Luck of the Non-Irish

When I think back, it’s interesting to note just how much luck has played a part of my life. Things could have been quite different…

I grew up in tiny mining towns, where there wasn’t really much to do but play outside and in the woods. By chance I happened upon a discarded smashed TV set and was curious about just what all these bits inside were. Luckily enough there was an electronics magazine available at the store, and although at 8 years old I didn’t understand 99% of it, there was still an aura of ‘coolness’ to it. It was through this magazine that I learned about these newfangled ‘computer’ thingies…

It wouldn’t have mattered much if we’d remained trapped in these little mining towns; there wouldn’t have been much of a choice in future careers besides continuing on in the same types of construction and mining jobs. As luck would have it though, the mines were running dry and jobs were harder to come by at that time, so once the town shut down we were forced to look elsewhere. We wound up staying with relatives all the way over in the big city, Edmonton, with all its greater opportunities.

In high school I barely knew anyone, and was kind of adrift socially. I thought a club might be interesting, but wasn’t sure which one was really appropriate. I took a chance on the Games Club, since I liked games of various kinds, and if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met most of the people I now know best.

As high school was wrapping up, it was clear what I wanted to do: head to University and get a computer-related degree. It wasn’t clear just how I was going to do so, though. I had absolutely no money and the family wasn’t exactly loaded with cash either, so a student loan looked like the only option, and even that was questionable. One day though, my chemistry teacher mentioned a scholarship that she thought some of us might be interested in. I’d never heard of it before, but I applied and, miraculously enough, won one. The scholarship alone almost entirely covered tuition fees for all four years. I was able to get the degree without having to get a loan, and entered the workforce completely debt-free.

Any minor change in any of these events, just one small decision made differently, and my life could have turned out completely different. Thankfully I’m not stuck back in the mines of B.C. hauling rocks around all day…