People make your memories!

I just spent an emotional hour taking 40 years’ worth of collected articles, course notes, files, communications, calculations, brochures, etc. in a dozen or more boxes and piling them onto a raging bonfire.  The short time it took to turn the many pages into ashes seemed as quick as those 40 years have passed.  You graduate, you blink, a few times, and suddenly your career is a memory. Just like that.

Scanning through the materials for things I might want to keep, so many moments in time came instantly into view as if they happened just yesterday.  Some I’d forgotten, some I knew well and most amazed me – did I really do all that?  The memories that stood out the most were the learning experiences. The strongest emotions of the times were either humor or fear!  I won’t bore you with all of them, but maybe two…

Fear:

As Engineering Manager, Backhoe Loaders, at JCB, I received a report of instantaneous brake failure on a machine that resulted in a vehicle collision.   Other field reports of brake issues started coming in also.   As we got more information and received returned parts, it was clear that there was leakage past the brake piston due to cylinder scoring. There was actually no instantaneous brake failure as enough pressure was generated in an emergency stop or a heavy braking situation, but gentle braking did result in poor stopping performance. I immediately asked the Spanish supplier to get on the next plane. After meeting with the rep. and discussing the sectioned parts, that day, “long retired” Mr. JCB happened to be making one of his handful of annual visits to the plant to hear what was going on.   As always, we managers were asked to gather around a long conference table. He was at the head of the table and I happened to sit immediately to his right.   After a few things he wanted to show and tell us, he went around the table for updates.   Guess who was first!  I explained to him the field issues, that I’d just met the brake supplier and what we’d found so far.  Mr. JCB then turned to our Hydraulics Specialist, who was sitting immediately to his left and in front of me and asked “John. What are your thoughts on this?"  Ever the political animal, the response was “Mr. JCB. I know nothing about this”.  Uh Oh!   I was then grilled as to why I hadn’t involved the hydraulics expert. In my panicked quick-thinking, I stated that these were brakes.  Wrong answer!   “This is a piston, in a cylinder, with oil, creating pressure!  It’s hydraulics!”  I was then subjected to the dreaded wagging forefinger in my face and asked sternly several times as to why I hadn’t involved the hydraulics expert. Mr. JCB had a bent joint at the fingertip so it pointed somewhat to the side. I remember thinking at the time, he’s not really pointing at me. Odd how the brain works under stress!  I could sense how everyone else was shrinking away from me, like that shot in the movies!   After insisting I get John up-to-speed, Mr JCB continued around the table.  After he left, the feeling of everyone was distinctly leaning towards “nice to have known you”.

The following evening, at about 6:30pm after everyone had gone home, I was half-sitting on the edge of my conference table talking with one of my fellow managers. I heard a far door creak and it was Mr JCB walking down the aisle, the length of the open plan office, past all the manager’s desks.  When he got to mine, he saw the other manager, swung in, sat between us on the table and talked with him.  Mr JCB never looked at me and was angled away from me as he talked.  I felt a little uncomfortable to say the least. After a few minutes, that conversation was done.  Mr. JCB swung around.  He put his left arm over my shoulder and with a wide smile, said “Sorry to have wragged you in front of the boys, but you’ll never forget to involve the experts, will you?”  I replied with a smile and utter relief. “No, Mr. Bamford!”   With that, he bade us goodnight and walked out.

Humor:

As Project leader at Caterpillar, responsible for all the engineering of the Ultra class of Surface Rock drills – MD6640 and MD6750, I spent many hours on the production line, helping the guys set up the electric motor-driven air compressor control system, which was always problematic on every build.  The machine was parked outside and running as I and the line personnel were observing the compressor operation, communicating via headsets, and making adjustments.  We were trying to finish up as it was expected to rain later that day.  We moved out of the hot, noisy compressor “house” onto the walkway outside to discuss next steps.  I thought it had started raining as I felt drops on my white shirt and said so.  As I said this, the guys started pointing and laughing. I didn’t get the joke until one of them said “It’s raining all right. Pink f*****g rain!” I looked down and my white shirt was no longer white!  The red ATF in the compressor was getting sucked into the drill air stream in the pressure tank and was spraying out the hose up on the mast. Pink rain indeed!  The guys never let me forget that day, especially when I wore a white shirt.

Interestingly, the most memories came to mind as I looked through all my business card holders. Every name had a face and every name had many memories, significant and insignificant, associated with each of them.  It dawned on me that it wasn’t the collected articles, course notes, files, communications, calculations, brochures, etc. that brought back the memories, but the people associated with those items.  The events were not as important as the people that helped make them.

I’ve kept all the business cards. They are my key to long forgotten memories. Thank you everyone!