My octogenarian friend Down Under

Today, February 21^st, is a very special day.  Not only is it President’s Day in the U.S., it is Kenneth’s 80^th birthday!  KCT, as I fondly call him, was my long-ago boss across the Pacific. He was in his late 40’s when he walked into my life, a spring chicken, if you will.

The Philippine company I worked for was acquisitioned by a major U.S. company.  KCT, an Australian who was formerly based in Malaysia, moved to Manila to head our Pacific regional operations.  Right off the bat, the two workaholics (KCT and I) quickly bonded and for five years, we worked as an "unimpeachable" team.

KCT traveled a great deal in those days.  He was responsible for the Southeast Asian operations and trips to the Asian facilities he managed became the routine.  Thanks to his frequent absences, I had no choice but to be self-sufficient, not allowing myself to be the mouse that played when the cat was away.  It was an invaluable experience as it gave me ample occasions to think on my feet.

My fond memory of that time includes the telex machine operations.  Today’s generation won’t even know what I’m talking about.  It is an antiquated version of a fax machine that instantly sent messages to anywhere in the globe.  The process was painstaking because before any message could be transmitted, someone had to type the text into long strips of yellow tapes which ended up with punched holes.  Then those tapes were fed into the machine and that’s how any message could get to the receiving end. 

Because the telex transmissions were a huge part of our daily corporate grind, we needed someone full-time to manage its operations.  That employee's job was to stay in a room with the telex machine constantly making its peculiar sound and monitoring all incoming and outgoing messages.  But as it turned out, it wasn’t exactly a boring job for the employee we took on board.  She eventually met her American husband through that cumbersome equipment.  One day she heard the keys typing a message, someone in America saying "hello."  She responded and it was the start of their electronic romance. 
 

After I left the company, KCT’s wife (MLT) and I exchanged typewritten letters.  We corresponded for a while but when my life in America got really crazy, I fell behind in my letter-writing, not only with her, but everyone else in my life.  Many years later, I heard that she had a three-year battle with cancer which took her life five years ago this month.  When the news reached me, I regretted that I couldn’t be in her life at her most difficult time.  I felt sad that I didn't get the chance to tell her how much her friendship was appreciated.  On the third day of her passing, as I drove to work that morning I noticed the custom-made license tag of the 4WD in front of me.  We were stopped at the light, giving me a moment to notice it.  The tag had MIRIAM below a pair of stretched-out butterfly wings.  I didn't think it was sheer coincidence to see her name on the third day of her death.  You see, she and I had a special bond.  Right that moment, it hit me that it was her unique way of saying Hi and Goodbye.  I knew that her spirit was also assuring me that she was fine in her new heaven.  Nevertheless. I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.  MLT was a special soul, a burst of sunshine, a bright and lovely spirit who always found something uplifting to say.  She had a vibrant personality and a witty disposition.  She was one class act and I’m sure that she is sorely missed by her family and friends. 

It is great to know that KCT has wonderfully moved on even without the love of his life.  To celebrate his 80^th, KCT and his daughter took a cruise to South America and Antarctica.  I'll always remember him as a wonderful boss who made sure that the people he worked with were taken care of.  Because he worked hard in his executive role to make his employer look great, he deserves to be rewarded with every relaxing vacation he can enjoy in his retirement years.

Today as KCT becomes an official member of the Octogenarian Club, I feel blessed that he touched my life, grateful for his friendship throughout the years.  He is an outstanding citizen and I wish him many, many more birthdays.  

I told him this on his birthday last year, and I'll say it again:  KCT is still my all-time favorite boss!