Those were the days...
TV Mini Series Rich Man Poor Man airs.
Sonny and Cher decide to continue their show after divorce.
The Concorde's first commercial flight.
The Toronto Blue Jays are created.
IBM introduces the first laser printer.
Jimmy Carter defeats incumbent Gerald Ford, becoming the first
candidate from the Deep South to win since the Civil War.
That was one wacky year...
Timeline - 1979
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). From hippy to mature man
in a matter of a few months. This transition would change my foundation, forever (for the better). It was time to grow up - and
I did...
Other 1979 events include;
For the first time in history in 1979 a woman Margaret Thatcher is elected Prime minister in the UK.
As technology becomes smaller Sony released the Walkman a worldwide success costing $200 which at that time was a
significant amount of money.
The first Snowboard is invented in the USA.
The bombing by the IRA in England continues with Lord
Mountbatten and three others assassinated.
Following the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Iran
becomes an Islamic Republic and 63 Americans are taken
hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran.
Gas prices soared up to 86 cents per gallon.
The Three Mile island Nuclear Accident occurs after a fire at
the reactor in Pennsylvania
China institutes the one child per family rule to help control it's exploding population
Average yearly income rises to $17,500.00 and the average home
costs $58,100.00
A crazy year indeed..
Timeline - 1981
The year of the Hobby Farm.
This is the first house that I built (passive solar with only an
airtight wood stove for backup heat source). Also pictured is my
crazy quarter horse, Joe. (I also had an arab mare named Babe,
2 goats, a dozen or so chickens, 4 dogs, 4 cats and a 3 1/2 foot iguana).
A wild year indeed...
52 American hostages in Iran are released
Prince Charles and Lady Diana get married
Regan becomes president.
Martial law declared in Poland.
Israel bombs Iraq 's Osiraq nuclear plant.
IBM introduces the first IBM PC. Osbourne I, first portable
computer, introduced.
President Reagan survives assassination attempt.
Unsuccessful assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
Egyptian President Anwar al Sadat is assassinated.
First Space Shuttle launches.
1981 was as crazy as my horse Joe...
Timeline - 1983
Ole McHunter had a farm...E-I-E-I-O
With a chill in the air and the fall colors in full bloom, the deep
freeze was only weeks away...Burrrr
So many things happened that year...
Lech Walesa from Poland won the Nobel Peace prize.
Vanessa Williams is the first black woman to win the Miss America contest.
M.A.S.H. aired its final episode.
Singer Karen Carpenter died at 32 (complications from anorexia nervosa).
Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys died (drowned while diving off
of his friends yacht).
The Last Deloreans were produced.
The "Just Say No' anti-drug campaign debuts
President Reagan signs legislation that makes the third monday
in January a national holiday commemorating Dr. Martin Luther
King's birthday.
Almost 30 years ago...
Timeline - 1986
The year of the ship (pictured are the twin stacks of the Maggie)
Being tired of the cold and snow, this was the year that I packed
up everything and moved to British Columbia. The plan; to try
and get work on the ships with my brother David. The plan
worked. I was accepted into the Seaferers International Union
(S.I.U.) and landed a position on the Princess Marguerite
(Maggie), the flag ship for the B.C. Steamship Company (Victoria,
B.C., Canada).
The Maggie was the last fully operational steam powered ship in
the western hemisphere. My brother worked on B.C. Steamships
other ship, the diesel powered Vancouver Island Princess (V.I.P.).
After the Maggie was retired, my brother and I worked side by
side on the V.I.P. for many years. We were known as "The Hunter Brothers" and together we sailed off into the sunset.
Other events of 1986;
Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after takeoff.
Soviet Nuclear reactor at Chernobyl Explodeson releases
radioactive material across much of Europe.
Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in
history .
The U.S. banned smoking on all public transport including trains, planes, busses and coaches
INTEL announces the 386 microprocessor.
The Tandy 600 portable computer sells for $1599.00.
We've come a long way baby.
Timeline - 1990
The Hunter brothers rule the seas
(a continuation of previous 1986 timeline)
In this shot, my brother David and I are standing off from the bridge of the our newest ship, the Crown Princess Victoria
(Stena Lines - formerly B.C. Steamships, Victoria, B.C.,
Canada). David is such a poser. During the winter, when we
both had full beards, it was challenging to tell us apart.
This was to be our last year of sailing together. I didn't realize
it then that God was about to stir things up in my life and I
was going to head off into a new and exciting direction. My
life would never be the same.
Other events of the year;
Operation Desert Shield Begins as the United States and UK
send troops to Kuwait.
Lech Walesa becomes president of Poland.
GM launches a new line of cars (the Saturn).
Earthquake in Iran kills 50,000.
The cartoon The Simpsons aires on FOX.
Margaret Thatcher announces her resignation as British P.M.
East and West Germany reunite including currency and
economies.
Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize.
The Space Shuttle Discovery places the Hubble Space
telescope in orbit revolutionizing astronomy.
The First Known Case of AIDS is traced back to 1959
The 16 megabit chip is shown for the very first time.
Timeline - 1991
The year of the Wedding Bell
So, taking a 3 month vacation (yes, I had the entire winter off) I
found myself following a destiny that I had not planned on. I was
headed for South Padre Island with a shipmate of mine (not my brother) and for some reason we decided to spend a week in San Diego. The second day there I saw this redhead walking my way.
I looked at her and then told Rick, my travel mate that I was
going to marry this beauty. He laughed, I dreamed. I resigned
from the life of a seafearer. That beautiful redhead (Kerry) and I
were married two months later. I never did make it all the way to South Padre Island. This was the path that God had lay before me
and without question, for reasons unknown to me at the time, I
blindly followed.
Can I get an AMEN?
Other happenings of 1991;
Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassinated.
US airline Pan Am, ends operations.
Bank of Credit and Commerce (BCCI) collapses.
Croatia and Slovenia inependent from Yugoslavia after a brief
war.
Attempted coup in Soviet Union.
Break-up of USSR, Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) formed.
Yearly Inflation Rate USA4.25%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 3168
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 6.50%
Average Cost of new house $120,000.00
Average Income per year $29,430.00
Average Monthly Rent $495.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.12
1 LB of Bacon $1.95
Dozen Eggs 85 cents
An interesting year indeed...
Timeline - 1992
God Bless America
As soon as I returned from my honeymoon I went down to the
INS Department and stood in line all day to start the immigration process. That day I walked out of there with a green card and for
the next 2 years I continued on my path to becoming an
American citizen.
This picture was taken outside of the Federal Building on a sunny
afternoon in 1992, where I (and Kerry and her folks) attended my Swearing-In ceremony. This is the first picture ever taken of
Richard S. Hunter, American citizen (I actually have dual
citizenship now - Canadian and American).
Canada will always have a special place in my heart but what a
country the U.S.A. is...the land of opportunity (my promise land
of milk and honey).
Other events of 1992;
McDonalds opens first McDonalds in Beijing China
Euro Disney opens in France
TWA Declares Bankruptcy
Bill Clinton becomes President (I got to vote in this election)
Prince Charles and Princess Diana seperate
Windows 3.1 released by Microsoft
Microsoft Works released by Microsoft
AT & T release video telephone for $1,499
The first Nicotine patch is introduced to help stop smoking
God Bless America (and Canada too)
Timeline - 1993
The Year of the Human Body...
I had no idea that the limits I set upon myself were actually
unlimited. Once I became an American, (my land of milk and
honey) the opportunities before me were outstanding, and I took advantage of each and every one of them.
In this picture, I am working at Mercy Hospital in San Diego.
What is this former hippy/soldier/mechanic/sailor doing with his
hands deep inside a human body; a living breathing (sleeping)
human body? I learned to suture, cut and cauterize. Yes, God
does indeed work in mysterious ways. This was a path that I
never saw coming and it lead me and my family into a future
that became the foundation of who I am today.
(Notice; the hippy is still in there fighting to come out --- the
peace sign)
Other events of 1993;
Islamic Fundamentalists bomb World Trade Center
Federal Agents raid religious cult Waco, Texas
Buckingham Palace opens its doors to the public
Ben Johnson, is banned from athletics for life (steriods)
Yitzhak Rabin ( Israel ) and Yasser Arafat ( PLO ) sign peace agreement on White House lawn
Harley Davidson Motorcycles turns 90 years old
Two former police officers are convicted of violating the civil
rights of beaten motorist Rodney King.
Timeline - 1996
The year of the Globetrotter...
I hated it when a patient died during surgery. One day in 1994
Kerry noticed in the paper a want ad. It said, “ O.R. experience a
must – willing to travel – professional appearance.” A local inventor
was looking for someone with O.R. skills to help promote his line of surgical instruments. We met, we talked, he listened to my vision,
and he hired me on the spot (the land of milk and honey once again proved fruitful).
Within two short years I was promoted to senior technical advisor teaching syringe liposuction and travelling the world doing intra-operative demonstrations (a unique approach to medical device selling). Corporate benefit – I kept all of my air miles and Kerry
got to travel with me to some very exotic places, on their dime.
Pictured – Kerry and I enjoying each other in the lobby of our
Hotel, just outside of Munich, Germany. Winter in Germany can
be very romantic.
Other 1996 events include...
Mad Cow disease hit the U.K.
The U.S. stock markets, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, gains at an incredibly fast pace and ends the year over the 6,000 mark (today the market is approx. 12,400)
38 Million Acres of Rain Forest are destroyed annually by timber cutting
Israel carries out air strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut as part of "Operation Grapes of Wrath"
DVD's launch in Japan
Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be successfully cloned
Ozone layer over the Arctic continues to be depleted
Need I say more?
Timeline - 1999
The year of the Ole Pueblo...
Pictured are Kerry and I sitting under the Lover's Tree at
one of the palaces in Beijing, China.
So here we are, Kerry and I, travelling around the world, seeing all
of these beautiful places. Actually, Kerry did most of the sightseeing
while I was taking care of business. I always added a day or two
onto the end of each business trip, just to make sure I got to see
some of the local sights as well.
One of our competitors was trying to recruit me. They were making
me offers I couldn't refuse. Since my company was relocating to Pittsburgh, and not wanting to move back to the cold, I accepted a position as Director of International Sales. As long as our youngest
was still in school, I would be able to remain in San Diego and work
out of our home office (air tickets would be Fed/Ex'd to me from the
head office in Tucson, the Ole Pueblo).
The year finally came when our boy graduated high school. My new employer wanted me in Tucson. We negotiated long and hard and
when they offered me the position Vice President, International
Division, we packed up, sold our house (Kerry's dream house) and
moved to the Ole Pueblo.
Other events of 1999...
The world’s population exceeds 6 billion
Y2K has everyone nervous (will computers crash on New Years
day?)
The EURO is introduced in 11 countires
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones circumnavigate the world in a
hot air balloon without stopping.
Jack Kervorkian was sentenced for the second-degree murder of Thomas Youk. (assisted suicide )
Two boys 17 and 18 years old go on a rampage at Columbine
High School killing 15
Impeachment Proceedings are bought against President Bill
Clinton
Internet Explorer is introduced
Napster is introduced
Myspace is introduced
Bluetooth is introduced
The genetic code that comprise the euchromatic portion of
human chromosome 22 is released into the public domain for the
good of mankind
That was an amazing year indeed...
Timeline - 2008
The year of the retiree ...
Medical sales had me on the road for over 200 days per year. I
was a road warrior spending more time in hotels than my in own home. My employer offered me the chance to stay at home more and travel less and for awhile that seemed to work. Eventually that path came to an end. I took a year off to regroup. God had a plan. I had blind faith.
What on earth did I know about financial software - absolutely
nothing. That didn't stop a local software company from offering me a position as a consultant manager. I accepted and for the next 6 years I taught business owners how to manage their financials. Those were good years - no more travel, Monday to Friday hours and home every night.
When God decided it was time for me to leave, I had no idea
how impeccable his timing would prove to be. The recession just started. I was now retired at the age of 52. Kerry thought I
needed a hobby. She suggested that I write a book about her
dad. He always wanted to tell his story and so for the next year
we worked on the project. He was a WWII pilot who got shot
down in the South Pacific and spent the remaining 3 ½ years of the war as a POW on Java. Finally "Where Eagles Fly" was
published. The next year I published a God inspired book titled
"Will Work 4 Food" and the year after that my third book
"Crossroads" hit the shelves. The fourth year saw the re-release
of "Where Eagles Fly" with more graphic text added (it also gave me the chance to correct the typos that slipped by me and my editor). This book would be titled "Where Eagles Fly...Uncensored (released October of 2012).
I need to learn to stop asking God why and instead simply follow the path He places before me.
Other 2008 events;
Cyprus and Malta adopt the Euro joining 13 other European
countries using the single currency
Property prices continue to fall on both sides of the Atlantic in
Europe and America causing hardship to many homeowners, and problems for the financial institutions
The Tata Group introduces the Nano at the New Delhi car show
its ultra-cheap car in India costing 100,000 rupees the equivalent of $2,500
The US government gives the OK to the production and marketing of foods derived from cloned animals
Estimates are coming out which put the cost so far for the war in Iraq at close to $3 trillion
Fidel Castro steps down as president of Cuba after almost 50
years in power
Following on from more production of the "One Laptop Per Child" laptops more children in third world countries are given the opportunity to use the Internet for education and to join the global community.
United States Presidential Election - Barack Obama (Democratic) Defeats John McCain (Republican)
This was a lousy year for investments - and it is only going to get worse...
Timeline - 2010
The year of the In-Laws...
We were blessed with a house that could easily be expanded to
create a self contained apartment for Kerry's parents. They are
both slowing down and in need of assistance with some of their everyday routines.
We all sat down and came up with a game plan; we would build
an addition onto the house so Kerry's folks could move in with us.
In September 2010 we became a family of four. What a blessing
to be able to care for them as they approach the final phase of
life.
The joy of a Family is one to cherish - We thank God for this gift, challenges and all!
Timeline - 2011
The year of drama and adventure...
The year started on a dramatic note. Less than a mile from our
house, at the Safeway supermarket, Gabrielle Giffords was shot and almost killed (6 others died). I was with Kerry's dad in our pickup truck passing Safeway when it happened. It was total craziness, utter madness, panic everywhere. No more to be said...what a horrible way to start a year
Now for the good. In March I traveled to Senegal, West Africa
with Greg and Cathy on a missions trip. A M A Z I N G ! ! ! This 2 week adventure changed me forever (for the better).
In September Kerry and I headed out for a Grandkid tour starting with a trip up to the Seattle area to stay with Justin and his gang. After 4 or 5 days in Seattle we flew to Alabama to visit Nick and his crew. Then it was time for Kerry and me to bask in the warm tropical sun and spoil ourselves. We headed to Key West, Florida and recharged our batteries. What a blessed trip this was.
Pictured above - Kerry and I at the Bamboo Forest near Prattville, Alabama
Other events of 2011...
October, Chris (Kerry's mom) turned 88. In November, Red
(Kerry's dad) turned 90. We had a huge family reunion/party to celebrate. Visitors came from all over the country and stayed with us, camped in our driveway and took over local hotels.
In December Chris and Red celebrated 67 years of marriage. The year ended quietly without the kids visiting for Christmas (sad). So, we did the only thing we could think of - We hosted a huge party for the neighborhood with tons of food, drink and door prizes. It was festive.
As Christmas approached, we got a call from Greg (our pastor). He wanted to stop by and give a holiday blessing to Red and Chris (in-laws). He showed up with 2 other pastors and for the next hour memories, blessings and prayers were shared. A week later Greg called again asking if he could show up to sing some carols for Red and Chris. We said, "Of course." We expected maybe 5 or 6 people - WRONG! Our pastor showed up with a group of over 40 people who entered our house while singing. They flowed into my in-laws apartment and completely surrounded them - talk about stereo. We sang and cried with joy.
We ended the year with a smile.
Timeline - 2012
Being my last Timeline posting, I smile with joy as I realize
that this is not the end, but in fact it is only the beginning.
Look ahead. Do you see that path? Can you see the glow?
That is my destiny. Join me!
Thanks to all of you who showed interest in the timeline I call my life. There is no better feeling than to have someone walk up to you (or e-mail you) and thank you for sharing an intimate story. “It was my pleasure,” I assured all.
In summary, as you can tell from my timeline (1956 to the
present) I have lived a very interesting, deep, complicated,
varied and complex life. I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Every step I took led me to a path that called out for me to
follow. Most of the time I listened (sometimes I didn't). At any one point I could have made a decision to totally change directions, which would have changed who I elvolved into; I wouldn’t have met the love of my life (Kerry)(my angel). I would still be living in a cold Canadian environment (although I love Canada and all she stands for). But God had a plan, a different plan and for some unknown reason I blindly followed. Why? For His glory, of course!
What does the future have in store for me? Who knows? Who cares? The trick is to not worry about the destiny. Instead focus on the journey getting there. Be all you can be. Love all you can love and do all you can do. That’s my plan and I am sticking to it.
Praise God for His forgiveness of my sins, past and future and hopefully, someone will read this timeline and see for
themselves that there is indeed a bright light at the end of
the tunnel - that light is God calling out for you. Set your goal high and never stop striving for them. If you make it, great and if you don’t, you can be proud of the attempt.
My prayer for you is one of peace, harmony and spiritual
growth. I pray that you share your journey as I did so others may learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. I pray that God blesses you and continues to be your light away from the darkness. Can I get an Amen?
By the way, January 31st, 2012 was our 21st wedding
anniversary... I am humbled!
Pictured above is me in September 1956 being baptised (I was born on August 19th)
And together all His people said, "AMEN.
Timeline End Timeline End
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