Craig McGuigan

High School was a very long time ago, but you can't deny, it was a turning point in all of our lives. It's been really interesting learning of the marvellous twists and turns that followed for other folks so I'll offer a bit of my story.
I'm not sure what other people's general impression of High School was but I found my teen years bewildering and nerve wracking. It was an awkward stage of life I was glad to finally leave behind. To compound things, not long after High School, my dad died and Bruce and I were confronted with the aftermath; settling accounts and getting our mother set up - pretty stressful for 19/20 year olds. With the exception of a brief and undistinguished year in a suit and tie downtown, I worked as a youth worker in a range of settings for my 20s.
At the end of that era, Jeff Swartz, Bruce and I went to Barcelona Spain to teach ESL. At the last minute my girlfriend of 6 weeks, Martha, decided to come along. Bruce married a gal from there and Jeff stayed. Martha and I have been together ever since. After finally completing my degree and teacher training at SFU, I worked as a school counsellor through my 30s while working on a Master's degree in Counselling on the side. (Yes, I of all people got a teaching credential) Upon turning 40, I took my kids out of school, loaded up the pick up and camper and drove around Mexico, Guatemala and Belize for half a year. Along the way, I shaved my head. When I got back, I quit my High School job and was lucky enough to get a position at Malaspina University College as a counsellor. There's this pattern of pivotal change every 10 years. It makes me apprehensive about what might await a couple of years down the road.
Martha and I have two sons. Liam just started at Uvic and just made the rowing team this week. He's had a bit of an acting career but set it aside to focus on Rowing. He had been torn between Rowing and Acting all through High School. Connor is in grade 10. He's a rower as well, loves rugby and excels in music as a base player. His school has a fine Jazz program. After years of working in non profits, Martha recently got a teaching position at Camosun College where she is the head of a Social Services diploma program. So, mid week, Martha lives with Liam in Victoria, and I live with Connor in Nanaimo. Weekends we try to get together in one place or the other. We've been at this a short time but it seems like the arrangement will work out just fine.
I'm looking forward to seeing all the folks that can make it on the 13th.
Craig McGuigan "Our experience is not what happens to us, but what we make of what happens to us"