After graduating Sussex Regional High School in 1989, I joined the Canadian Armed Forces. Well, sort of. I lasted 3 days of boot camp before I got discharged on a medical (phych) condition. Someday I may tell that story in its fullest, but not today.
I did a couple of odd-jobs for a couple of years, not really making any real progress (I did play lots of D&D during this time, and made some really stupid decisions in my social life as well.
I delivered pizza, installed waterbeds, sold furniture and a couple of other one-time jobs that aren't even worth mentioning at this time.
in 1993, I went to Trade School (Eastern Business Computer Institute) to get some professional training in Computer Programming. This one year course was a complete waste of my time. I learned a lot of really interesting things that, it turns out, no one in the real world was interested in. Especially from a fly-by-night operation. All of my resumes probably ended up in an HR office roundfile (trash can).
1995. Relentlessly, and undaunted (and also, wanting to move out of my parents house for the 3rd or 4th time) I registered at the New Brunswick Community College - Saint John. This was the first time I moved out of my hometown by myself.
I guess one thing that really hadn't shown up in my thoughts yet, was that I was a pretty quiet person. Very few friends, keeping to myself a lot, mostly reading or geeking on my computer.
When I moved to Saint John and started school, I decided that I had an opportunity to become someone else. No one really knew me here, and no pre-conceived notions would be in place. I was determined to talk to everyone, join in and break out of my 'shell'.
I did this, every day and every night I threw up from the stress of it all. Eventually it got easier, I got to know people in my class and in the rest of the school. I joined the Student Council, I sat with people at lunch and in general, just tried to fit in with everyone. I firmly believe that this was the key to where I am today. Hard skills like programming languages are easy to pick up, but soft skills like communication and personality are key to moving forward.
In summer break (this was a two-year course) I met the woman who changed my life forever. I had known Beth, really all of my life. We were in Kindergarten together and I was friends with her brother on-and-off through school. I'm still fuzzy on how this all started, but it was probably my friend Julie's fault. I had been in love with Julie all through High-School and even after when we both moved to Saint John for school, but she was (and always will be) a 'Best Friend', not a 'Girlfriend' (I was probably in love with her younger sister Dawn as well, but that is another story).
The first date with Beth I remember was at the Drive-in in Sussex. I couldn't tell you what was playing, I just know that Beth and I cuddled the entire time, barely even talking. It had begun.
Three Days later, Beth was in a motorcycle accident. I was in a car behind her and saw the entire thing. She was pretty beat up, with a lot of road rash and a couple of mangled fingers, but in the end she came out fine. My dad always joked that she tried to get out of the relationship by driving off of the bridge, but I think it was an event that brought us ultimately together.
1996. We ended up living together in Saint John while I finished my last year of school. I proposed to her around Thanksgiving, and we got married May 31, 1997.
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