John Leet:
CLASS OF 1980
Chittenango High SchoolClass of 1980
Chittenango, NY
John's Story
Life
Been some 10 months now since I signed on to this site having been contacted by that nice blond cheerleader from our class regarding the 25th year reunion. Sorry I missed it. I was able to make the two previous. Since this site keeps charging me for membership I figured I should at least say something about myself. What the heck maybe I'll hear from someone from way back then. Life is a short trip and we are all just passing through my grandmother used to say. Anyhow here goes.
Since graduation when I worked on the dairy farm my life has found me moving around. I served in the military for five years, I try not to forget what our service people have given to our America. After the military I worked in the construction trades as a carpenter for some 4.5 years before embarking on an endeavor which I had always thought about which was a college degree. After college up to my ears in debt with difficulty landing a good job in the empire state I was getting a little discouraged. One evening in a pub I learned of an opportunity to earn some better money. For the next 7 years I worked as a locomotive engineer and mechanic aboard a work train on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Montreal to Vancouver and south out of Estevan, Saskatchewan to Chicago was my life which in the end got my debts paid and money put away for retirement but no and I mean no quality of life. The old all work and, well you know the rest of it. Canada is a beautiful country and consequently I say "eh" a lot now. Spring 2004 I learned of an opportunity in the field of my college studies with a company in the Caribbean which provides water and waste water services to the resort industry as well as anyone else who is need of water services. Desalination by reverse osmosis as the primary method of recovery on the potable water production side and membrane filtration technology with respect to waste water treatment. Jumped on a plane for an interview and seven months later accepted a job offer. So here I am where summer seems to go on and on and on...Sometimes I get island fever and miss my family, actually I always miss my family as at my parents age or any age for that matter every day is a gift my father always told me. So my jobs going good, get to do a lot of diving which is how I snagged that lobster. Swam with a dolphin which I have not seen in awhile. Bought a small sailboat compared to the mega yachts down here. Hobie 16 is my craft, fast and fun but get ready to get wet and flip over at times. Well given that this is my first installment I figure I'll give it a rest for a bit.
9/22/07
Well it has been a couple years I guess since I wrote about my travels but I have been busy living stuff to write about or at least remember. Hope to think that you are all making the best of your time on earth. I cannot say that I have always made the best use of mine nor that of those who cared for me. I have learned many lessons the hard way that is certain.
Well I gotta go, I am heading over to this little island called French Cap. Going diving for some lobster and fish. 6 oct- Today it is cloudy and 79 degrees. We welcome these tropical waves as they bring rain and a break from eternal summer. One day we will be leaving here. It is a great place to live and work but in time we will head back to the states. Not certain where just yet. Turned 45 a couple months back. I think I have come to grips that I am getting older in spite of myself.
It was a hot one today. Apart from a business trip to Austin a bit ago I have not been off this rock. Couple days and adios to summer for a couple weeks. Gonna do some deer hunting up New York way. I still have stuff in storage up home. Part of the ritual I guess, visiting all my stuff. Regards to you all.
03 August 2009
1980 was many moons ago eh! A few years back I started writing a bit of my story for some reason. I thought to say hello to those folks whom I had shared a common experience with. I ended up carrying on more than anticipated for one reason or another.
I think I had more patients then?
I was going to check back after I went out and lived something worthy of writing about. Now it seems that all I can say is that I am alive and as far as I know healthy? which is enough. As for my life, it's good. I have had it worse I can attest. I have a sweet woman who tells me she loves me and such. I met her in Virginia 1985. She was in the military at the time I was. We went our separate ways as people do, she to Guam and I to here and there. A few years ago we ran into each other once aga...Expand for more
in.
As I said a couple years back, "my life has improved where I no longer have to break my back daily to make the dinero".
In a couple weeks I will enter my 48th year. My perspective of time has matured. Not certain if I have however? Time and its lessons are well learned for the fortunate maybe. I figure what I am trying to understand of time is not to waste it, my own and especially that of others. If anything I regret having learned some lessons at the expense of others. Time is sacred. It has taken much for me to learn that wisdom. But then I am growing old and wise perhaps? I hope.
04 April 2010
Hello All,
It is a Easter Sunday morning and here I sit adding to that brief epic that is my life. Have been meaning to write back to a few good kids from CHS who sent me a word or two. Not to good at it however. One would think that there is all the time in the world but we all know otherwise eh. Not certain why I postpone till tomorrow what should be attended to today. To those who have written me I say thanks and wish them happy days.
A couple more months and 1980 is thirty years past. Likely will not attend any event commemorating that milestone but to all I wish the best. Hope to get up that way in August though.
I have thought at times of all the kids from back then especially upon looking through that yearbook every great while. We are fortunate; Those of us who are still afforded the opportunity to look back as well as anticipate what lies ahead.
I guess it was the last time I attended a reunion event. It was at Sullivan Park 2000. There was a relatively small contingent of the class represented that day.
Not certain why but that day I was reminded of the kids whose time was cut short.
I remember one morning at the farm 1980. I was milking the cows and over the radio came news of Chip Taylor crashing his Mustang. I had just seen him the day before in gym class. There was Brian Corp who lost his life in front of that very same farm one morning coming back from Canastota way. Wendy Wisner, that happy girl with the great smile who sat behind me in 5th grade at Bolivar. Brian Burleigh, another great kid I had the good fortune to know. A year or two back I learned of John Joyal passing away. I cut school a time or two with Mr. John Joyal I recall he liked to sail a HobieCat 16 out on Oneida lake, an activity I much enjoy today here on this island I live.
Why I would write of these thoughts to all of you I am not certain. It is good to remember.
Now and again I stumble across a class photo circa 1973, 74' or 75'at Bolivar and see all the class of 1980. One photo is a fifth grade pic I think with Mrs. Danehy there as our teacher; All of us standing there with all of it ahead eh!. Wendy W. and Chip T. are in that photo I think and many of us more.
Not certain why I am thinking about it this morning. For whatever the reason I think of them from time to time which is a good thing.
It is certain we have all known loss of our own. Some deserved and some just just the nature of things in lfe eH.
I recall I did not, in the end know all of you, but I remember you all.
I have a crazy Bolivar road memory circa 1972. It is the memory of playing that age old game of dodge ball with those maroon rubber balls. I remember bouncing one of those squarely off the face of this kid named Mark Bailey. He had this stunned expression. I think DodgeBall has likely been outlawed?
Anyhow I should lighten up I reckon.
Starting to get more gray ones.
Gotta wear glasses full time now to keep from bumping into stuff.
The joints are a little more sore at the start and end of each day it seems.
Cannot complain though as there is much to be thankful for.
An old black woman once told me years back, she said, "Everybody Got Their Story".
It was about 1992.5. I had a job delivering healthcare equipment, repairing wheelchairs and the gambit of healthcare stuff utilized by the recovering and less fortunate. I was in a home on the south side of Syracuse to repair what was essentially a Lazyboy with a motorized lift mechanism. The ole boy was a diabetic amputee retired from UPS and relied on his chair. While there his wfe was asking me all sorts of quetions. I told her I was working this job and others and taking some classes I remember. She said to me with that black southern accent that has stuck with me ever since. She said,"Yes, Everybody Got Their Story".
That is certain eH. I learned much about good fortune in that period of my life.
Best to you all out there in the world.
John Leet
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