In mid 2014 I moved from the fast city of Toronto to the cozy region of Waterloo to join a then-small tech startup.
I bought my first car, bracing for the commuter culture shock associated with low-density living.
I got my first place all to myself, furnished with patio furniture and TV-dinner tray tables; it was all mine.
A few short months later, with my trusty wagon and an Ikea one hour’s drive away, I transformed it into some sweet /r/malelivingspace material.
In late 2014 I met a girl on Tinder.
I designed some cool hardware at work, then traveled abroad to install and service it.
As the company grew, roles became more specific. Having paid my dues and shown my stuff, I moved in a full-time hardware engineering role.
I bought my first house, a cozy fixer-upper that overlooks a rolling park with a field and a play structure. There are always fireworks on Canada day.
I stripped it down and made the house my own. I have a smart thermostat and internet connected light bulbs. I have a huge electronics work bench in my basement, with a nixie tube voltmeter.
I married that girl I met on Tinder this past winter. Her brother and his wife just had their first baby.
I was driving my wife to the baby shower when the other car ran a red.
We walked away, my wagon was written off.
I fought with the insurance company, they took away my rental before I had both 1) a reasonable offer, and 2) any other mode of transportation. In the suburbs, I was their hostage.
We made weekend adventure out to Montreal to get my new car, same as the old but with 100 more ponies.
When we got back home my mother shared with my the news; “get back to Toronto, your grandfather is not well.”
He stabilized, then I lost a childhood best friend to Leukemia.
My grandfather shortly followed, old age. He was with it right to the end, but he was tired.
I fuss about putting dirty dishes in the sink. I nag about glitter and cotton balls on the floor, and the endless hidden bobby pins.
Life is precious, and too short to fuss, nag, and fight. Enjoy every day to its fullest; you never know when it will be your last.
P.
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