Singing the praises of opportunism

As we celebrate the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Genovan navigator who sailed to the "New World" 515 years ago, I thought of my paternal grandfather who, 400 years later, set out from Genoa to his "New World" to establish his family.

As we celebrate the voyage of Christopher Columbus, the Genovan navigator who sailed to the "New World" 515 years ago, I thought of my paternal grandfather who, 400 years later, set out from Genoa to his "New World" to establish his family.

I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to ask him about any underlying reason that led him to come to America other than the obvious one, an opportunity for a better economic life. In the family, children respected the patriarch, but rarely had any in-depth communication with him as he chose to seek counsel from his sons and daughters and not the other generations.

Even though my grandfather knew, from friends who preceded him, what to expect in America, it still must have been daunting standing on the ship as it departed Genoa. I wish I had the forethought to ask him if he ever had second thoughts about the momentous decision. It would have been interesting to probe his thinking, to see what drove him to leave his homeland, which we have been told he loved. But, we youngsters were too caught up with our own lives and it wasn't until recent years that the newest generation of family youngsters began to investigate family history and by then he had passed away leaving no oral history.

Today people jump on planes, fly across ocean, and drop their roots in new locales, seemingly on a whim. Many are following opportunities for financial gain, taking advantage of the global nature of business today. Many of those I know who have done so now carry dual citizenship, not really completely cutting their ties.

This past weekend my wife and I attended a family reunion of a branch of her family, direct descendants of immigrants who made the journey to America from England some 250 years ago. Amongst these were the progeny of writers and historians so to a degree we can ascertain, from their writings, what drove these immigrants to make the lifestyle change. You might think religious freedom but in reality, like my forbearer, it was economic, a chance to improve one's way of life.

Among the guests enjoying a beautiful fall day at the family farm there was a prevailing subject, the state of the economy. One spoke of her family's heavy construction equipment distributorship which dropped from 15 unit sales per month to 15 for the last four months. Another spoke of her occupation as private chef to a well-known consulting firm, telling me that the corporate breakfasts and some of the dinners had been cut back dramatically. While another, a sub-editor for the London Times told me of downsizing changes in the newsroom there. A veterinarian with a busy practice commented on the fall-off she was experiencing in breeding work as her clients cut back on spending for their pets. A highly regarded illustrator of children's books mentioned the drop-off in publisher contracts as that industry consolidates. The guest of honor, still a Brit, who had converted a bustling sheep farm into a caravan (RV) camping park, said occupancies were off this past summer and he was considering shutting down.

An interesting vignette on the impact of the deep recession on the lifestyles of a diverse group of workers. Normally I am reacting to the woes of the manufacturing industries; here it was, save one, services oriented. But one overarching message was subtly being conveyed, all were coping, and most were optimistic about a return to normalcy. I must say that I found their optimism about when this will happen to be somewhat naive, but strangely refreshing. Here were descendants many generations removed from the original immigrants who saw America as a land of opportunity, still showing a streak of optimism. Maybe there is something in their genes that fosters optimism. Or maybe it was the effect of bountiful supplies of wine consumed on a bright and sunny day.