A friend asked me today what was the happiest time of all my years at Magna. Without a second of hesitation I told him it was more than 20 years ago when I was trying to automate a set of tools in the old 1009 press at Presstran! I reminisced about arriving at work in the morning and being able to see from a distance whether the press was running or not, and either way I was excited to get to the press to see how the night had gone, and excited to get on with whatever new challenges were forthcoming for the day. I was living with Claudette at the time and maybe Michael had been born, I'm not sure, but either way we barely had a pot to piss in as a good portion was being sent off for the upkeep of Peter and Jonathan, and we had just bought our first rundown old house which needed money as well. Never the less, other than some great battles that Roo and I enjoyed as we figured out how to make our marriage work I was very happy.(actually I even like the battles)
The conversation then went from "what was you're happiest time at Magna" to "what was your happiest time in life" and for some reason I never had to think about this one either. It was when I was maybe 20 years old living above the Chinese restaurant in Fergus Ontario with my brother Bill and our friend Roger. I had recently been fired from my job, had absolutely no money, and no prospects for any kind of a future, either professionally or personally. Actually I do remember having enough money to be able to go down the street and play pool, because I can remember to this day, min that pool hall, thinking what a great life I had now that I didn't have to work for a while, as I was sure to be able to collect unemployment insurance benefits.
If they say ignorance is bliss I guess you could conclude I was pretty ignorant at the time. I was ignorant of the challenges of marriage, ignorant of the stress of career, ignorant of the heartbreak of parenthood, and ignorant of my own shortcomings and limitations in regards to all of these things.
Fortunately I was ignorant, because I do not wish to change any of the results of my decisions, and yet, oh how the years change things eh? Now I know all of these things I didn't know at 20. It seems that I am a much wiser man with a much heavier burden.
Now to just recapture the 20 year olds happiness and then some, despite the heavier burden. That is my goal!
I'm gonna start tomorrow morning by running part of the Puebla to Atlixco highway. Wish me luck! I won't go as far as last time but I need to make a decent effort as I have now had 2 down days in a row
A special message today to all those at 43027. As God is my witness my love for you is so intense there are moments it near stalls my heart!!
I wish to dedicate day 160 to 2 year old Jose Esteban Gaspar(son of a co-worker) who not just survived bi-lateral Retinoblastoma (a cancer of the retina) but managed to retain the sight in both eyes!
"I wish that I knew, what I know now, when I was younger"---Rod Stewart
“Ah - but I was so much older then; I'm younger than that now."---Bob Dylan
love
peter
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Pete...I enjoyed the battles also but I must say I am much better at arguing them now than I was then. Moments of happiness for me...when you and I were working shifts, and we didn't have a lot of money, and the beautiful work you did in the rundown house which saved us money. I also remember on one of my birthdays, you gave me this beautiful amethest ring with a very tiny diamond. The card said, "the amethyst gem because it's your birthstone, and a little diamond because we only have a little bit of money."
I guess the moral of the story is.. money doesn't make you happy but it sure does help!!!
Love you so much!
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