.He asked if I had tools and a flashlight,which I didn`t(they were in my other truck) so he then crawled under my blazer on the wet gravel dirt which his cell phone camera light and messed with the starter and got it to start.When he came out from under it he was covered in grease and soke and wet.All I could do was reach into my pocket and pulled out a wad of money.He said,I don`t want your money.I said but you don`t understand I`m an hour and a half away from home it`s almost dark and I have two young kids.I don`t know how to thank you.He said I tell you what,don`t shut if off until you get home and when you do put a for-sale sign in it.I did just that.He must have been an Angel.Thankyou

  2. #22
    Full Member Hook's Avatar
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    a few months back i had a little time to kill, so i hit a fairly new park near my home. i started near the swings, all grass , with no wood chips or bark anywhere. bout the 5th swing or so i get a screaming surface sinal of a nickel, i look in the grass below the coil and see a gold band . i pick it up...14 K with the name Karen inscribed inside.

    i hunted a few more minutes with just a little clad found. by then i was about 50 yards from the swings. a small car drives up, the lady literally runs to the swings area and leans over searching the grass back and forth i keep checking the lady out of the corner of my eye and see her glance my way, then do a double take. here she comes almost running lol. i'm thinking..i bet i know what she wants!

    "mr does that thing find jewelry"? yes maa it sure does on occasion. ":mr does it find gold rings"?? yes maam it can . "would you please come look near the swings, as ive lost my wedding band my husband gave me a week before he passed away."

    maam can you describe the ring you lost? "its a plain gold band with my name inscribed on the inside of the band"

    maam ? would you mind tellign me your name? "my name is Karen of course"

    maam ? you might recognize this here...as i take the ring from my shirt pocket. her face lights up with a huge smile, as she takes the ring from me. happy tears start as she slips the ring on her finger. she thanked me over and over again as she kept looking at the ring back on her finger.

    dang it ya'll...i KNEW i should have left for home sooner! lol (kidding) . it was a great feeling to see the joy that woman felt when she got her ring back.

  3. #23
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    The most life changing event for me is ongoing. Watching two kids grow up is as life changing as it gets for me. I have a daughter in a Master's program and a 15 year old son who is always involved in something. Everyday, good or bad, there is always something to deal with. Wisconsin Digger

  4. #24
    I have to say, that I don't have one great moment or day to reflect on. My life has been very boring by comparison. Getting married rather young and having two boys to raise seemed to take all the energy and spare time out of life. There has been the usual celebrations and heartaches. Loved ones have aged and have died, leaving us to hold on to their memory and honor the values they instilled in us.

    I have watched the sunset from Florida in the southeast and Alaska in the northwest, where the sunrise was less than 2 hours after sunset.

    I have enjoyed working with many fine people and have felt the sting of betrayal by people I thought I could trust. I have had my soul crushed and beaten but not destroyed. I have lost material things only to be reminded that they never were really that important.

    I have been knocked down but like Rocky I keep getting back up.

    I guess, to be honest, I think every day has been incredible in its own way. And today, is all we can count on having, so I try to make it worth it.

    I thank God for all I have today.
    Ace 250 w/Sunray Probe
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  5. #25
    The best moment of my life is the day I told off my Boss in a staff meeting and got myself fired.


    I didn't do it intentionally but I think the subconscious self did it knowing that I was miserable there


    I really hated it there. The unnecessary stress was literally killing me ,also caused me to sprout gray hairs.


    I never could have quit on my own ,the pay and benefits were excellent.


    How does one quit a job and go work for far less money and lousy benefits?


    I now have a job I love and am a very happy person. Sure I have less income ,but you can't put a price on happiness. ( Its priceless)


    I learned a very valuable life lesson. Never allow yourself to feel imprisoned by anything in life and never put a price on your health and wellbeing.


    In the end the only thing that changed about having less income is I don't buy as much unnecessary crap like I used to..

  6. #26
    Veteran Member pulltabsteve's Avatar
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    Nice concept for a contest! So many wonderful things to think about. Meeting my step-son for the first time some 20 years ago, my daughter being born 18 years ago, meeting my second wife...(didn't happen yet but I'm sure it will be great! LOL)
    Anyway, the most recent great thing that has happened in my life is that I quit smoking after 40 years! I've been smoke free now for 123 days. Cold turkey. Back on December 23rd of 2013 I went to a cardiologist for chest pain that I've been having for a few months. I stupidly handled it by popping aspirin. Sometimes 6 or seven a day. Doc sent me to the hospital and on Christmas eve I had 3 stents installed. Artery was 95% clogged. I was home on Christmas day and my kids said it was the only thing they wanted. Was to have me back home. Funny thing is my detecting buddy Mike works in the Cardiac Cath Lab and his crew did the work. I had top notch care!
    Quitting smoking is not easy as anyone who has tried knows. I still want a smoke from time to time but I dont want to let a friend of mine down because I promised I wouldn't smoke again. I feel great by the way!
    Having fun is what it is all about!

  7. #27
    I guess just being able to have done the things I have wished to do. I feel it all started with being a U S Marine. I only wanted to see if I could make it through boot camp and I did and then the change in me started! I already loved America and now to get to be a Marine wearing that dress blue uniform was the best. I served until the late 80's when the US cut the Corps in half and I was the half that went. Moving on through life I found that there was nothing I wanted to try or no burden too heavy that I couldn't do. It opened the door every time I attempted any career opportunity. It has led me to being a success today. I learned the patience, respect and the professionalism that have let me capitalize on every situation that I have put myself into. Two times to Iraq working for private security companies and then training the US & Nato troops all over the world, to see places I would have never thought of going and meeting people who have so enriched my life even today. It even led me to meeting my wife who has always encouraged me and helped change a naive country boy to a man who is broader minded and able to find value in people and to accept myself as a positive and productive part of life! Thank you for such a forum where it's not just about the material things we find, but more about being able to be happy for others and enjoy their finds as a collective community!


    Bob Brewer, Jr.
    USMC 0331
    Eurotek Pro, Tesoro El Dorado
    best find: 1881 $5.00 gold coin
    oldest find: 1864 Indian head penny
    garrett pro pointer

  8. #28
    Life is the journey as George says in the first post. For me the journey got a lot easier once I truly realized how spoiled we Americans are. It's OK to be spoiled...you just need to realize you are spoiled. Sure we all have our problems but most of us live like kings and queens compared to 95% of the other 7 billion people on this planet. When you figure out that you are spoiled you can then appreciate the blessings you have. When you don't take things for granted you tend to work at them a bit harder in order to keep things in harmony. So....it's not having what you want..... it's wanting what you’ve got!

    Now I feel guilty for wanting a new metal detector
    Oldest find: 5,000 year old copper spearhead
    Oldest coin: 1699 William III halfpenny
    Purdiest coin: 1832 Capped Bust quarter
    Coolest find: USA button with blue threads still on shank

    "He who would search for pearls must dive below."

  9. #29
    Owner/Administrator Epi-hunter's Avatar
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    I love these stories everyone. Thank you!!!
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  10. #30
    Owner/Administrator Epi-hunter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pulltabsteve View Post
    I still want a smoke from time to time but I dont want to let a friend of mine down because I promised I wouldn't smoke again.
    Congratulations Steve... I will skin you alive if you ever smoke again.

    Just fantastic!!!
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  11. #31
    I think that the best thing that ever happened to me was marrying my wife because she IS the light of my life and means EVERYTHING to me. It took me 10 years to convince her to marry me and just like in Metal Detecting, my persistence finally paid off! I'm really blessed to have a woman like her in my life!

    Our Wedding Day:

    Name:  334_31940432810_9565_n.jpg
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    Last edited by ODA 226; 04-29-2014 at 07:44 AM.
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  12. #32
    Only 24 posts so far so here’s one more:

    From looking at all the other stories it’s apparent all the different journeys life takes each one of us. Some people are in our lives only to leave footprints. Looking back at some of the good moments I had, a lot seem to be coupled with a negative aspect. One example of such would be a night spent on a sand bar at low tide watching the falling stars, and then acting like a kid running back to the pension house while giving a piggy back ride. It was a carefree night feeling like a kid in a tropical place that was able to spark the feelings that are given up, by growing up. The undesirable aspect is that it was merely one of the ‘pictures taken’ just to ‘watch it burn’, as it was with the ex-fiancé.

    One thing that will stick into my mind, however, is actually a small thing. My co-worker/friend had offered that I go with him and his wife to Cebu, Ph. It is the second most populous island out of the 7,107 there. They own a house there and go visit every few years. They have taken another co-worker six years before I went along. I figured it was a once in a life time chance to see the other side of the world. Going at it alone in a place you know very little about would be a testing task. I was lucky to get the opportunity to see life there, not as a tourist sees, but as the locals see. The poverty and the trash there make you sad people live in those conditions, but knowing a lot more about their culture you realize they make the best of things. We Americans put too much emphasis on work and rarely take vacation days. They, in contrast, actually take many holidays off work to be home with friends/family, and they always party. Holy week is a full week of partying in April; Sinulog is a weeklong event in January. They want excuses not to go to work, even though they need money.

    I will never forget the very first day I was there. I hadn’t had a chance to make my presence known yet. After we arrived at airport and his sister-in-law drove us to the house, he was going to show me the area. Walking down the street just a few hundred meters away from my friend’s house in Tabunok, I see a few people sitting on some stools and a bench out front of a small shack. To paint a clearer image, the street is lined with large concrete walls and concrete houses, and there are a few shacks for vending. It’s a common thing for friends to take some money and buy 500 mL bottles of San Mig Pils for 50 peso each and share it amongst each other. It’s called tagay-tagay, or inom-inom. Walking by they offered me to drink with them. It was great to feel part of their group. To contrast, part of the culture here is that if you don’t know someone, you ignore them on the streets. Maybe you get an occasional “Hi”. This is why random acts of kindness and chivalrous acts are publicized here. Maybe it was the chance to see things first hand, or the feeling welcomed by this group, but it was a great experience.

    In a related tangent to this post:

    To provide further insight for those curious, they still wash clothes by hand. They are actually scared to use a washing machine. Life there consists of working and taking care of the family. The things for recreation are karaoke, volleyball, and of course inom-inom. They do get to travel local spots like to zipline or beach or waterfalls or even another island for Holy week. A doctor visit costs only 200 peso ($5). It is a misconception life there is harsh. To think they can barely afford food, well, it may come as a shock to know they all own cellphones there. Electronics cost the same price as they do here. I saw a shirt at Guess in Ayala for 3000p ($75). Kids always go to local internet café for computers. As well, they too have a mindset incorrectly believing money is easy to come by here in the US. Knowing many who have made their journey here, they get the experience to have lived both places and determine life here isn’t as easy as they once thought.

  13. #33
    probably the most significant event in my life was an accident that occurred on New Years Day 2003. I had built a roof over our porch the previous summer, and thought it developed an ice back up so i went on the roof to look for a leak-long story short I fell off my roof, and after 13 surgeries and 2 years of he double hockey sticks had my left leg amputated below the knee.....with out turning this into a sob story, because it isn't I have to say that event changed my life, made me realize how much i had to live for, kids, wife, job, etc. I have to say I honestly believe I am a better person because of this incident.......now, there is a down side-I really have to keep the coil stretched a little further out than most as it tends to "false" on my prosthetic (at least its a mid tone-hehehe)......I guess the other down side is my siblings have some fun at my expense from time to time such as sending me ginger bread cookies with 1 leg "missing", or home-made metal shields for my leg to wear when I go detecting.........I learned to have fun with it!
    Life's to short to be miserable!
    Garrett AT Pro, Fisher F4

  14. #34
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    Though I do have some nice finds; nothing is spectacular so I'll go with a life story.

    Sometime in 2006 I was walking through the lobby of my condo complex on my way out of the building when I saw a limo parked out in front of the main entrance. Walking into the building was a gaggle of women all dressed similarly and I immediately and correctly surmised it was a bachelorette party. There was one stunning redhead that stood out to me and I immediately launched into action. "Hi ladies, bachelorette party tonight?" I asked, attempting to engage them in conversation but mostly the redhead. A very brief conversation ensued and the group moved on deeper into the building. Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying.

    In March of 2009 I met a beautiful and intriguing redhead. After our first date, a phone conversation led to where I lived and she said, "I think my cousin lives there." At this point a light went off. By any chance were you involved in a bachelorette party a few years ago where a horde of women in cowboy hats came through the main lobby and some guy tried unsuccessfully to engage you in conversation? "Yes" she said. Well, nice to meet you again.

    We were married in June of 2011 and our son arrived in December of 2012.

    Sometimes fate puts you in the right place, twice.
    Last edited by BKM; 04-30-2014 at 07:46 AM.

  15. #35
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    So many touching stories
    I have been blessed in so many ways in life, and at times I have to remind myself of that.
    However, I would have to say..My wife and I were not planning on having kids, I was about to graduate from law school, and we were planning on moving east to the Boston area and I had been interviewing for positions with firms out there...well...2 weeks after getting sworn into the bar..."WE" found out "WE" were pregnant. Everything changed. We decided to stay in the area we were in, as my inlaws were in the next town over and we decided that we wanted to be around family, instead of working for a firm, I decided to go solo and open my own practice....we lived off our equity line....I was a motivated person before...but now with a kid depending on me too...it wasn't just about "ME" anymore...I did everything I could to make it, failure was not an option. I started in a small rented room about the size of a bedroom and in 8 years now have my own building, and 4 satellite locations...and now 2 VERY SPOILED daughters. It was the birth of my daughter that made me the person I am today.
    2014 Goals: 20 Silver, 5 Large Coppers, 1 Gold Coin (not anticipating being able to detect much this year; NEW BABY HERE!!)
    So Far: (0) Silver; (2) KG, LC 1807; (2) IH; (3) Buff


    2013 Total: 36 Silver; 5LC (including 1 FUGIO)
    2012 Total:101 Silver; 11 LC

  16. #36
    Senior Member lee's Avatar
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    i think mine was winning the north Atlantic butcher of the year contest last year , i was so nervous before the start i could not even sharpen my knife.....it keeped going one side of the steel but no mater how hard i tried it would not go the other side .
    here is a picture of me playing the fool to the crowd once the nerves subsided
    Name:  Lee Best Butcher Comp.jpg
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  17. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by slvrsrchr View Post
    probably the most significant event in my life was an accident that occurred on New Years Day 2003. I had built a roof over our porch the previous summer, and thought it developed an ice back up so i went on the roof to look for a leak-long story short I fell off my roof, and after 13 surgeries and 2 years of he double hockey sticks had my left leg amputated below the knee.....with out turning this into a sob story, because it isn't I have to say that event changed my life, made me realize how much i had to live for, kids, wife, job, etc. I have to say I honestly believe I am a better person because of this incident.......now, there is a down side-I really have to keep the coil stretched a little further out than most as it tends to "false" on my prosthetic (at least its a mid tone-hehehe)......I guess the other down side is my siblings have some fun at my expense from time to time such as sending me ginger bread cookies with 1 leg "missing", or home-made metal shields for my leg to wear when I go detecting.........I learned to have fun with it!
    Life's to short to be miserable!
    Amen Brother!
    Minelab CTX 3030
    Minelab Excalibur II
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    Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II
    Garrett AT ProPointer
    Garrett Recovery Tool
    Stealth 720i Sand Scoop
    Vibra-Quatic 2 Pinpointer
    Land and Sea Pinpointer
    Lesche Digging Tool
    Lesche 40" Shovel
    Lesche Piranha Shovel
    2007 Jeep JK to get me to where the treasure is!

    My Youtube Channel! American Digger in Europe:
    https://www.youtube.com/c/AmericanDiggerInEurope

  18. #38
    I'm thankful for my great family and I'm going to be a Grandpa again .

  19. #39
    So many great stories. I have really enjoyed reading them all and hearing about the events that helped to shape each of you. my story wouldn't be a single event but instead a lifetime similar events that have helped me to become who I am today. At the age of 19 I was a young man who had never been more than 100miles from my home of Freeman Washington, at that age I joined the Air Force. My recruiter assured me that I would be returned to the area for my first station, instead I was sent to Germany. From there I was able to visit many places throughout Europe. during my 10 years of service I was able to see many parts of the world and experience the people and cultures.
    After I left the Air force I had thought that my travels would end but after getting a job with a Spokane based company. I eventually worked my up to a position maintaining the equipment we sell to our customers and now once again travel far and wide. the experience has taught me that people are people no matter where you may be. We all laugh, cry and love, we have families and devote our time to surviving and providing. I have learned that I am blessed beyond the wildest dreams of many others in the world today and also that happiness does not depend on those blessings.
    I don't have trip scheduled at the moment, but I have no doubt that I will meet interesting people with whom I will share laughs and memories.

    Ron
    Last edited by Ronandari; 05-01-2014 at 06:22 PM. Reason: edit text
    Whites VX3 with Sunray Probe, 10x12 SEF, 8x6 SEF, 10dd, 6x10Eclipse, 4x6 Eclipse, Lesche digger and Garrett Pro Pointer.

  20. #40
    Veteran Member
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    One might think that this can be a very difficult thing to answer, but for me it is a simple one that can be answered in two words, Loving Wife. Need I say more.......

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