• The summer before going to high school terrified me. I had anxiety in anticipation of five more years of bullying. In the first week of my freshmen year I breathed a sigh of relief after realizing all the kids that had bullied me went to a different high school. I started with a clean slate, and established new friendships.
• I had five great years at Aldershot High school. I made friends that have lasted a lifetime. I was also lucky to have an older cousin, and a few tough friends to create a protective aura throughout middle school. While swimming throughout my teens I decided to try my hand at Karate, and a bit of weight lifting in between to stay in shape. In hindsight we were all lucky to be in a relatively calm social environment in Burlington, Ontario compared to the level of youth aggression experienced in metropolitan cities.
• Gabičko
If you missed other Gabičko posts, you can find them here:
• Physics was my passion as far back as high school. It’s thanks to Mr. V. Cantlon, my grade 13 physics teacher from Aldershot Secondary School. He was also my favorite teacher from middle school. The subject wasn’t particularly my strong point, but I felt I enjoyed the subject enough to pursue it into my undergraduate studies.
• My other favorite teacher was Mrs. L. Tessler, my ninth and eleventh grade English teacher, giving me the passion to express myself in words. Mrs. Tessler had the most wickedly teaching voice. It hypnotized me every time I listened to her, going as far as falling in love with her voice. I always wanted to impress her with my writing skills. But I could never seem to exceed an 80% grade on my essays. It wasn’t until I read the words of a 90% English student that I realized what it takes to get to the next level.
• Gabičko
If you missed other Gabičko posts, you can find them here:
86 – Burlington · Gabriel Dusil, Tim Steele & Doug Little (Aldershot High School, lockers)86 – Burlington · Tim Steele, Gabriel Dusil & Doug Little (Aldershot High School, lockers)87.Jun – Burlington · Mr. Cantlon, Eva & Gabriel Dusil (high school graduation)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · David Forsyth, Gerry Galea, Drew Schemmer, Doug Little & Gabriel Dusil (high school prom)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · Doug Little, Gerry Galea, Drew Schemmer, Gabriel Dusil & David Forsyth (high school prom)87.Jun.11 – Burlington · Blake Paterson & Gabriel Dusil (high school prom)97.Dec – Burlington · Geoff Baxter, Gabriel Dusil, Ian Hawkins, Doug Little & Drew Schemmer (christmas party at Drew’s, 1)97.Dec – Burlington · Geoff Baxter, Gabriel Dusil, Ian Hawkins, Doug Little & Drew Schemmer (christmas party at Drew’s, 2)99.Sep.22 – Prague · Doug Little, Geoff Baxter & Drew Schemmer (stag)99.Sep.25 – Prague · Doug Little, Geoff Baxter & Drew Schemmer (wedding, best men)
• After graduating from university I treated myself by visited my friend Robert Fridrich in Prague. He had arrived two years earlier to teach English. By the time I visited in June of 1991 he was starting Mac Source, an Apple reseller business with two partners, Tony Hasek and Glen Emery. I witnessed how the market was developing and the opportunities to make a fresh start. My challenge as a fresh graduate was entering the workforce in the middle of a North American recession. After struggling for over a year to get my career off the ground, I gave up on Canada decided to move to Europe. I arrived in Prague on the 21st of September 1993. Although I was grateful for my Canadian education, I ran out of patience and became apprehensive of the fact that my brain capacity was in perpetual state of decay. Besides, I saw the move as an opportunity to reconnect with my cultural roots. At twenty five I was ready for a tangential change to my life.
• Success is often defined by “time and place”. In 1993 I felt I had arrived late to the Czech Republic. In hindsight it was perfect timing. I was confident, ambitious, and brash, but had little experience in corporate business. I remember what Rob asked me, driving home after picking me up from the airport, “So what do you think you’re going to do here?” Clenching my teeth I said , “I’ll get a job.”
Chapters
If you missed the other chapters, you can find them here:
• I had a strong mother to carry me into teenage-hood. I found my strength in her, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. Losing my father at 12 meant missing out on the opportunity to absorbing many of his traits. As I entered puberty I completely ignored the testosterone infused raw-raw spirit of team sports, for instance. I had no interest in football, soccer, or baseball. To me it was just herd behavior, and that reminded me of being bullied in elementary school. I watched as passive by-standards got caught up in the frenzy of the crowd, suddenly finding themselves participating with the bullies. I still had a competitive spirit and found my strength in individual sports like swimming and martial arts. I often felt that the war zone I experienced in elementary school made me stronger, preparing me for various battles I faced in the corporate world.
• Throughout my teens I acquired my emotional intelligence from my mother. She was the disciplinarian, but underneath her tough exterior was a loving heart. I saw that more as I grew up. I realize in hindsight she had a profound effect my emotional sensitivity, and how I expressed it. I was emotionally complicated, and it effected my social interactions in positive and negative ways. Mainly my girlfriends noticed it, as they were much closer to my emotions than others. I looked into someone’s eyes and see their soul. It was my way of understanding what made then tick. I sometimes needed to avoid eye contact to not see that part of them. Other times I found it unnerving when I couldn’t immediately see who they really were. As if they were hiding something. In business I would walk into a room and feel the layer of emotion that dictated the meeting. Then I would deliberately change it to suit my agenda. Controlling the room’s emotion allowed me to control the meeting.
Chapters
If you missed the other chapters, you can find them here:
87.Jun – Burlington · Eva & Gabriel Dusil (Aldershot High School, graduation)87.Jun – Burlington · Gabriel & Eva Dusil (high school graduation)87.Sep.6 – Kingston · Eva & Gabriel Dusil (Queens University)88.Jun.28 – Burlington · Alica & Eva Dusil (Holy Rosary, graduation)90.Dec.24 – Burlington · Gabriel, Eva & Alica Dusil (Christmas)86.Sep.18 – Burlington · Eva & Gabriel Dusil91.Dec.24 – Burlington · Eva, Alica & Gabriel Dusil (christmas)92.Dec.24 – Burlington · Eva & Gabriel Dusil (family room)96.Apr.14 – Burlington · Eva & Gabriel (driveway)96.Dec – Burlington · Eva Dusil (Christmas)
• Here is my beautiful sister growing up – from kindergarten all the way to her high school graduation. As with anyone with a younger sibling, I will always look at our Googičko as my little sister. Well, she’s not so little anymore. She’s a business woman. She’s a wonderful mother. She’s an accomplished artist. She’s trains in mixed martial arts (MMA). Oh ya,… and she’s beautiful. I couldn’t ask for a better sister!
♥HappyBirthday ♥Googičko♥
I love you,
• These days, my sister runs her own business.
• Digital Photo Restoration
• 8 minutes 33 seconds
Alica Dusil (Class photos, Holy Rosary & Aldershot High School ’80-’92)
