The Essence of Bob May
Loyal ~ Political ~ Generous
Conscientious ~ Communicative ~ Guarded
Bob was unwilling to do the written interview, but I wanted to include his story, so we recorded it. The interview took place in July 2024, four months before the book’s current format took shape.
I met Bob at Sears Canada in 1982. I worked in the Carpet department, and he worked in the TV and Stereo department. This group of people was the most unique lot imaginable. We were not just work colleagues but developed into great friends, as evidenced by our now forty-plus-year relationship. We have now developed lifelong friends.
The Sears gang started attending social events outside of work, such as bowling, car rallies, and fishing trips. Those fishing trips became longer and longer.
Several elements of Bob and my relationship make this one of the most remarkable friendships I have ever had. He has always been there for me on many levels. For example, he was there if I needed a Santa Claus or a Master of Ceremony for a client event.
Bob was a host of a show on Roger’s community TV called “Talk Local.” It was a community and current event program; I would be a periodic guest. The highlight was during the election one year when I provided statistical information for Bob to broadcast results; we made an excellent team.
Eventually, I was invited on flying-in fishing trips. Bob’s dad would join us. He did so even at age eighty. I always admired Bob’s parents, who led an exemplary retirement lifestyle. When I changed careers and went into financial planning, I even invited them as a couple to speak with my clients about how to live a rich life in retirement. Ultimately, Bob Senior and his wife Lois lived more years in retirement than they worked. Their story enriched my knowledge. Bob assumed their role as we got older together.
These conversations were significant because they helped form my vision, vantage point, and outlook on life as we aged together and influenced how I advised clients. With Bob, no subject was too sensitive.
The Family
Cottage and fishing trips are an excellent measure of our reduced physical ability. At the cottage Donna and I bought, I would have the guy’s weekend at the beginning of the year thirty-five years ago. We would dismantle an eight-foot by fourteen-foot deck and carry the frame down to the water’s edge, where we reassembled it for the season. At the end of the cottage season, we would reverse that process. As we have gotten older, our ability to move the decking made a size reduction necessary. The deck size was reduced to four by eight, and now I won’t risk having seventy-year-olds moving docks.
As we’ve aged, our choice of fishing resorts has evolved, and our fishing trip resort parameters have also changed. The cabin needs to be a short and flat walk to the boats, and we need to be able to walk to the fishing boats without a challenging grade. Our conversations have developed and evolved over the years. Other stages of life are around the corner, and the dialogue continues.
Meet Bob…
The Flying in Fishing Trips
At some time, you reached a fork in the road. At that time, it didn’t feel like it, but looking back, you realize it was a big moment. One that changed your life. Describe yours.
I found myself unemployed shortly after we got married. There was a small ad in the Montreal Star, a four-line ad that didn’t mention that it was for a Sears Canada warehouse. I landed that job, which led to a 30-year series of jobs until retirement.
During those years at Sears, there was a significant move from the warehouse in Montreal to a commission sales job in Sears Square, one in the Appliances department.
A second fork in the road for me was during an evening shift at Sears's TV and Stereo department. Another ad, this time for a school of broadcasting, really appealed to me. I took the plunge, which eventually led to a twenty-five-year volunteer career. This included local TV coverage of elections, sports, and the Santa Claus Parade in Brampton. I met some notable personalities in the sports world and politicians from all levels of government—municipal, provincial, and Federal.
The other fork in the road was medical, better addressed in the challenge question below.
The Boys of Summer~ The Annual Fishing Trips
What has been your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?
I had an appointment at my GP, and during that appointment, on my way out of the office, the doctor asked if there was anything else. I said it was a little problem and I would tell him I would share it on my next visit. Thankfully, he wouldn’t accept the answer and pursued it. It was a cancer diagnosis – three weeks later, I had surgery. That was September 14th, 2001. I can now say I have been cancer-free for twenty years. That was a life-changing event. My perspective on what’s important in life changed after that diagnosis, surgery and recovery.
What is one gem you learned on your journey that you would love to share? Alternatively, what hint would you tell a younger version of yourself?
Be aware of your blessings and appreciate all of them. You never know when you will be dealt a bad hand.
Red Boat Lake Inuksuk.