Memory File: Construction Sites

A few weeks ago, as part of a small group, I was touring the site of a multi-million dollar construction project.
The project manager was guiding us around; and answering questions about how the money was spent (our tax dollars at work).
When the questions started to slow down our guide started walking faster.

He thought he fulfilled his “duty” and now he wanted to go back to his regular work as soon as possible.
I caught up with him and started talking. He gave reluctant, monosyllabic answers; and increased his walking speed.
(Little did he know this was “home” to me. I easily kept-up the pace; and kept talking.)

By the time we were done, a now-much-friendlier project manager was telling me how he fell in love with construction at the young age of 14.
His first project was helping fix the family garage.

  *     *     *     *    *    *

That day, on the construction site, it felt like I’ve boarded a time-machine.
It took me back to Eastern Europe.
Back when my family would spend a few months out of the year in the country side while my father was away, working on different construction projects.

During the school year the whole family would move near the construction site so we can all be together.
(I learned then to make friends at whatever school I happen to be.)

When the school year was over we all, except my dad, would move back to our home in the country.
(The house I grew up in it’s still in the family).

Grandma lived only few blocks away and, in the summer, I would visit with her often.
She raised beautiful ducks and I liked playing with them; and chasing them.
(Actually we took turns – the ducks were chasing me when they had little ones.)

  *    *    *     *     *    *    *

Well, time to get back to work. That means time to get off the time-machine : )

Be well. Thanks for stopping by.

Mariana Fieraru

Mariana Fieraru, an Eastern European transplant, fell in love with her new home shortly after landing in New York. She "discovered" pizza! Years later she still loves pizza. And so do her two feathered-kids, Sunny and Flipper

Mariana worked on both, the east and the west coast.
Big or small, each project she worked on helped define the importance of gaining and sustaining a competitive edge in an increasingly complex business environment.

Business know-how, love of teaching and writing – all combined in 2006 to form OBI.
Its mission: to make learning fun! And easy.

Through its training, consulting, and publications OBI builds bridges of knowledge to take you from where you are to
where you want to go. Using a mix of serious, informal, analytical, and optimistic approach, OBI truly makes learning fun.

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